Joey Logano Gets Personal While Reflecting on Special Moment Ahead of His 600th NASCAR Cup Start

Joey Logano Gets Personal While Reflecting on Special Moment Ahead of His 600th NASCAR Cup Start originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Following his ninth-place finish last weekend, Joey Logano is set to enter his 600th race in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Dover International Speedway this weekend. He will become only the 34th driver to hit that benchmark, alongside legends like Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd, and Richard Petty.

Over his 16 seasons as a full-time driver, the Team Penske star became the NASCAR Cup Series champion on three occasions in 2018, 2022, and most recently, just last season. During this time, he has managed to bag 37 race wins, 32 poles, 169 top-fives, and 292 top-ten finishes in 599 starts. 

Reflecting on his three NASCAR championships on the Jimmy Kimmel show, the 35-year-old admitted that his first one was the most rewarding as he had dreamt of it since his career started. But it's the last one that stands out, thanks to a cherished celebration shared with his family at the Phoenix Raceway.

"Honestly, the last one—our third—that was special," Joey Logano said. "All three of my kids were there, and that memory is what it's all about. I go back to Thursday of that weekend. We're driving into the racetrack, I've got my three kids in the back, and we're just joking around. I said, 'Here's what we're going to do. We're going to win the race. We're going to get out at the start-finish line, grab the checkered flag, all five of us are going to get in the car, and we're going to do donuts. It's going to be awesome.'

"They were all excited like, 'Yeah!' So, we won the race. It's actually happening—we're living the dream. We get the flag, and it's like, 'Alright, this is great.' Then we got in the car. Now, there's no passenger seat in a race car—it's just metal and roll bars over there. But I've got my two boys with me."

The Loganos will forever cherish these moments. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qCpf8q9VmT

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 11, 2024

Unluckily, his wife, Brittany Logano, had to stay back with their two-year-old daughter, Emilia, who was hesitant to sit inside the metal-filled front row of his #22 Mustang Dark Horse.

"That was the coolest moment," the Penske driver said. "You've hit the pinnacle—winning the championship—and you've got your kids in the race car with you. You're just cruising around. And for that moment, it was just the three of us in the car. It was the coolest. Really cool."

Moreover, the Connecticut native also shared his excitement for his 600th NASCAR Cup Series start at the Dover International Speedway, which hosted his first Xfinity race.

"This weekend will be my 600th start," the three-time Cup champion said. "Six hundred. That's crazy to think about. The race will be the AutoTrader 400 in Dover, which is pretty cool because that's where I ran my first Xfinity race. So it's a full-circle moment, coming back there all these years later.

"On one hand, it's like—wow, 600 starts. That's amazing. It went by fast, over about 16 years. But honestly, I still feel like I've got a long way to go."

As for now, the multi-time Cup champion will surely aim for a memorable win in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 to mark his 600th start, becoming only the second driver to do so. He will start from the eighth position on the grid in Dover, and try to grab his second pole finish of the season. The race will kick off at 2 p.m. ET.

Related: Joey Logano Reveals Terrifying Moment at Track Before Pocono

Related: Joey Logano Warns NASCAR It Is Flirting With Disaster at Certain Tracks

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.