“I’m Not Proud of”- Joey Logano Candidly Admits Sizing Up SVG’s Illness as Mexico Opportunity

As NASCAR made history in Mexico City, its first Cup Series road race outside the U.S. since 1958, Joey Logano found himself riding a fine line between optimism and anxiety. He traveled south of the border as NASCAR’s reigning champion and confessed, “I’m like the nervous traveler, if I’m being honest. Like, I don’t leave the country very often, so when I do. I’m like nervous I’m going to lose my passport, I’m nervous I’m going to get sick, I’m nervous I’m going to get kidnapped. Like, I’m thinking of all the worst possible scenarios in the world.” Though many drivers blamed altitude and tap water for getting sick, Logano took extra care by avoiding ice and sticking to bottled water. These measures paid off amid a roster of competitors suffering from stomach ailments.

On track, it was Shane van Gisbergen who seized the spotlight, claiming his first Cup win since 2023 despite being under the weather. The post-race consensus was clear: that the Mexico City race had turned into a mental battle as much as a physical one. Yet, even as SVG joked, his victory came while “leaking from both holes,” it was obvious that nearly half the field had pushed their bodies to the brink. Logano thought he had a shot competing against sick SVG, but he soon came to realization that it won’t happen.

Joey Logano reflects on a race that tested more than just speed

In an interview with “Rubbin is Racing,” Logano was seen candidly speaking about the what-ifs of the Mexico City race weekend. “Like I gotta be honest with you, this is something I’m not proud of, but when I heard Shane was sick before the Mexico City race, I was like, ‘yes, we got a chance,'” said Logano.

The Mexico Cup weekend was a tough one for SVG. Entering the weekend with lackluster finishes and flight delays that left him the last Cup Series driver to arrive in Mexico City. SVG had every reason to fold under pressure, only he didn’t. SVG put it into words in the post-race, “I felt pretty rubbish today, leaking out both holes. That wasn’t fun,” yet he still went on to dominate from pole, overcoming torrential rain, altitude, and an exhausted Trackhouse crew that barely made it to the track in time.

While the sickness was acute, Joey Logano hoped that this would finally be his chance to outrun everyone on the field. “We weren’t that bad, we were probably a top 5-ish car in practice, but Shane, you just know, he’s just gonna be faster,” said Logano. The latter arrived in Mexico City ranking in the Top 10in practice sessions, including 8th fastest in Practice 1 with a lap of 94.285s. While even with SVG’s full-blown physical issues and also being under immense pressure, the Trackhouse Racing driver proved too strong. Lognao ultimately crossed the finish line in 21st place. “When I heard that, I was like, ‘Oh, I got a chance today, and then, nope, never mind, he’s good sick too,'” continued Logano, and his words ultimately proved to be true.

Despite being physically drained, SVG even had some help from an unexpected ally. Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen offered SVG wet-weather advice before the race, which paid dividends as rain soaked the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. “Yeah, a little bit in the wet and just what lines to take and how to approach it,” said SVG, crediting the 4-time F1 World Champion for tips that helped him manage early chaos, with multiple car pileups and clashes.

The victory by a staggering 16.567 seconds was the largest margin in a Cup race since 2009. And it was made even sweeter by the fact that SVG fought through more than just competitors. He beat back illness, chaos, and doubt to lock himself into the 2025 playoffs.

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Logano tops qualifying on tiebreaker in Atlanta

Joey Logano will start from the front row under the lights at EchoPark Speedway, after locking in his first Busch Light Pole Award of the 2025 season. The #22 Team Penske Ford driver clocked a blistering lap time of 0.979 seconds, identical to Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing. However, thanks to an owner points tiebreaker, Logano edged out Berry for the top spot, earning his third career pole at EchoPark and the 32nd of his Cup career. With teammate Ryan Blaney and affiliate driver Austin Cindric rounding out the top four. The Team Penske camp spearheaded a full Ford sweep of the top eight qualifying spots.

With the first round of NASCAR’s 32-driver In-Season Challenge kicking off this weekend, Logano’s front-row advantage could prove crucial. He will face Alex Bowman, who qualified ninth, in a head-to-head battle that could shape the early tournament standings. Reflecting on the strategy needed to stay out front at a track like EchoPark, Logano remarked, “Being up front and controlling this race is the name of the game… If you can get up there and solidify the top position, I feel like you can stay there.” However, he warned of unpredictability ahead, adding, “The thing is, there are a lot of ‘What ifs?’ that play out in this race, a lot of cautions that may be timed in a different way, where it can jumble up the field.”

Despite the chaos that could unfold during the race, Logano praised his team for their execution during qualifying, “It’s hard to say you’re going to be leading every lap… The good thing is that we controlled what we could today. I’m super proud of Team Penske, Roush Yates (Engines), Ford, obviously to keep our Mustangs up there.” He also acknowledged how narrow the gap was between competitors, saying, “We tied with the 21 (Berry) and the other cars were within a couple hundredths of a second.” 

With lightning briefly interrupting qualifying, the drama has already begun, setting the stage for what promises to be a high-stakes showdown in Atlanta.