Logano Set for Debut

[Schwartz Fan]

Logano Set for Debut

Managing Editor




The much-anticipated Sprint Cup Series debut of Joey Logano is set for this weekend's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway unless Mother Nature intervenes and wipes out Friday's qualifying session.

Logano will have to make Saturday night's race based on his qualifying speed as he attempts to pilot his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 02 into his first career series start.

However if rain from Hurricane Hannah, which is expected to hit the Richmond-area both Friday and Saturday this weekend, postpones qualifying, Logano will have to do the same to the start of his Cup career.

Logano is hoping weather doesn't get in the way and is looking forward to the pressure of qualifying his way into the show.

"I’ve never really had that much pressure to get in,” Logano said. “We’ll do as good as we can. ..... to get in the race, run as good as we can, gain respect out there and learn a lot and go from there.”

The pressure is now officially on for the young 18-year-old driver who was tabbed to replace Tony Stewart in the JGR Home Depot No. 20 ride in 2009.

“It’s definitely sunk in," Logano said. "I guess it really sunk in the day of the announcement, really. Before the announcement, I really didn’t think about it too much. But being up there on stage with Frank Bifulco (chief marketing officer) from The Home Depot, along with Joe and J.D. (Gibbs), I realized that this is really happening. I’m sure when I get to Richmond this weekend it’s going to sink in even more.”

Logano will have veteran Wally Brown working with him as crew chief in his seven warm-up Cup starts this season before moving on to the No. 20 ride and Greg Zipadelli next year.

"It will be cool working with Wally in a Sprint Cup race since I got to work with him for the first time in an actual race in the Nationwide Series at Bristol," Logano said. "I’ve worked a lot with him and the JGR Sprint Cup testing team, but never under race conditions until then."

"I probably have more time working with Wally, overall, than I had with Dave (Rogers, crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 Nationwide Series team). He knows what I want in a race car and I know his mindset in setting up the car."

While full of talent he hopes to prove on the track, Logano is hoping to gain something more as he makes the move to NASCAR's top division.

"I think it is a real big thing to gain respect, whether it’s on or off the race track," he said. "I’ve tried to do that in the Nationwide Series, so far, and I’m hoping to be able to gain the respect of my competitors at the Sprint Cup level, too. It does take some time to prove that to them and I’m looking forward to starting to do that this weekend.”

RacingOne - Nascar Racing: Auto Racing, Nascar News, Racing News, Nascar Online, Nascar 2008, Nascar Drivers, Nascar, Racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson