Kenny Bruce: Did Joe Gibbs Racing push young Joey Logano to Sprint Cup Series too soon?
Joey Logano (right) chats with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. // Elmer Kappell, NASCAR Illustrated
COMMENTARY
Is it too much to expect Joey Logano to be running up front, contending for wins and zooming along at 180 mph toward a spot in NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup?
Or is that asking too much from a kid who stepped into one of NASCAR’s most coveted rides barely two years ago with just three career Cup starts to his credit?
Is it too soon to be asking why he’s languishing outside the top 20 in the standings after 24 races this year and getting midpack results in top-flight equipment?
Or is there more to success in this sport than simply mashing the gas and remembering when to turn left?
Were run-ins with fellow competitors this year signs that, at just 20 years old, Logano has been handed too much too soon and is not ready, nor equipped, to handle negative reaction to his actions?
Or is that just part of the learning curve that every driver faces while attempting to find one’s footing in a new series?
To be fair, while the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has had his share of struggles, the list of those who arrived and instantly began producing favorable results is a relatively short one. For every “can’t-miss” prospect, there are likely a dozen that fail to live up to expectations.
It’s worth noting, however, that two of the more recent success stories can be found residing under the same roof as Logano’s No. 20 team. Teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin wasted little time in adapting to the rigors of Cup competition, winning races and contending for spots in the Chase shortly after their arrival – Busch at Hendrick Motorsports and Hamlin at JGR.
Logano managed his first career win and seven top-10 finishes a year ago in his first full season in Cup, eventually finishing 20th in points. He was seemingly on his way to a successful sophomore season. But that hasn’t been the case. While his average starting and finishing positions have gotten better, it’s clear there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Logano has led just 13 laps this year. He’s 21st in points. He’s had run-ins with points leader Kevin Harvick, gotten driving lessons from Ryan Newman and seen his decision-making behind the wheel called into question on more than one occasion.
He’s also in a ride that was a familiar sight at the front of the pack for an entire decade with another driver behind the wheel.
It might not be fair to compare Logano, who has less than two full years in the series, to Tony Stewart, the driver he replaced at JGR, but comparisons are inevitable. Fans see a team go from contending and winning on a regular basis to one that often appears to struggle and rarely run up front, and the only noticeable change has come behind the wheel.
Running between 15th and 20th with a team that’s still trying to build itself into a contender isn’t unusual. Running there with a proven outfit is.
So did JGR officials err when they handed the keys of the company car over to young Logano? Would they have been better off had they gone outside the organization to land a driver to replace Stewart, thus giving Logano time to gain more experience before the move to Cup?
Probably, but there’s no way they could have known that at the time. Under the circumstances, they did what they felt was right. It was a risky move, but one they were willing to take.
That Logano has talent is obvious. Whether or not he can be a contender, however, remains to be seen.
