STILL LOOKING FOR THE OLD 1-2: Two weeks ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Joey Logano looked to be on his way to at least a second-place finish, which could have given Team Penske a one-two finish. That elusive first- and second-place result is something that Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski have wanted all season long and come close to on at least three occasions. In Pocono, Logano was running second and poised to finish second when engine problems ruined his day. Mechanical problems again kept Logano from helping get a one-two sweep in Kentucky while running second. The team will try for the 1-2 result again this weekend and with Montoya added to the mix at Indy, could it be a Team Penske 1-2-3?
GOOD AND BAD BRICKYARD MEMORIES: Some years, the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been great to Logano, while in others, it’s had his number. Logano has two top-10 finishes at Indy, including last year’s eighth-place result, in five Indy starts, but he’s also produced two finishes of 25th or worse.
READY FOR THE LUCK TO TURN: Logano’s ninth-place position in the points is remarkable considering some of the tough breaks the team has experienced while running up front in 2014. Logano was running second when mechanical problems befell him at Bristol, sixth when a rear gear broke at Fontana, eighth when a front hub went bad in Darlington, fourth when an engine let go at Pocono, second when his engine laid down at Kentucky, third when he was caught up in a wreck at Daytona and second when he was collected in an accident at Loudon.
A HOPE TO DREAM: The Joey Logano Foundation will be partnering with A Hope To Dream this weekend at Indianapolis. Logano will donate a bed for every lap he leads and 100 beds if he wins the race. These beds will go to less fortunate children in the Indianapolis community to ensure they have something to sleep on at night. For information on the Joey Logano Foundation and A Hope To Dream program please visit www.joeyloganofoundation.org
Last Raced: New Chassis
Last Raced: Kansas (finished 4th)
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race Start Time: 1:00 pm ET
| RADIO | Live on PRN & SIRIUS XM NASCAR Channel 90 | |
| TV SCHEDULE | Friday | |
| 11:30 am ET, Practice (FS1) | ||
| Saturday | ||
| 9:00 am ET, Final Practice (ESPN2) 2:00 pm ET, Qualifying (ESPN) |
THERE ARE 17 WEEKS LEFT IN THE SEASON – THE LONGEST STRETCH DURING THE YEAR – IS IT HARD TO STAY FOCUSED DURING THIS TIME?
“I think it all comes back to how you are running. If you are running decent, you are excited to get to the next weekend and the next weekend. If you aren’t running very well, then it becomes a little bit of a grind. The hardest thing is to keep your guys on the team fresh. They put in as much time as anyone else. They are at the track from the time the garage opens until it closes, then right back at the shop on Monday and going to most of the test sessions we run. So 17 weeks can get pretty hectic. But this is what we love to do, and if you are running well and winning races, then it makes it easier. We are chasing that championship and if we get there at the end of the year, it will all be worth it.”
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN AT THE BRICKYARD?
“It’s one of our biggest races of the year. It’s one of the crown jewels. Everyone wants to win at Indianapolis. I didn’t really grow up watching IndyCars, but everyone watched the Indy 500 and knows what it means. There are a handful of tracks that everyone wants to win at. Indy is one of them. And now, driving for Roger Penske, you want to win even more. To try and get him a win in a stock car at a place where he has had so much success would be pretty dang cool. I just want to win any race I can. But I will take Indy for sure.”
