“That could have been my only opportunity to win a championship.” That’s how I felt, and I don’t think I would feel different today, “Logano told NBC Sports.” If we lost last year, I could say that this could have been my last chance to win a championship. “Maybe so.”
Logano has made the championship race a record six times since the series went to a playoff format in 2014 that ends with a shooting of a crown race. Enter today’s elimination career in Charlotte Roval (3 PM et in the US network.) Contains the final transfer point to the 8.
Even with its success in the playoffs, 40.6% of its victories of the Cup have arrived in the playoffs, Logano knows that there is no guarantee that he will return to the championship race this year or beyond.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” he said. “You don’t know how your cars are going to be. You don’t know how you are going to be. You may be hurt. There may be something that alters the life that makes you change what you are doing. Every day they could be the last.”
Concord, NC – Four pilots will be eliminated from the playoff dispute on Sunday at Charlotte Roval, but the driver to see could be one that is not running through a championship.
At 35, Logano is completing his 17th season in the Cup, which means that he has spent almost half of his life in the Nascar Premier series.
While Logano is likely to be likely to increase its total cup championship, its approach is not in what could be but what it is.
The current Cup champion takes Ross Chastain for 13 points for the last place of transfer before today’s race. Bubba Wallace Trails Logano for 26 points, Tyler Reddick is 29 points behind Logano and Austin Cindric is 48 points ago.
A year ago, Logano left Charlotte Motor Speedway thinking that his hopes of another driver title had ended when he could not ensure a place of transfer.
Tyler Reddick will join Shane Van Gisbergen in the first row for the Domingo Copa Playoffs race.
“I was starting to move on,” Logano said about the time after that race. “I also knew that I was still in the owner’s championship at that time, so I had a lot for competing. I accepted the fact that we did not do enough. We had a good day that day … but it wasn’t enough.
“I guess there are two ways to see it, because on the one hand it is all you work and everything you want and when the dream dies is sad. It stinks.
“But you have a perspective of life, which is difficult to do when you are in the middle of (the playoffs). That is difficult to do, but you have to do it. You have to have other things.
Tyler Reddick’s wife, Alexa, took her son to the hospital last week and wrote on Instagram that he was showing signs of heart failure.
For Logano who is family with his wife Brittany and children Hudson (7 years), Jameson (5) and Emilia (3).
While Logano’s approach is to win a championship, he says that a priority remains time with the family.
“That is even more important because you only have a bit of that before it has left, before they grow up,” he said. “That is always like God, family and work. It has to be in that order. This is how I see it.
“My wife is amazing. My wife understands that these 10 weeks are a bit more difficult than the rest of the year and she does a good job to relieve any type of stress that would be at home where when I am at home, I can enjoy time with the children.”
Bubba Wallace said about his meeting on Saturday with Denny Hamlin: “It was a good and sincere conversation.”
As for your children?
“They couldn’t be more different from each other,” Logano said. “My oldest (Hudson), I can relate more. It is more similar to me when it comes to wanting to drive, too competitive, it has an adjustment when it loses. It is me in my crudest form.
“My son of the medium (Jameson). It is completely opposite in many ways, but somehow quite similar. Her interests are very different … and my daughter (Emilia) is perfect. She is incredible. She is the sweetest thing in the world. The little shameless thing but is also sweet.
“They are typical young children. They do things that sometimes surprise you and sometimes you are like why we continue doing this? I thought we had spent this.
“I don’t think it’s different from any other home … They want to play. We try to keep them outside as much as we can. Jameson is looking for turtles, snakes and frogs all day. That’s what he wants to do. I’m not playing then then, but that’s fine, I’ll go with you.”
Shane Van Gisbergen goes for five in a row in the road courses on Sunday.
But the approach today is in what will be needed to move forward and approach a championship. For everything that comes with winning a title, few things are better for Logano than to give the owner of the Roger Penske automobile another series of the series. It was Penske, who signed Logano for the 2013 season with Joe Gibbs Racing launching Logano to sign the former Matt Kenseth champion.
Penske provided a lifeguard for Logano, who has stood out since he joined the Penske team.
“I want to win a title) for him because he has done a lot for me,” Logano said. “There was no one but I wanted to pick me up (for the 2013 season). It has helped me in many different ways. He cares in a way that you do not think that someone of that caliber, that level, only that it is so busy and that they happen, that would even think about the small things that are happening in someone’s life.
“That’s why I want to win for him. That’s why I want to continue with the legacy of what has been built here … someone helps you, what do you want to do?
“If your parents have done a lot for you, what do you want your parents to be? Proud of you. Do you want them to be proud of what you become and what you are doing. I just want it to be proud of me.”