"There's no doubt in my mind": When Mark Martin expressed strong belief in Joey Logano as NASCAR’s future legend

Former NASCAR driver Mark Martin predicted Joey Logano's success in the Cup Series two decades ago. Logano, who is one of the only ten drivers in the series with three championship titles, received praise from Martin when he was racing in the Late Model Series.

In 2005, Martin made a bold prediction about 15-year-old Logano and stated he could become one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR.

"I am high on Joey Logano because I am absolutely, 100 percent positive, without a doubt, that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR. I'm positive. There's no doubt in my mind. I know it," Mark Martin said (Marion Star).

"I've watched him race and there's no question about it. I'm more sure of it than I was sure of Matt Kenseth. I'm more sure of it than anybody I've ever seen turn a wheel," he added.

Logano started racing go-karts when he was just six and earned the Southeast-based Pro Legends National Championship at 12-years-old. A week after Martin's comments, Logano won his first professional race in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway.

The Connecticut native later won the Camping World East Series championship and became the youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race at the age of just 18 in 2008. That same year, Logano made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series with Hall of Fame Racing and joined Joe Gibbs Racing the following year.

The 32-year-old later went on to two Cup titles in 2018 and 2022. In 2024, he won his third championship with Team Penske. However, Logano was criticized by some who believed that he did not deserve the title due to his regular season performances. Logano had an average finish of 17.1 last season, the lowest of all Cup Series champions.

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"I wouldn’t be sitting here today" - When Joey Logano recalled Mark Martin's role in his career

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin is one of the best NASCAR drivers without a championship. He finished as a runner-up five times and won 40 races in over 30 years in the Cup Series.

In an episode of NASCAR’s Untold Stories in 2023, Joey Logano talked about Martin's role in his career.

"It’s so interesting how that all played out with Mark, and how much he helped me in my career. I wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t for Mark Martin," Logano said.

Logano also talked about the time Martin gave him an old Cup car to test at local tracks after a deal with Roush Performance fell through.