AAA Texas 500 Race Preview

OWNER OF SOME NEW GUNS: The last time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) visited the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway, Joey Logano came away with his first of five victories, thus far, in 2014. The spring race marked Logano’s first career win at Texas and his first-career NSCS win on a 1.5-mile oval. With the win, Logano got to celebrate in Victory Lane by shooting off the traditional six-shooter guns, which he just recently picked up and displayed in his race shop in Huntersville, NC.
A SERIES LEADER: Despite losing the points lead following his fifth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, Logano was able to extend his lead in one category – top-five finishes. Logano now has 16 top fives in 2014, a career-best and two better than the next-highest total in the series recorded by Jeff Gordon. Logano’s 21 top-10 finishes are tied with Gordon for the best in the series. Logano also has finished in the top five in six of the first seven Chase races this season.
AFTER A ROCKY START…: Logano’s career at Texas Motor Speedway didn’t start out very well. Despite seven finishes of 19th or worse in his first eight races at the track, Logano has been able to turn it around as of late, especially since joining Team Penske. In his last four races at the TMS oval, Logano has produced finishes of 11th, fifth, third and first.
WELCOME BACK AAA: The No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion will have a different look this weekend in Texas as it will carry the red, white and blue colors of AAA. It will mark the second time this season that unique AAA livery has adorned the sides of the No. 22 with the first race coming at Kansas Speedway back in April. AAA is a long-time partner with Team Penske, sponsoring both the No. 22 in the Sprint Cup Series as well as the No. 3 car driven by Helio Castroneves in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
MORE AND MORE TRACK TIME: Logano won’t get much rest this week. He and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion team, along with their teammate Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Ford team, will join several other teams at Homestead-Miami Speedway for a two-day test session. The teams are all getting ready for next month’s NSCS season-finale and championship showdown.
LONE STAR NATIVE: One member of the No. 22 AAA team will be close to home when the teams visit the Lone Star state this weekend. Larry Robinett, the rear tire changer for the AAA Ford, grew up just 50 miles to the east of Fort Worth in Garland, Tex.

The No. 22 AAA Ford Fusion

LOOKING BACK ON YOUR WIN IN TEXAS EARLIER THIS YEAR, HOW BIG WAS THAT FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR TEAM?

“I think it was a huge momentum booster. We had already run pretty well to start the season and we had some good finishes, but the way the race played out, with leading late and then having a caution coming to the white flag, coming in and taking tires and then having to pass Jeff Gordon for the win on the green-white-checkered, was a big confidence booster for me and for my team. It also really put me and (crew chief) Todd Gordon on another level. He always stresses that he likes to come in and give me tires and let me be aggressive, and that’s what we did there and it really worked out well. It was a big deal and I think we learned a lot from it. I knew we were going to be strong, but I don’t think I even thought at that point we’d be sitting here with five wins.”

TODD GORDON HAS SAID REPEATEDLY THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST AT RESTARTS IN THE SERIES. WHAT MAKES YOU SO GOOD?

“We’ve worked really hard as a team to get better and better at restarts. The cars help, but knowing that at most of these tracks, the restarts are where you have to get it done really puts me up on the wheel. You have to be aggressive and take advantage of those laps when everyone is right there. It’s just something I’ve worked hard at and tried to get better at over the years and it’s really paid off. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to get up on the wheel during those restarts.”