Getty Joey Logano is bringing 'his A-Game' to Phoenix Raceway.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano has been vocal about his pursuit of “revenge” heading toward the Cup Series championship. Now the man atop the pit box says the 2018 Cup Series champion will bring his A-Game.
Paul Wolfe, the crew chief for the No. 22 team, met with media members after Cup Series practice on November 4. He talked about the recent pit crew changes and the extra time that the team has had to prepare for the championship race. Wolfe then provided some insight into Logano’s mindset as he prepares for the final race.
“Joey is obviously very experienced,” Wolfe said. “I guess he’s probably the oldest guy in the field. He’s pretty good at this point of being able to handle his emotions and what he thinks. He’s very driven, determined.
“It’s going to be hard to beat that on Sunday. It looks like we’ll have the speed to go along with it. From there, it’s just executing the strategy and seeing how the race plays out. Like I said, I was pleased with the speed we had. He’s on his A-game right now. I think he’ll be tough to beat on Sunday.”
Logano Explained Why He Wants Revenge
GettyJoey Logano poses with the championship trophy.
The 2020 season was big for Logano and the No. 22 team. He won three points-paying races, including the playoff race at Kansas Speedway. This helped him punch his ticket to the championship four, which put him in a position to secure a second title.
The first-ever championship race at Phoenix was playing out well for Logano. He had the lead during the final stage, but there were some unexpected issues. He began dealing with a vibration that played a major role in him losing the lead to Chase Elliott.
The problem wasn’t a loose wheel, and Logano still does not know what caused the shaking to this day. However, he knows that it removed an opportunity to win the championship.
“Everything is going the way it’s supposed to,” Logano said ahead of the trip to Martinsville Speedway. “Ran the [No.] 9 down, passed him, the whole nine and then giving it away like that. That’s hurt for the last couple years for me and I can’t say I’m over it, so this is the moment of revenge on that.”
The Most Important Factor Could Be Pit Road
GettyJoey Logano (front) heads onto the track for practice.
The Cup Series drivers have spoken about multiple “race-winning factors” in the week leading up to the season finale. They have discussed the best lanes to run, the tire fall-off, and the track temperatures.
Another important factor is pit road. Securing the best pit stall is paramount for the teams considering that Kyle Larson used the first stall to take the lead during the final stage of the 2021 championship race.
According to Wolfe, getting the first pit stall isn’t all-important. Yes, it will provide an advantage during the championship race, but the team will still have a solid stall regardless of where they qualify.
“The way I understand it, the Championship Four guys will get the first picks,” Wolfe said on November 4. “I think obviously you want stall one. After that, there’s three other good stalls. I don’t expect that to be anything to talk about on Sunday. I think everyone will have a good stall.
“The stalls here are really long, 40-some-feet long. I don’t expect that to be an issue. It will just kind of be up to the pit crews to do their thing.”