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By now we've all seen the commercial with Tony Stewart passing the No. 20 Home Depot Steering Wheel to 18 year-old sensation Joey Logano. But some very important questions remain. Will Logano be able to hang with the best of the sport and compete on such a high circuit of racing? Is he ready for such a demanding schedule and could he make it into the Chase next season?
There is no doubt in my mind that we will be hearing nothing but great things from this young driver. He has already gotten the praise from NASCAR legend Mark Martin who said, "I am absolutely, 100-percent positive, without a doubt that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR. I'm positive. There's no doubt in mind." And Randy LaJoie has given Logano the nickname 'Sliced Bread'. When you have legendary drivers singing your praises at the Nationwide level, fans know that history will be made by this young driver.
Logano has been racing for more than a decade now in quarter-midgets, Bandoleros, Legends, late model racing, and the Hooters Pro Cup Series. He made his debut at Dover International Speedway earlier where he finished sixth, and won his first Nationwide Series race in his third start at Kentucky Speedway. After announcing that Logano would replace Tony Stewart in 2009, Logano was scheduled to make his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond on September 5, 2008. Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Hanna, qualifying was rained out and Logano had to wait to see the green flag of a Sprint Cup Race. He does have two Cup Series starts that came later in the 2008 season, but has not finished better than 30th. Logano was filling in for Hall of Fame Racing. Even though this is not a great record starting out, let's all remember that Gibbs Racing has a lot more sponsorship money coming in and more resources then other race teams. We have already seen what Logano is capable of in Gibbs equipment in the Nationwide Series and I believe that success will continue in the Cup Series as well. I expect to hear great things about this young driver next season as he takes on one of the hardest sports and most grueling schedules. I definitely expect him to claim the Rookie of the Year title and be in contention for the Chase. Logano has the ability and talent to be one of the sports biggest superstars. Logano is a clean driver, who respects the veterans of the sport and he will give them nothing less than a great race for the checkered flag.
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