HARTFORD, Conn. — If there’s no competition involved, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Connecticut native Joey Logano probably won’t have anything to do with it.

Logano, 35, grew up in Portland. Over the past two decades, he has established himself as one of the greatest competitors to emerge from a state known for basketball.

And, in 2025, the Pennzoil driver is still at the top of his game.

Since breaking into NASCAR’s highest level in 2008 at age 18, Logano has won 37 Cup Series races. His most recent victory was at the Würth 400 in Fort Worth, Texas earlier this month.

Logano is also the reigning Cup Series champion. In addition to ending the year on top in 2024, the driver of the No. 22 car for Team Penske won it all in 2018 and 2022. That’s not to mention his incredible success in NASCAR’s other major divisions.

While Logano is still in the prime of his career, he has already been named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.

All that’s not enough for Logano, however, because no outside noise matches the pressure the champion places on himself. Since becoming a professional driver, Logano has heard it all, but his own standards matter most.

“I would say the expectations from outside were never as high as the expectations from inside. In other words, what other people thought I should be doing was never as much as I thought I should be doing,” Logano said in a FOX61 exclusive. “I don’t think I’ve ever reached my own expectations, which is sometimes a frustrating place to live to be honest with you. It is what it is, and it seems to work in the grand scheme of things.”

Regardless of the accolades, Logano is committed to staying on top of his sport for as long as he can. He said it all comes down to having the right attitude and maintaining his hunger. To accomplish this, Logano had to discover what drove him.

“For me, it’s that I hate losing,” Logano said. “I have a fairly short memory when it comes to success. If you win, that’s great, but if I have a couple bad weeks after that, I’ll forget about that win pretty quickly. I’ll just want to get back to the winning ways.” 

Logano acknowledged that for some people, reaching the pinnacle is enough. He said there are those who put it into “cruise control” after winning a title, but that’s not how he operates.

Even after three championships and dozens of wins at iconic speedways across the country, Logano won’t take his foot off the pedal any time soon. His competitive nature simply won’t allow it.

“I guess for me, if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to win. It’s really the only reason to do it,” Logano said. “I want to win really badly. I just don’t want to lose more than anything.”

Inside the racecar, Logano leans on his superpowers. Among them is concentration.

When it comes to the art of racing, focus is key. According to Logano, it’s easy to focus behind the wheel for four hours when forced to do so.

Logano admitted that there aren’t many other activities he can lock into at that level for so long besides driving a racecar.

But, when it comes to reaching speeds of up to 200 mph, drivers have no choice other than to be fully engaged.

“You lock right in. It’s never a problem,” Logano said. “Like, my mind doesn’t wander off because you’re pushing at the absolute edge of disaster every lap where with one mistake, you clobber a wall. You’re [always] locked in.”

Even when most attentive, crashes are a reality all NASCAR drivers experience.

Logano said to become a Cup Series veteran, “That means you’ve hit a lot of stuff and had to bounce back a few times.”

Throughout his career, Logano has learned from past failures and successes, which enables him to improve when facing similar challenges. That said, Logano noted it’s impossible to hit a barrier at high speeds and not let it have some impact.

“When you make a mistake and hit the wall, it’s going to mentally affect you. You’re human. Some people more than others; some people in different ways than others,” Logano said. “You just got to try to get past that and convince yourself that you’re the best racecar driver on the racetrack again.”

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For Logano, this was a struggle during his early days as a Cup Series driver, but as he’s grown, he’s been able to conquer many of these obstacles. A big part of the process is his off-track preparation.

Logano said it is obvious that it takes a fast car to win, but it might be less clear how to become a fast driver. Whether it be cardio or diet, he expressed that drivers must be willing to put in the work all week to feel their best at the end of the race.

Speaking on Tuesday, Logano was still sore from racing in the Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina on Sunday. He described the race as the longest of the year and shared insight on how he gets ready.

“The best thing you can do, a lot of times, is training in the conditions you’re competing in. It’s getting used to the heat,” Logano said. “It’s about 130 degrees inside the racecar, so doing things outside at an elevated heartrate for an extended amount of time gets you kind of used to that.” 

While he’s long removed from living in Connecticut, Logano’s home state still has a special place in his heart. He’s also constantly reminded of the Northeast, considering that there are many people in the racing industry with New England ties.

Logano said that when people think of Connecticut, NASCAR probably doesn’t jump to the top of their mind, but he emphasized that motorsports in New England are very popular. He pointed out he is not the only Cup Series driver from Connecticut – Ryan Preece drives the No. 60 car for RFK Racing while representing the town of Berlin.

“Both of us grew up cutting our teeth there in Meriden, Conn. at Silver City Speedway in quarter midgets and Thompson as well,” Logano said. “I just remember growing up going to modified races. You know, Stafford and Thompson and Waterford and those types of places… A lot of people don’t think racing when they think of Connecticut, but there’s actually quite a bit there.”

Moving forward, Logano has no plans to slow down. The potential to win is too appetizing, and Logano’s thirst is seemingly never quenched.

“I think I can get passionate about anything if I can win. That is truly all it takes for me,” Logano said. “If I couldn’t win, I’m not doing this. Like no way. If I can’t be competitive, I don’t want to do it. I would find something else I could be competitive in, whether that’s business or whatever it be. But, for now, I still love what I’m doing because I have a chance to win.”

For individuals looking to follow in his footsteps, Logano said it is important not to be afraid of making mistakes.

On the track, he said to make that pass and don’t regret it, even if it doesn’t work. Off the track, he said to stay disciplined and determined.

Logano also encourages drivers to learn as much as they can about their cars. The more one knows, the better position they will be in to compete during a race.

Ultimately, it comes down to being fearless. Logano recommends taking the road with more resistance because it will pay off in the end.

“You never know if you don’t try. I always say do the hard things; don’t take the easy route sometimes. I think that’s a good way to learn or at least accelerate your learning curve,” Logano said.

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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com. 

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