Joey Logano, driving the #22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang fielded by Team Penske, is one driver who is looking to pick up the pace in his NASCAR Cup Series campaign this year. Coming off a championship victory last year, Logano has not been able to log a victory in the 2023 season yet, with more than half of the races already over.
The Middletown, Connecticut native, on his recent appearance on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, also spoke about how the field of drivers has improved over time. The introduction of the 'Next Gen' seventh generation cup car meant every driver and team took a year to figure out what works for them.
However, coming into the second year of the new car, every driver and team is operating at a high level, as the Cup Series also boasts of the best drivers in stock car racing. Elaborating further on how varied car performance throughout the field can allow or deny a driver of the luxury of making a mistake, Joey Logano said:
"Everybody has to be at 100% to race in the top-5 and that means one mistake, we're out, we're not going to make it up. We're racing on a razor's edge, you know, if you're a little loose you're off, a little tight you're off. You gotta be freaking money."
Logano further added:
"When you don't have the overall potential in your vehicle you have to be perfect. If you have more speed you can miss it one way or the other, you can have a mistake and make it up."
Looking forward to a test session at Texas Motor Speedway, Joey Logano hopes to find more performance in his machinery as the regular season starts nearing its end.
Joey Logano speaks on teammate Ryan Blaney's impact with the wall at Nashville last weekend
Joey Logano also spoke about his teammate Ryan Blaney's heavy crash at Nashville Superspeedway last Sunday. The #12 Ford Mustang driver, who crashed into a bare concrete wall, raised eyebrows in the fraternity as to the lack of SAFER barriers on the particular section of the track.
Elaborating on Blaney's impact, Logano expressed his concerns on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, saying:
"When you think about any wall thats concrete with the cars we're racing today, they're stiff and you hit a stiff wall, it's like concrete into concrete is what it feels like."
Watch Joey Logano take to the Chicago City Street Course this weekend for the Grant Park 220 on Sunday.