Joey Logano 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour
Are you excited to have Jason Ratcliff as your new NSCS crew chief?
“Me and Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief), we’ve worked together for two races over in the Nationwide side and I felt like we connected really quick. I felt like the two of us, the communication at the race track, at the shop — it really accelerated at a really quick rate. So, I was excited about that. When the decision came up, I think Jason was kind of a shoe-in for that deal. I think he’s the perfect match for me. I think even in practice, we come in, sit down and talk to each other and try to make the best decision with the race car we possibly can. I feel like we’ve done a really good job for those first two races. I always felt like, ‘Man, I need to work with him more.’ I think we can do good things with it. I think he’s the right man for our Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota and we’ll go out there and do the best we can this year.”
What do you think about Greg Zipadelli leaving Joe Gibbs Racing?
“Sometimes things just don’t match up perfectly. I love Zip (Greg Zipadelli) to death. I’m going up to New York this weekend to do his charity ride. The friendship is still there. Things sometimes just don’t match up perfectly and we probably will get along a lot better now that we’re not working with each other. I still like him. I think it’s a good call for him to go over there. He wants to be home with his kids more. His kids are growing up. I don’t have kids so I don’t know what that’s like, but I would assume you want to be with them a lot. I think that’s a really good call for him and I think it’s going to be really neat. I think it’s going to be the best for both of us in the long run. I think it’s something that the No. 20 team itself needed and I think Zip needed it, too.”
Do you feel more pressure this season?
“No, not right now. I’m very relaxed. I feel like my head is in the right spot. I feel like I’m very confident in myself, I’m very confident in Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and my whole team and doing the right thing. I tell you, Jason – I’ve talked to him a ton. Everyday we’re on the phone, I’m at the shop talking to him, doing something with him. I think that’s gone along really well. Then, Jason is one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s there all the time. Between Dave (Rogers, No. 18 crew chief) and Jason, I’ve seen them on the Nationwide side before and those two will keep getting each other to work harder and harder and they’re going to do that over here on the Cup side along with Darian (Grubb, No. 11 crew chief) involved with that too, it’s going to be unreal. I’m pretty pumped up about it. I think there are some really good changes at Joe Gibbs Racing that I think are going to help all three teams.”
Is it important for you to make the Chase this year?
“Yes, it’s a hard to set goals. You go to race track to win every one of them, so I think everyone’s goal is to win a championship. I think you have to shoot for the moon. That’s the only way you are going to do it. If you just shoot for making the Chase, that’s all you’re going to do. You’re not going to do anything better than that. I think you have to shoot for the moon and keep shooting for that and see what comes out of it.”
Have you experienced any changes since Darian Grubb joined Joe Gibbs Racing?
“Yeah, I think it’s refreshing. There’s new faces and there’s new changes. I think bringing Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) in and Darian (Grubb, No. 11 crew chief), both of them are bringing a lot of new energy and a lot of new life. I think it’s something that was needed to be done. I think Joe (Gibbs, team owner) and J.D. (Gibbs, team president) made some really good calls. I know they’re tough decisions. I couldn’t imagine being put in that spot. I think it’s the right thing for our race teams and we’ll make it happen.”
What lessons have you learned in your racing career?
“When you’re little and your mother is like, ‘You just wait, I’m stupid right now but you’ll get older and discover how smart I was.’ Yeah, that was the same thing, but in racing for me. Obviously you want to be confident, you need to think that you know a lot and think that you’re the best race car driver out there. But, at the same time you have to be humble and go ask questions, talk to the guys — do whatever you can to make yourself a better race car driver. I’ve learned that stuff very quickly. It’s something that is a very valuable experience. I’m going to take that in the rest of my life, whether that’s in racing or not.”
Is this going to be a make it or break it year for you?
“I don’t make anything of it. It’s no difference to me. You should treat every year like it’s a make it or break it year. So, what’s the difference? That’s how I look at it. I should go out there and try to win every race, whether it’s contract year or not. There’s no difference there for me.”
Was last season a disappointing year for you?
“Obviously last year was a disappointment I think for all three teams. I can speak for myself — that was terrible last year. We did everything as a team completely wrong in a lot cases, whether it’s driver mistakes, team mistakes — whatever it was, we weren’t on it. With a year like that, talk about being humble, that will humble you in a hurry. That’s when you have to dig down deep. You don’t want to do that again. It was seriously no fun at all to do something like that. That motivates you a ton to go out there and do a lot better. I know I have the guys behind me now. I’m very confident going into this season, probably more confident than I’ve ever been going into a season. Obviously with Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief), signing on a new sponsor like Dollar General, that brings some new life into the team, too. We’re excited about that.”
What can you do to make yourself better?
“You can’t just pin point one thing. There’s a lot of different things. I can say now, I feel like I’m a lot more involved with what’s going on with Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) — I feel like we’re working on the same level now. We’re bouncing ideas off of each other a lot more. The communication is huge. If you wanted to point out one thing, it would be communication and I feel that’s going to come naturally with me and Jason.”
Does getting a new sponsor this season put pressure on you?
“It is pressure bringing them in, but it’s confidence when you get them. Think about how hard it is to get a great company like Dollar General in our sport. It’s very hard to do, there are a lot of other teams out there trying to get them. A lot of other teams with great drivers trying to get them. For us to be able to reel them in and get them, that puts a lot of confidence in our team and myself for sure.”
How have you been able to be positive with what your team experienced last year?
“Positive thinking is very important no matter what is going on. That’s something I’ve learned more this last year than I’ve ever thought of. I went to a sports psychologist, you talk to those people and you find a new way of going to a race track and a new whole way of thinking about a lot of things. That’s very, very important. I was able to see the gains you can make in that stuff. That’s the stuff when you’re down, you look at anything. I think that was some really good things to look at. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) is good in that department.”
Joey Logano 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Photos
Joey Logano 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Video
Joey Logano 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour Audio
On Saturday, Jan. 21, Joey will be signing autographs and participating in Q&A sessions at NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint! Get access to NASCAR Preview 2012 and NASCAR Hall of Fame for just $20! For more details visit http://www.nascaracceleration2012.com/
