Joey Logano ready to kick off title defense
Joey Logano enters the 2023 NASCAR Cup season with a second championship on his belt and a refreshed and confident vibe.
As the inaugural winner of The Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum last year, this weekend is a sweet victory lap for everything that the driver accomplished in his 14th season in 2022.
Logano is determined to defend his Clash victory and his championship as he plans to go after wins this year at any cost.
NASCAR made a major gamble in moving one of the most popular events to a new venue, in an unexplored location. Logano was one of many drivers excited as well; the event ran and was received by new and old fans alike.
“This was one of the biggest risks that our sport has ever taken,” Logano said. "When you think of the track that we’re racing at, brand new cars that had never raced before in front of a lot of new fans that have never seen a race before. This could’ve been very bad. I was really nervous going in; this could’ve been bad for the sport, and it was great.
“I almost look at The Clash last year as one of my biggest victories. I don’t think there are many non-points paying races that you can say that about."
New ‘Do plus new Can Do Attitude
The reigning champ walked into his media availability conference Friday next to Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, beaming with pride and a new look that did not go unnoticed by fans, media, and competitors. Logano was quick to answer why his confidence has returned this year, namely with his new hair.
During the off-season, Logano partnered with Hairclub to find a solution to help fight his struggle with Alopecia.
“I look better than I feel,” Logano answered about his new look, “It was a good opportunity, I’m doing a lot of things on TV and I’ve noticed that it’s not uncommon for people to do this, (although) it’s uncommon for people to talk about it for whatever reason.
“People don’t talk about this stuff. They try to keep it secretive. But I’m pretty much an open book at this point and don’t mind talking about it.”
We’re always told that beauty is only skin deep, but the small changes especially when one lives in the spotlight, lead to lasting effects and Logano is positioned to get the most out of his second season defending a championship.
Now it’s time for him to build off the excitement. After last year’s win at The Clash, Logano's season began uneven at best with only one top-five and three top-10s in the first seven points races of the season.
A lot of his success in the 2022 season came on short tracks that favor an aggressive driving style, with back-to-back top fives at Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
His first win of the season came at Darlington Raceway after a late racing confrontation with Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron.