‘Not Fair’ — Joey Logano Fears His NASCAR Legacy Will Haunt His 7-Year-Old Son’s Racing Future

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano recently spoke candidly about his life on and off the track in a recent episode of “The Pure Athlete Podcast,” hosted by Jeff Francoeur. Logano dove deep into a variety of subjects, starting from his journey as a 6-year-old driving a go-kart to becoming the youngest driver to win a Cup Series race.

Among the many topics he touched on, he particularly spoke about his kids’ interest in racing and his own legacy.

Joey Logano Fears How His Legacy Will Follow His Son
Before diving into his own legacy, the racer spoke about his beginnings. Logano’s love for racing started with riding his go-kart in his yard. From there, he made his mark in the NASCAR Xfinity Series before announcing his arrival in the Cup Series. However, his quick rise came with its challenges.

The constant comparison of Logano to the likes of Jeff Gordon initially cost him, but he eventually picked himself up and won three championship titles.

Later in the podcast, Francoeur asked him if he still followed youth racing and how hard it is for young racers to make it. Logano said it was pretty much the same, but the journey to the top remains as tough as ever. He then spoke about his oldest son, who recently started showing an interest in racing. He also expressed concern about his son feeling pressure to be great just because he is Logano’s child.

“I wanna make sure it’s fun for him. I don’t want him to feel the pressure to have to be great because he is my kid. That is a whole different level of things that I didn’t have to go through growing up,” Logano said.

“That’s not fair,” he added. “He’s no better than any other kid out there. Does he have an advantage because I can help him? Okay. But it is still a lot of pressure to put on a seven-year-old.”

Logano Touches on Changes in NASCAR’s Practices
When Francoeur asked Logano if he was on track only on race day over the weekends or even while he was home, Logano went on to explain how NASCAR drivers cannot simply jump into race cars, considering how much is at stake. However, due to NASCAR’s rules, drivers cannot take official cars on any race tracks to practice. The Team Penske racer mentioned that the huge costs attached to these vehicles were a factor.

“A set of tires is around $3,000, and it lasts like 25 laps. You start running around in these cars, it gets really expensive,” Logano said.

However, if a driver cannot make laps, they must find other ways to improve. Logano emphasized that preparation at home off the track is just as important. This includes watching film, studying data, and becoming a student of the game to enhance skills. He also revealed that he drove his own car daily to keep things fresh and stay in the groove.