If you ask American NASCAR fans who their most-hated driver is, chances are 9 or even 10 out of 10 will give one name: Joey Logano. The hate is largely centered around him being the “poster boy” for the playoff system, his aggressive moves, and a knack for being in the middle of every controversy that matters. But while Logano plays villain back home, he’s apparently living a very different life internationally.

According to the Team Penske star himself, NASCAR’s global footprint has turned him into a surprise fan favorite south of the border. Yep, you heard that right. This revelation has left the NASCAR garage stunned and fans raising eyebrows.

A villain at home but a fan favorite abroad

“Here’s a surprise for everybody. I’m like the second most popular driver in Mexico. There’s Daniel Suárez. I’m a distant second, but I’m second still,” Logano recently revealed about his Mexico trip, as he singled himself out from the entire garage. For a driver who’s often cast as the villain by American NASCAR fans, the reception south of the border was almost surreal.

As Logano described it, the fan energy was impossible to miss. During driver introductions, he spotted Shell-Pennzoil colors everywhere. Fans held up signs reading “22, Joey Logano,” waved flags, and shouted his name as if he were one of their own.

Even his longtime crew chief, Paul Wolfe, was stopping to take photos with fans, many of whom proudly recognized him as “Senior Paul.”

Joey Logano comes in a distant second behind Daniel Suárez. And rightly so. The Monterrey native isn’t just a Cup Series driver; he’s a national hero. Suárez remains the only Mexican driver to win at NASCAR’s highest level, and racing a points-paying Cup event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was nothing short of historic.

The Viva México 250 marked the first time in 67 years that NASCAR’s Cup Series held a points race outside the United States, and Suárez’s reception felt like a homecoming parade.

The reason for the love, Joey Logano believes (for fans loving him and other NASCAR drivers), is simple: access. For many Mexican fans, this was their first chance to see NASCAR in person. They knew the entire field, followed the sport religiously on TV, and treated the weekend like a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“The people who had tickets, I think they were there all three days,” Logano said. “Just ready for it.”

Unfortunately, that moment won’t repeat in 2026. NASCAR has confirmed the Cup Series will not return to Mexico City next year. This is due to scheduling challenges around the FIFA World Cup and the venue’s packed calendar. Still, Logano’s unexpected international stardom proves one thing: NASCAR’s global reach is real, and sometimes, the loudest cheers come far from home.

Meanwhile, apart from gaining international fans, Logano made some extra bucks this year.

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How Joey Logano made an extra $1 million in 2025

While most fans track wins, points, and playoff runs, Joey Logano found another lane to dominate in 2025. And it paid handsomely! The Team Penske driver reportedly topped NASCAR’s brand-new Driver Ambassador Program (DAP), pocketing over $1 million in extra earnings without turning a single lap.

Introduced for the first time this season, the DAP was designed to push NASCAR beyond the racetrack. The mission was simple: reward drivers for promoting the sport through media appearances, fan engagement, sponsor activations, and pop-culture crossover moments. In short, be visible, be marketable, and carry NASCAR into places it doesn’t usually reach.

The numbers show just how massive the initiative became. Across the garage, the program generated 5,569 ambassador opportunities, with an additional 3,250 NASCAR and track requests. Drivers collectively invested more than 6,000 hours into off-track promotion. This helped NASCAR register a 4.5% social media growth, adding over 802,000 new followers across platforms.

Logano thrived in that space. His high-profile appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and at the ESPYs put NASCAR in front of mainstream audiences, something the sanctioning body has been aggressively chasing. Those moments alone helped Logano surge ahead of his peers in the program’s first half.

And he didn’t slow down once the racing stopped. Even after the NASCAR season wrapped up, Logano popped up doing commentary during the NFL’s quirky Corgi Cup halftime clash between the Panthers and Buccaneers. It was unexpected, entertaining, and exactly the kind of crossover exposure DAP was built to reward.

As Corey LaJoie joked, “A man will go to the ends of the earth for some DAP points.” Logano didn’t just chase them. Like the playoffs, he mastered the system, proving modern NASCAR stardom extends far beyond the driver’s seat.