Joey Logano has passed on more than the Cup Series champion’s journal to Penske teammate and new champion Ryan Blaney.
For those unfamiliar, the champion’s journal is a tradition born in 2016 with Jimmie Johnson. After each season, the previous champion, who had possession of the journal all season, writes a message and presents it to the newly crowned champion.
Logano didn’t bring it with him to Phoenix Raceway earlier this month, so he’s had time to craft a message to Blaney, whom he finally got together with before the awards banquet Thursday night in Nashville. Logano is the only driver to have had the journal twice, and it’s the second time it’s been passed among teammates. Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion, received the journal from Hendrick Motorsport teammate Chase Elliott, who won the championship in 2020.
But more than a physical possession, Logano also had words of wisdom for his younger teammate. As a two-time series champion, Logano knows what the accomplishment means and the responsibility being a Cup Series champion brings. Blaney, at 29 years old, is celebrating his first title.
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“We talked a few times about it, just about the cool parts about it,” Logano said. “The things that seem small to some but actually to a driver mean a lot — like you put the champion logo underneath the NASCAR bars on your race suit. That’s a really cool thing to have; you see that every weekend and it’s there forever. That’s pretty neat.”
There is also plenty of meaning off the track, too. Most of which the public never sees.
“It’s a lot of odds and ends, little things,” continued Logano. “You go on tour and you meet a lot of the people that were a part of the team that you may not have known were a part of the team. When you go visit the headquarters of your sponsors and that type of thing. And, you see the impact that it’s really made from (winning) the championship financially to a lot of families. That part is really cool.”
Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend to clinch his spot in the postseason. A victory at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall launched Blaney into the third round of the playoffs, where he finished no worse than sixth and dominated at Martinsville Speedway en route to the victory and a guaranteed spot in the championship race.
In the finale, Blaney drove like a man on a mission. Blaney didn’t have the dominant car but went toe-to-toe with his title rivals and eventual race winner Ross Chastain for every position. Logano laughed that it was about “seven weeks ago” when he, probably like everyone else, saw that Blaney could be a champion.
“We’ve all seen the amount of speed he’s had his whole career, like just raw speed,” Logano said. “The kid is quick as can be, but it seemed like it took a minute for the race craft to meet up to the talent that he has and really, I think the last seven weeks of what he was able to put together was exceptional. (It was) really, really good.
“Putting them both together now, I’m telling you, he’s going to be tough to beat for a long time. Now that he’s got confidence on his side and he’s done it already, he’s going to be tough for a long time. And he’s so young, obviously. So that’ll be a tough one to compete against for a long time.”
As Logano’s reign as champion came to an end, he couldn’t be happier that Blaney was to be the next driver to have the spotlight.
“I’m happy for him,” Logano said. “That was so cool to see the growth. For me, he’s been my teammate for 10 years or so, and I saw him as young Ryan Blaney. To see him grow in the sport, as a person, and as a driver to where he is today is actually kind of neat.”