Great Clips-Grit Chips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5- mile speedway, Hampton, GA.)

The No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang driven by Joey Logano

Saturday, August 31, 2013

• WELCOME BACK JOE: Joey Logano will return to the seat of the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano hasn’t raced in the Nationwide Series for three weeks, last competing in Watkins Glen, where he ran the No. 48 Discount Tire Ford Mustang under the guidance of his Cup crew chief, Todd Gordon.
• 22 TO THE TOP: On the strength of a strong mid-season run, the No. 22 Discount Tire team continues to lead the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship over the No. 54 of Joe Gibbs Racing. Once down by nearly 60 points, the No. 22 team has clawed its way back on the strength of several victories by Logano, Brad Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger. The team leads by 16 points as Roger Penske looks for his first Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship.
• BULLINS IS THE MAN: Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins is proving to be one of the best wrenches in the NNS garage area. The North Carolina native has now won eight races this year as crew chief of the No. 22 with three different drivers. Keselowski has won four, with Logano and Allmendinger each winning two events a piece.
• ON A ROLL IN CUP: Logano will hope to bring some of his recent magic from the Sprint Cup Series over to the Nationwide Series this weekend. Logano is riding a wave of five straight top-10 finishes in the Cup Series, including a win at Michigan just a couple of weeks ago. He currently sits 10th in the point standings.
• MEET LOGANO: Fans of the No. 22 Discount Tire team can meet and get an autograph from Logano on Friday, August 30th, at the Discount Tire store located at 11345 Tara Blvd in Hampton, GA at 11am ET.

ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE BACK IN THE CAR IN ATLANTA?

“Anytime you get to get back in a race winning car like the No. 22 has been for most of the year, it gets you pretty excited. That team and Jeremy (Bullins) have been on fire this year. I think we have the ability to go out there and win each and every time and they’ve proved that. Plus, it’s always good to get back on the track. I don’t consider Atlanta one of my best tracks, so the extra track time will help and hopefully pay off on Sunday night.”

YOU HAVEN’T RACED A NNS RACE AT ATLANTA SINCE 2010. DO YOU EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT?

“Well the cars and everything has changed a lot since then. I haven’t raced this new style of Nationwide Series car at Atlanta, so that will be something different. But you get used to the equipment and how things drive, so it’s not like it will be a lot different for me. It will take a few laps to get used to things and then it will be second nature. So I’m just looking to go out there and run as well as we can and hopefully build on this points lead in the Owner’s Championship.”