Ford EcoBoost 300 Preview

Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile speedway, Homestead, Fla.)

No. 22 Hertz Ford Mustang driven by Joey Logano

Saturday, November 16, 4:30 pm ET

• LOGANO RETURNS TO THE SEAT: Joey Logano will return to the seat of the No. 22 Hertz Ford Mustang this weekend, marking his 15th NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the season. Despite just 15 starts (the fewest of his NNS career), Logano had earned three wins, eight top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes, along with one pole.
• CRUNCH TIME FOR 22 TEAM: Logano will try and guide the No. 22 Penske Racing team to their first NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship – and the first for Roger Penske – this weekend. The team enters the weekend just four points ahead of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team in a battle that will likely come down to the final lap. Penske has won the Driver’s and Owner’s title in the Sprint Cup Series (2012), as well as the Driver’s title in the Nationwide Series (2010).
• PAST OWNER’S CHAMPION: This will not be the first time Logano will be battling for a NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship. Logano has already been part of two other Owner’s Championships. In 2008, his first year in the Nationwide Series, Logano shared a ride with Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin and won the Owner’s Championship. In 2012, Logano again won the Owner’s title, sharing a ride with Hamlin, Mark Martin, Michael McDowell, Ryan Truex and Drew Herring.
• HERTZ TRACK RECORD A GOOD ONE: This weekend’s race will mark the seventh time The Hertz Corporation, one of the world’s leading car rental and transportation companies, will adorn the side of the No. 22 Ford Mustang in 2013. The Hertz Ford Mustang has made it to Victory Lane in five of the six starts this year. Joey Logano took the Hertz Mustang to victory at both Dover races and Chicagoland, while Brad Keselowski won with Hertz at both Watkins Glen and Richmond.

IS THE GOAL THIS WEEKEND WINNING THE RACE OR WINNING THE OWNER’S TITLE?

“Well the goal is always to go out there and win the race. And if we win the race, we will win the Owner’s Championship. That is a very important thing for us this weekend. But we know we have to run well, we have to run up front and we have to win the race. There are only four points between us and the 54 car, so we need to be on top of our game. If they win the race, we need to finish second and lead the most laps. That’s how close this is. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be me and Kyle (Busch) battling it out once again. Seems like we have been battling with each other for wins or championships since I started racing. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS WINNING THE OWNER’S TITLE?

“You know I’ve heard a lot of people talking about how the Owner’s title isn’t as important and that it doesn’t mean the same. Well it does. It’s really important. It’s important to the guys on the team, the guys that travel, the sponsors that sponsor the cars and all of the guys that work on these cars back at the shop. It’s the team that scored the most points all year long, regardless of the driver. This one team has been better than all other teams. In other sports, you recognize both the best team and the best individual performer. That is what the Owner’s title and the Driver’s title does. Drivers get a lot of credit, but racing is a team sport. So the Owner’s title is important to all of us as Penske Racing.”