Home

NASCAR

Kyle Larson Had Envious Joey Logano Baffled as He Dreads His Return to the Booth

Published 04/18/2024, 3:53 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

As has been known by NASCAR fans, the relationship between Joey Logano and Kyle Larson is a blend of professional rivalry and mutual respect. Although both drivers admire each other, they are far apart in their driving styles. While Logano is known for his aggressive approach, Larson is rather composed in his way of driving. Incidents from the race at Fontana in 2022 also reflected their approach to victory. While Larson willingly held himself responsible for any undesired happenings on track, Logano tried to push the blame on his fellow drivers.

This time it was the Team Penske driver who found himself baffled by the way Xfinity drivers drive the races. Speaking of the differences between Cup driving and Xfinity driving, here’s what Logano said:

“It always blows my mind,” said Joey Logano

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

During the race at the Texas Motor Speedway, Joey Logano spoke of how the next-gen cars are different from the Xfinity cars. Throughout his time in the booth, the Team Penske driver observed that the Xfinity drivers spend longer periods off the gas pedal, unlike the Cup drivers. While Cup Series drivers in the next-gen car maintain consistent throttle input, rolling off the turns with minimal time off the gas pedal, onboard footage from Xfinity cars revealed extended off-throttle periods. Logano envied the Xfinity drivers and recalled what Kyle Larson had to say on the matter.

A baffled Joey Logano said, “You know, every time we go to their in-car camera, it always blows my mind to hear how much they’re off the gas.” Continuing in appreciation of the longer off-throttle periods of the Xfinity cars, he said, “It’s just it’s so different. And every time I hear them out of the gas, I get jealous immediately. I’m like, Oh man, you hear how much you’re out of the gas?” During the course of the conversation, Logano also mentioned what Larson once said about Indy cars.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

He further said, “You know, even I was listening to Larson do his media availability up in Indy and he’s talking about the Indy car and he was saying how the next gen car actually drives kind of similar to an Indy car now. And I thought that was the craziest thing I ever heard.” Before the introduction of the next-gen cars, about three years ago, Cup cars used to be similar to the Xfinity cars of today. Logano finds it surprising how the introduction of the next-gen cars in 2022 has made the Xfinity cars seem like a foreign thing today.

Joey Logano is back in the Xfinity Booth

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Joey Logano, apart from racing in the Cup Series on behalf of Team Penske, is set to take part in the NASCAR broadcast booth. While he recently made his place back as the guest analyst for the Xfinity booth in the recent races of the season, he has yet to commit to broadcasting full-time. Although he doesn’t have a specific timeline, Joey Logano sees broadcasting as a potential next step in his career. When asked about his aspirations of being at the booth, Logano said, “It definitely seems like something I’d want to do.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The 33-year-old, who thinks of retiring from race car driving in another five years, looks up to Kevin Harvick as an inspiration. Like Harvick, Joey Logano also considers broadcasting as one of the career options to stay in the sport even after retiring from driving. Moreover, according to him, broadcasting is a work of less pressure than driving cars on the track. “It’s the right thing to do for the sport, on top of it. It’s a pretty relaxed schedule, in comparison to driving a car. There’s significantly less pressure up in the TV booth. It’s enjoyable,Joey Logano said.

Joey Logano is thus envious of the Xfinity drivers, considering the cars they get to drive.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Mamata Mukherjee

208Articles

One take at a time

Mamata Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Combining her love for writing and motorsports she has created some interesting and in-depth stories on drivers like Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining ES with 3 years of experience in the field of writing, Mamata feels right at home in her role as a NASCAR Journalist.
Show More>

Edited by:

Shivali Nathta