The most ruthless superstar of the NASCAR Cup Series also is perhaps its greatest altruist.
At the core of Joey Logano‘s greatness lies a simple dichotomy: An unwavering commitment to being both boundlessly selfless in his personal life and incessantly merciless on the professional side.
The newly minted three-time champion is a humanitarian whose charitable foundation has invested more than $5 million in the service of helping children and youth through crippling crisis.
He also is a stone-cold killer behind the wheel who confidently (and without compunction) talks about putting his “foot on their throats” and figuratively snuffing out the competition.
That bellicose vow turned heads when uttered by Logano on Saturday after qualifying second at Phoenix Raceway for the season finale that he won a day later.
“That’s what we have to do,” he said matter of factly when asked about aggressively promising the forced submission of his Championship 4 rivals in rather brutal terms. “We have them where we want them right now. We just have to keep them there.”
His team owner, Roger Penske, is a racing icon whose legendary teams avoid disparagement of the competition whenever possible. Noting that “when you win, you can say whatever you want,” Penske still winced when he heard the violent framing by his most successful NASCAR driver.
“I might have used different words,” Penske said.
His driver might have, too, if he thought it possible.
But Logano admittedly believes it‘s uncomfortable but necessary to embrace this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality to realize his Hall of Fame potential.
“I put myself in high-pressure moments, and part of the reason why I started talking crap a little bit is that it puts more pressure on me, and it seems like that helps,” he said. “It’s not comfortable, but it seems like as a driver, personally, I’m better that way.”
It‘s a Faustian bargain that he struck long ago in the service of becoming an elite driver.
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At 34 years old, Logano is two decades removed from being the baby-faced wunderkind from Middletown, Connecticut. Shortly after becoming a teenager, Logano was proclaimed a can‘t-miss champion by no short of an authority than Mark Martin (an early mentor).
But the path never was so easy. Logano was accosted, bullied and taunted by several Cup peers (some nearly twice his age). He lost a high-profile ride and took countless arrows from fans known for harsh judgment of young drivers thrust into the spotlight before they have posted all-world results.
Logano learned to manage the criticism with the efficient calm of a cerebral assassin.
Sunday night, he spent much of a 30-minute news conference defending himself as only the 10th driver in NASCAR history to win at least three championships, joining the hallowed company of Petty, Johnson, Earnhardt, Gordon, Pearson, Stewart, Waltrip and Yarborough.
If justifying that level of accomplishment seems an absurd premise, well, it is.
Over its 76-year history, NASCAR has changed its championship formats, points accumulation structures and its race track schedules numerous times.
Logano has won all three championships during the elimination era (which has existed for 11 of his 16 seasons in Cup). The statistics from his third title were less gaudy than those of prior champs, but the crown was no less legitimate. He might have more championships under other systems — as he and crew chief Paul Wolfe have noted many times, they tailor their approach to whatever wins the title.
So, how does it feel to answer the specious claims of being unworthy?
“It’s been my whole career, bud, like from the very beginning,” Logano said. “It’s just what it is. I’ve got thick skin. Bring it on.”
But he also has been known to chafe when his competitive persona is raised.
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Two years ago, a NASCAR beat reporter said on the debut episode of the “Race for the Championship” docuseries that, in contrast to being one of the sport‘s most benevolent drivers off the track, Logano is “a bit of a jerk” when he dons the helmet.
Two days later, Logano saw the reporter at Playoff Media Day and lit into him.
Two days after that, he won the pole position for the Darlington Raceway opener and began an unrelenting march to his second championship.
Logano might not like being reminded that he draws power from a dark place (as many pro athletes do), but there also is no denying it works.
Apropos of nothing during his Sunday night championship trophy presentation, Logano suddenly harkened back to his firing 12 years ago by Joe Gibbs Racing (“it motivates me by scaring me to death this doesn‘t last forever.”).
Immediately upon sitting at the media center dais for his championship news conference Sunday night, he pointed at FOX Sports‘ Bob Pockrass, who left Logano out of his preseason playoff predictions, and began laughing uncontrollably with an impish giggle.
People can be left guessing how seriously he takes slights. The primary goal never is in doubt.
“All he wants to do is win; that’s all he thinks about,” Ford Performance Motorsports global director Mark Rushbrook said. “He’s worried about every single element of the program and what it takes for the team to be successful. Joey is probably thinking now already what’s he going to do, what does he need Penske to do, what does he need us to do better to win it again next year.”
The offseason won‘t have such a singular focus, though, for Logano, who pledged $250,000 to Hurricane Helene relief with his wife, Brittany, through their foundation.
He was in Western North Carolina last month to tour the devastation that was “worse than I thought it was going to be,” so he could game-plan a long-term response to place “hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions, to help people.” Logano talked at length about returning so he also could contribute the aid firsthand.
Penske fondly recalled Logano handing out Thanksgiving turkeys the night before he won his first Cup championship in 2018.
“The other side of him, when he puts the helmet on, there’s nobody out there that runs harder than he does,” Penske said.
Few know it better than Martin Truex Jr., who concluded his career Sunday with one fewer championship because of Logano. In the 2018 Round of 8 opener, Logano moved Truex aside on the last lap at Martinsville Speedway to advance to the Championship 4. Three weeks later, Truex was denied a second consecutive title when he finished second to Logano at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In one of those weirdly cosmic occurrences, Truex started on pole beside Logano in the last race of his full-time career — and with no hard feelings.
“I‘ve always had a ton of respect for Joey off of the race track,” Truex said. “He is a great guy. Does things the right way. Treats people right. All of the things that a good human being does.
“It took a little while on the race track, obviously, to get over that and forgive someone for running you over, but at the end of the day, you have to; life goes on.”
As it does for Logano in balancing life on opposing ends of the spectrum.
A helpful hand to those most in need of assistance and compassion … and a heartless quest to vanquish anyone who stands in the way of more championships.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is the host of the NASCAR on NBC Podcast and also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.