Joey Logano Eyes Daytona 500 Redemption After Decade-Long Drought

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joey Logano, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, is determined to reclaim victory at the Daytona 500, a race he last won a decade ago. The 34-year-old Team Penske driver, who clinched his third Cup title in 2024, has come agonizingly close to winning NASCAR’s most prestigious event multiple times since his 2015 triumph.

“I feel like with a couple of little things changing, we’re sitting here with four of them,” Logano told the Orlando Sentinel, reflecting on his near-misses. “I get more frustrated than I do proud of being close.”

Logano’s pursuit of another Daytona 500 victory has been marked by heartbreak. In 2024, he won the pole position and led a personal-best 45 laps before a 23-car crash ended his race on Lap 191. A year earlier, he finished second to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a record 212-lap race under caution. “If the caution came out a second-and-a-half before it did, we would have won,” Logano said.

In 2021, Logano led Brad Keselowski into the final lap, only for the two cars to collide, costing him the win. The 2020 race saw him finish fourth after feeling teammate Michael McDowell failed to provide a late-race push. McDowell later admitted he likely erred in his strategy.

Logano’s Daytona 500 journey began in 2009 when, as a 19-year-old phenom driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, he crashed early in the race. After being dropped by Gibbs, he joined Team Penske, where he has since become one of NASCAR’s elite drivers. “I needed that reality check to learn about myself, to learn how to prepare, to learn how to go to work,” Logano said.

With 36 Cup Series wins and three championships, Logano is already among NASCAR’s greats. Another Daytona 500 victory would further cement his legacy. “There’s been quite a few times I’ve led the white-flag lap, but not the checkered-flag lap,” he said. “And that’s frustrating.”

The 2025 Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway, will kick off the NASCAR season. Logano, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will aim to end his decade-long drought at the event that continues to elude him.

Off the track, Logano remains active in philanthropy. His foundation, established in 2013, has donated over $6 million to support children and young adults in foster care. Recently, he contributed $250,000 to disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene and provided two cars to those who lost theirs in the storm.

As Logano prepares for his 17th full-time Cup Series season, his focus remains on adding another Daytona 500 trophy to his collection. “We’re far from being done,” he said.