Joey Logano wanted a top-five. The 18-year-old rookie had to settle for sixth. “It ain’t much on my book,” he said. Don’t worry, kid. There’s plenty of time to drive your way into victory lane.
The next NASCAR star has arrived and Logano delivered in his national-level debut with the kind of finish that showed why he was one of the most hyped prospects in years.
But it was another Joe Gibbs Racing driver that claimed the win.
Hamlin made it a whopping nine victories for JGR in the Nationwide Series this season, leading all but 69 laps to crush the field and win Saturday night in the 200-mile race at Dover International Speedway.
“Fairly uneventful,” Hamlin said.
About the only suspense for Hamlin came at the end, when he peeked at the scoreboard to see if Logano would score a top-seven finish. Hamlin made a pair of side bets with Kyle Busch and Michael Waltrip that Logano could finish that high in his Nationwide debut. He won $200 off his fellow drivers to go along with the trophy.
“By the finish, it looked like he did great,” Hamlin said.
Logano shook off a pit stop fender bender early that dropped him to 28th to run near the front with veterans such as Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and JGR teammate Hamlin. Logano had few nerves and described his demeanor as his “normal, goofy self,” during an extended wait for the green flag because of a three-hour rain delay.
“I never really worried about it too much,” he said.
Logano drove the No. 20 Toyota that entered leading the Nationwide Series in owner points and has won seven races in 14 starts this season with Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Tony Stewart behind the wheel.
“He proved he’s worth the hype that’s been given him,” Hamlin said. “It’s just going to be a matter of time before that 20 team is back in victory lane with the fourth driver.”
Bookmark to:
- Logano to make Cup debut at Richmond?
- Hamlin puts JGR back in Nationwide win column at Dover
- Joey Logano on ESPN Networks Wednesday
- Logano confirms he intends to stay with Gibbs
- JGR to announce Logano replacing Stewart on Monday
he didnt impress me…..sure hes got talent…but give me a break…that team he is driving for has won 75% or more of the NWS races THIS SEASON…so i expected him to run well…
put the kid in MWR toyota without any affiliation with JGR…then see how good he is
put him in a mwr car and he would most likely had won. mwr cars are really good in both cups. it has to do with the drivers not the cars.
darrell wrote:
How can you say he didnt impress you the kid just turned 18 1st nationwide race,sure he has a good car to drive but colonel is right you could put him in a mwr car and he would run great its not just the 20 car you got to have the talent too.
i dont know how he didnt impress homeboy up there. he was racin hooters cup at 15. won there. won in his first arcar start at rockingham.. whos done that?? won the championship in the campingworld series in his rookie season. jgr has good drivers but which one of them has ever done that?? i kno hes had more sucess before he got to hooters procup but i dont know of any of it. had to been good cuz the minimum drivers age is 16 an they let him start at 15. regardless of who he drivin for he is a hell of a driver. the best one to come out in the scene in a very long time.
Stretch he won his first ARCA start in a car that was a 2007 race winning Tony Stewart Car…… Even Kevin Lepage would be able to do that…..
He didn’t impress me either, Yeah he has some Talent, and some Skill, but having JGR EQ in most of your known Racing career isn’t that bad either.
Also why is it such a big deal that he started his first Major NASCAR race when he just turned 18? Heck Kyle Busch did that when he was 16, and I’m positive that if you look through the history books you’ll see all kinds of drivers that started their first Major NASCAR race when they were 18 or younger.
Fisha695 wrote:
yup agree…and most of those guys didnt start out in TOP equipment either and they still made it..look at Mark Martin…guy failed miserably his first few seasons in cup and had to drop out…then came back…Logano has got talent and i agree he might be the next best thing out there…but until he gets to cup, we really wont know how good he is…when he is out there racing with the big dogs