Days before hitting a milestone rarely achieved in motorsports, his 600th NASCAR Cup start, Joey Logano found himself walking the red carpet. Surrounded by the electric anticipation of the 2025 ESPY Awards, for Logano, it was a whirlwind week. Between balancing his push for another championship, reflecting on more than a decade racing at the highest level, and soaking in recognition as one of North America’s top drivers.

Yet, as the names for “Best Driver” flashed across screens, there was a distinct sense of both pride and scrutiny. After a season where his path to a third Cup Series title was anything but straightforward, Logano’s presence among the best sparked passionate debate across fan forums and social media, setting the stage for one of the most talked-about driver line-ups in recent ESPY history.

Max Verstappen extends dominance again.

The big reveal at the ESPYS brought confirmation of what many had anticipated: Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive Best Driver Award, seeing off strong challenges from Oscar Piastri, Álex Palou, and Joey Logano. Verstappen’s three-peat at the ESPYS reflects an unparalleled run in Formula 1, where he maneuvered a challenging season marked by a rotating cast of teammates and still emerged World Champion for the fourth consecutive season in 2024.

For Joey Logano, the nomination capped a season defined by tenacity. The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion captured four wins in 2024, including a trio in the pressure-packed playoffs, and navigated elimination threats with a key disqualification of a rival, gifting him a lifeline through Charlotte’s Roval on his way to a third career title. However, his lone regular-season win and 17.1 average finish clouded his nomination with controversy.

Logano’s only win at Nashville in 2024 also came after a 5-overtime finish that saw him fuel mileage his way to Victory Lane. It’s the lack of regular season consistency with flashes of championship caliber only in the playoffs that rubbed fans the wrong way. And while some lauded his consistency and longevity, he’s now only the 34th Cup driver to reach 600 starts, and the youngest to do so, beating Richard Petty by about 7 months. Others pointed to season stats and questioned whether he was truly NASCAR’s best representative in a year crowded with standout performances from the likes of Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, who won multiple races and proved more consistent over long periods, a staple in every other nominee on the list.

However, while many pointed fingers at Logano, he can’t be the only one to blame. NASCAR‘s ‘win and you’re in’ format rewards instant success over long-term consistency, and Logano has mastered the art of winning in this format. But for race fans all over the world, his championship is more like an outlier compared to Verstappen‘s.

Now, as Logano gears up for his 600th appearance at Dover, he reflected on his career so far and where he sees himself going in the future.

Joey Logano doesn’t see himself leaving NASCAR anytime soon

Amid speculation about the future of several veteran NASCAR drivers, Joey Logano has been blunt about his retirement plans. At 35, and with two championships secured over the last three seasons, Logano insists he’s not ready to consider stepping away. The standard he’s set for himself is simple: “I always say as long as I can win. I really feel like that’s the standard for me. I love racing, but I really love winning a lot more.”

He also added, “If I can go race other things and win, I’ll go and do that, but my dream has always been to be a NASCAR driver, be a NASCAR champion, and if I can win and be a help to my team, then I want to stick around.” Logano has further emphasized that he doesn’t want to become the driver who lingers after his prime. “I don’t want to stick around and be one of those guys where people say, ‘Man, he went a few years too long.’ You don’t want to be that guy,” he said, acknowledging racing’s physical and mental toll as drivers age, and noting that no athlete dominates their sport forever. This is something that Kyle Busch is currently at odds with, as the 40-year-old is going through his worst winless streak of his career.

However, Logano’s loyalty to Team Penske and Roger Penske affects his outlook as well. Logano has asserted that as long as Penske wants him in the No. 22 and he feels competitive, there’s no reason for retirement to be on the horizon. While Logano admits realism about the future, expecting, at most, another 10 to 15 years in NASCAR, he’s also begun to contemplate life after racing.

In recent reflections, he’s spoken about the importance of family and not tying identity solely to racing, recognizing that, after retirement, the sport will move on quickly. Still, any plans remain just that: plans. For now, Logano’s resolve is built around one principle: staying at the top and stepping aside only the moment he’s no longer able to contribute to Team Penske’s winning ways.