Logano set to make 600th career Cup Series start at Dover

Joey Logano might not be celebrating hitting the 600-start milestone in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend, but there are a few things he does appreciate about the number.

First thing that comes to mind is the longevity required to reach 600 starts. In what has been a 16-year career, and counting, Logano has competed for only two different team owners in Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske. Additionally, Shell has been his primary sponsor for the last 13 years, and Logano values longevity in relationships as well.

“Anyone who can make a career out of professional sports and be at the top level for 16 years is pretty impressive,” Logano said Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway. “I think that’s pretty cool, so I take some pride in that. I think that’s neat [and] something I’m proud of.”

Logano made his first NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the fall of 2008. He ran two additional races before that season ended in preparation for joining the series a year later as Tony Stewart’s replacement for Gibbs.

Since 2009, Logano has been a full-time driver in NASCAR’s top series, and he hasn’t missed a race since.

 “I’m going to keep going,” Logano laughed and nonchalantly shrugged about the streak. “There have been weekends I probably should have taken off, but I didn’t. You think about all the things in life that have happened, too, where things have timed out pretty well, whether it’s the birth of your children or those types of things. I never got put into that, ‘What do I do?’ I’ve always been in a position where I’ve been able to be OK up until this point.

“Proud of that.”

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And then came a nugget from Logano about the 600 number milestone.

“It’s kind of cool to do it as the youngest [driver],” Logano said. “I saw that record yesterday. It’s probably the only record of Richard Petty’s that I will ever beat, so it’s kind of cool to say I beat Richard Petty at something.

“Richard, who?”

To be clear, Logano was being lighthearted. The remarks about Petty came with a big smile and laugh, making it clear Logano knows where he stands in the history of the sport, and he’ll appreciate the little things compared to the legend that is Petty.

Shell and Team Penske are recognizing Logano’s milestone with a graphic on his rear bumper for the occasion. Sunday, Logano seeks his second win of the season as he and the No. 22 team continue to set themselves up for the postseason, where they will defend their 2024 title.

Logano has three championships since joining the Penske organization. Penske gave him a second chance at Cup Series racing with an elite program after his elevation with Joe Gibbs was short and disappointing. Not only have all his championships come with Penske, but so have 35 of his 37 wins.

Among those are a Daytona 500 victory (2015) and two in the All-Star Race (2016, ’24).

“I guess I get conflicted, I’ll be honest with you,” Logano said of his career to this point. “On one hand, yeah, doing something for 16 years, especially in professional sports, is almost unheard of. People don’t compete at a top level for that long, so I’m proud of that.

“On the other hand, I’ve got 30-whatever wins, and I’m like, jeez, I lost a lot of races. That also goes through my mind – 37 out of 600 doesn’t sound that good. I’m like, 'Aw...' I guess I get conflicted and confused on where exactly I want to stand. Should I celebrate this, or should I be bummed out? I’m not really sure.”