“I know I'm not the fastest race car driver”: Joey Logano makes startling admission of what differentiates him from the rest of the pack

Joey Logano may be a three-time NASCAR champion but admitted to not being the fastest driver on the track. Nevertheless, Logano said that he has certain characteristics that sets him apart from the competition, including handling pressure, especially during the playoffs.

Logano, a 34-year-old NASCAR driver under Team Penske, drives the No. 22 Ford Mustang. The Connecticut native won the 2024 Cup Series championship to earn his third career title, making him the 10th driver to do so.

Speaking with former NFL tight end Greg Olsen via the Youth Inc. podcast, Joey Logano talked about how handling pressure is key to producing good results on the track.

"Being able to handle pressure is the most important thing, and I look at our race team. ... we show up in the playoffs way more than we do all year long. ... Our regular season was nothing to be happy about. But our playoffs were fantastic," Logano said.

The Ford pilot added:

"Some people are born to love that pressure. Some people have to learn to love the pressure. And it's never comfortable. It's not like you feel comfortable in pressure. But for me, I find ways to back myself up against the wall and find a way to dig out of it because that's just makes me better."

Logano concluded by saying that his mental toughness gives him an edge over other drivers who are, in his own words, faster than him.

"I know I'm not the fastest racecar driver on the racetrack, I know that. But I also know where my strengths are, and I think I'm the most (mentally) tough racecar driver on the racetrack."

Joey Logano may not have the best regular season but had a strong playoff run. Three of his four wins of the 2024 season were in the postseason, but he had a tough Round of 12 run that once eliminated him from contention.

Alex Bowman's disqualification for failing the post-race inspection brought Logano back to the playoff picture.

In the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, the No. 12 driver had a steady race ahead of the Championship 4 contenders to win the title. He held off his charging teammate Ryan Blaney who was looking to go back-to-back. The victory marked a three-peat for Team Penske.

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Joey Logano shared "one of the coolest things" about winning a championship

Joey Logano opened up about "one of the coolest things" in achieving a three-peat. He sai thatd reading and writing in the Champion's Journal was on his list.

For context, the Champion's Journal was introduced by seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson in 2011. The book has been passed down to each champion every year, with the bookholder writing a letter to the next driver who would win a title.

No one knows the book's content but the championship themselves. In a report by Sportsnaut, Logano shared his thoughts on receiving the Champion's Journal:

"They’re all neat in their own way, fun, unique to read. It’s fun that it’s such a big secret and that everyone wants to know what it looks like. We do a good job keeping it a secret. It’s honestly one of the coolest things about winning the championship."

The 36-time Cup race winner also credited Jimmie Johnson for coming up with the idea.

"All the credit to Jimmie for starting it. I’d have never thought of something like that. I’m pretty sure he wrote a couple of letters to himself at some point before handing it off the first time," Logano said.

Joey Logano received the Champion's Journal from Ryan Blaney after he gave the book to his teammate at the end of the 2023 season.