Joey Logano’s name is etched deep in New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s history. On June 28, 2009, a teenage Logano won the rain-soaked Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon, becoming the youngest Cup Series winner ever at 19 years, 1 month, and 4 days old. Crew chief Greg Zipadelli’s bold call to stay out as rain loomed handed Logano the lead when NASCAR red-flagged the race at lap 273 of 301.

Despite spinning earlier and falling a lap down, a “lucky dog” pass and sharp strategy outmaneuvered a field with 21 lead changes among 14 drivers, with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch rounding out the podium. Now, in 2025, Logano’s back at his home track for the playoff-opening Mobil 1 301, chasing a pole and reflecting on how Loudon keeps weaving his past and present together.

Logano’s heartfelt homecoming

Before the New Hampshire race, Joey Logano got misty-eyed about what Loudon means to him. “Nice! I just love coming up. Here’s this home, right? And you feel that as soon as you get off the airplane and you know just the weather, looking around, just the way the buildings look,” he said in a pre-race presser.

Hailing from Middletown, Connecticut, just under two hours away, Logano’s practically a local. Watching the Whelen Modified Tour with his seven-year-old son stirred memories of his own childhood at the track. “And yeah, you just kind of go back,” he added, soaking in the New England vibe that’s been a constant in his racing life.

The nostalgia hit harder, “I was seven the first time I came here, and I remember watching my first Cup race and having my family all camped out here,” Logano recalled. “I was watching the racing this morning, like this is pretty cool. It’s kind of a full circle moment.”

The rainy weather this weekend mirrored his 2009 upset win, a defining moment when he shocked the field. His 2014 Loudon victory added to the track’s legacy, and now, with a 2025 pole at 29.159 seconds and 130.622 mph, he’s piling on more milestones. “My first Cup race here, winning my first Cup race here, just so many great memories here,” he said, grinning after clinching his first career pole at his home track.

Pole fuels Earnhardt-like hometown love

Logano’s Loudon return isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about soaking up the kind of hometown adoration that makes him feel like Dale Earnhardt Sr. The three-time Cup champ, known for his no-holds-barred racing, splits fans like few others. Some love his grit; others can’t stand his aggressive style. But in New Hampshire, the grandstands roar for their own.

When he nabbed the pole for the Mobil 1 301, Logano let loose with a shout and fist pump, a rare burst for a qualifying run. “I like winning. It’s honestly become harder over the years, just because the field is so close, and I think part of the emotion is that we’re in New Hampshire. The fans cheer me. It’s freaking cool,” he chuckled post-race.

That hometown love ties straight to his childhood memories at Loudon. “It’s a little bit more exciting when you’re able to win the pole when the whole grandstand is happy for you,” he said. Logano’s polarizing rep, hard racing, and big wins draw boos elsewhere, but not here. “I dread the day they don’t say anything,” he admitted, echoing Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s take on noise meaning relevance.

“I don’t understand it because I don’t know why,” he added. At Loudon, though, the cheers drown out the noise, connecting his seven-year-old self, his 2009 breakthrough, and his 2025 pole into one emotional, full-circle playoff moment.