Joey Logano knows exactly what it takes to make it in NASCAR and how easily it can all come undone. From being held as the best thing since sliced bread to enduring early struggles that nearly derailed his career, the three-time Cup Series champion has lived the highs and the lows and everything in between. So when the veteran offers advice to rising star JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch, it comes with the weight of experience. And if anything, the 19-year-old should be taking notes.

Joey Logano has been a fixture in the NASCAR Cup Series for almost 2 decades. Since going full-time in 2009, the now 35-year-old has built a career that you could have predicted when he became the youngest couple winner in history, at just 19 years, one month, and four days old. Along the way, he captured three NASCAR Cup Series championships in 2018, 2022, and 2024, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s elite competitors. Now, there is a new young name catching everyone’s attention: Connor Zilisch. Widely regarded as the top prospect in NASCAR’s developmental ranks, Zilisch has already scraped together an impressive resume. And showing support is Joey Logano.

Joey Logano was very real and candid in his advice to the young gun. He said, “I think he’s [Zilisch] better than I was at that age, and he seems to be more mature than I was at that age. I’d say that the biggest thing is it’s easy as an 18 or 19-year-old to drink the Kool-Aid. Yeah, he’s a great driver. There’s no doubt. He can win a lot of Xfinity races. Cup racing is different. Everybody is that great at this level. Everybody is fantastic, so you can’t drink your own Kool-Aid too much to where you think you’re the next thing and then you’re gonna get here and fall on your face.”

Long before he reached the top level, Logano was already turning heads. Nicknamed ‘Sliced Bread’ for being the next big thing, he stormed onto the scene by winning his ARCA debut at Rockingham at just 17 years old. Not long after turning 18, he made his first Xfinity Series start and found Victory Lane by his third race. Less than a year later, he was a Cup Series winner, a meteoric rise that had the entire garage talking.

Coming to Connor Zilisch, before becoming a full-time NASCAR driver, he rocked the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours, shone in Trans-Am competition, and made his mark in the Mazda MX-5 Cup. And now, he is set to become a full-time series driver in 2026 with Trackhouse Racing, a move that comes with massive expectations and comparisons to legends like Jeff Gordon.

Logano’s caution comes from experience. While his rookie Cup win at New Hampshire was promising, it came in a rain-shortened race, and his early years at the top level were marked by struggles to adapt. Joe Gibbs Racing eventually cut him loose, but his career revival with Team Penske proved exactly why he was once hyped as the next best thing. He has collected 37 career victories and has avoided a winless season every year since 2011. He goes on to say, “I lived it. I’ve been there. As good as I think that he is and will be, I also think that you’ve got to stay humble throughout it all and just remember what’s important.”

As for Zilisch, he is locked into a multi-year deal with Trackhouse Racing, and the team owner, Justin Mark, seems committed to giving him every opportunity to thrive. The question now is whether Connor can deliver big results quickly or if, like Logano in his first couple of years, he will need time to grow into the immense potential so many see in him. But as Connor gets ready to become the next big thing in NASCAR with Trackhouse, Logano has bigger plans.

Joey Logano sounds off alarms on his potential fourth title

Joey Logano has his eyes locked on a potential NASCAR Cup Series championship right in the middle of a growing debate over the playoff format. The Team Penske star is no stranger to championship glory, having claimed titles in 2018, 2022, and 2024. Still, Joey is quick to admit that his career has had its share of heartbreaks. While proud of his accomplishments, he has openly acknowledged that a handful of missed opportunities still sting; that hunger to win is far from satisfied.

“That’d really piss some people off, wouldn’t it?” Logano quipped to ESPN when asked about the possibility of joining the rare field of four-time champions. He added that even reaching three titles already puts him in elite company, and the thought of a fourth is both thrilling and humbling. At the same time, the frustration lingers.

He said, “I’m still also going to be the same person to say, ‘ Boy I missed out on like four or five that I should have won,’ and still frustrated about that. Yeah, I don’t look too far ahead to what (four) would be, but gosh, it would be great. There’s always room for more.”

If Logano pulls it off, the win could not only cement his place among the sport’s all-time greats but also reignite debate over NASCAR’s playoff system, a format that has divided fans and drivers alike. For now, every race feels like a step closer to either history or heartbreak, and what is shaping up to be one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable chases.