Challenges Faced by Joey Logano: Obstacles and Turning Points

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Joey Logano's life and career.

Joey Logano is a professional American stock car racing driver. He currently races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske. Logano has also participated in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, along with the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2003: Auto Club Speedway Race

In 2003, at Auto Club Speedway, Joey Logano led 41 laps. The final laps involved an intense battle with Denny Hamlin. Both wrecked on the last corner, allowing Kyle Busch to win. Tony Stewart confronted Logano after the race, and Logano finished in 3rd place.

January 2008: Disqualified from Toyota All-Star Showdown

In January 2008, Joey Logano attempted to defend his Toyota All-Star Showdown title but was disqualified for crashing into Peyton Sellers on the final lap.

September 5, 2008: First Sprint Cup Car Appearance and Qualifying Rainout

On September 5, 2008, Joey Logano made his first appearance in a Sprint Cup car at Richmond International Raceway. However, due to Tropical Storm Hanna, qualifying was rained out and Logano did not qualify for the race.

2009: 2009 Season Events

In 2009, Joey Logano finished fourth in his first Gatorade Duel. He became the youngest driver to start the Daytona 500, but crashed mid-race, finishing last. He achieved his first Top 10 finish at Talladega in April and led 19 laps at Darlington, also finishing ninth. Logano won the fan vote for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, finishing eighth.

2011: 2011 Season Struggles

During the 2011 season, Joey Logano struggled, achieving only four Top 5's, six Top 10's, and two pole positions, which led to a career-worst 24th-place finish in the final points standings.

May 2014: Winning Streak Ends at Dover

In May 2014, Joey Logano's four-race winning streak at Dover came to an end when Kyle Busch won. Logano finished third. He also led at Michigan but suffered a blown tire, finishing 16th.

2016: 2016 Season

In 2016, Joey Logano had a rocky start. He won his third straight pole at Martinsville but finished 11th. He experienced back-to-back DNFs at Kansas and Talladega due to crashes. However, he won the Sprint Cup All-Star Race and the FireKeepers Casino 400 from the pole at Michigan, followed by a third-place finish at Sonoma and fourth at Daytona.

2017: 2017 Season

In 2017, Joey Logano won the Advance Auto Parts Clash after an incident. He finished sixth in the Daytona 500. He was involved in a collision with Kyle Busch at Las Vegas, and won at Richmond, but the win was "encumbered" due to a rear suspension issue. He made his 300th cup start at Richmond.

September 2019: Alopecia Areata Diagnosis

In September 2019, Joey Logano was diagnosed with Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder affecting hair follicles.

2019: 2019 Season

In 2019, Joey Logano made it to the playoffs with two wins. He finished 10th at the Charlotte Roval, advancing to the Round of 12. At Dover, he had to fix a busted rear axle, returning 24 laps down, drawing criticism from Denny Hamlin. At Martinsville, a collision with Hamlin led to damage, but Logano finished eighth. A post-race altercation resulted in a suspension for his tire technician. Despite finishing ninth at Phoenix, Logano was eliminated in the Round of 8. He finished fifth at Homestead, being the highest among non-Championship 4 drivers. Throughout 2019, Logano finished every race, an accomplishment shared only with Ty Dillon.

2020: 2020 Season

In 2020, with Paul Wolfe as his new crew chief, Joey Logano won Duel 1 of the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. He finished 26th at the Daytona 500 after a collision. Later, he won at Las Vegas and Phoenix. At Bristol, a crash with Chase Elliott led to a 21st-place finish. Securing a spot in the 2020 Playoffs, he locked himself in the Championship 4 after beating Kevin Harvick at Kansas. A late-race vibration at Phoenix Raceway led to Logano finishing 3rd in the race and third of the Championship 4.

2021: 2021 Season

During the final lap of the 2021 Daytona 500, Joey Logano, leading teammate Keselowski, crashed due to an attempted pass by Keselowski, resulting in a 12th-place finish while McDowell won. Later in 2021, Logano won the inaugural Bristol Dirt race.

2023: 2023 Season

In 2023, Joey Logano started the season with a second-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He won at Atlanta, passing Brad Keselowski. During the playoffs, Logano was eliminated at Bristol after a wreck. He finished 12th in points, scoring 11 top 5s, while Penske's Ryan Blaney won the championship in 2023.

2024: 2024 Season

In 2024, Joey Logano began the season with a pole at the Daytona 500, followed by a 32nd place finish. He was penalized at Atlanta for unapproved safety gloves, resulting in a fine. After scoring one top 5, Logano won the NASCAR All-Star Race and US$1 million. He won his first points-paying race at Nashville, surviving five overtimes. He was spun out at Richmond and later fined for spinning his tires near Austin Dillon's pit box. At the end of the 2024 regular season, Logano was seeded ninth in the playoffs.

2024: Near Win in Las Vegas

In 2024, Joey Logano was in position to win at Las Vegas before a late-race caution and bad pit stop resulted in a 15th-place finish.

2025: 2025 Season

In 2025, Joey Logano started the season with a first stage win in the Daytona 500 but was involved in an accident. At Atlanta, Logano dominated but finished 11th. At COTA, he finished 24th after being dumped. A penalty at Phoenix led to a 13th-place finish despite good pace. In 2025, Logano was in position to win in Las Vegas but finished 15th due to a late-race caution and bad pit stop.