The rules of the road are simple for Joey Logano when it comes to racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Whether it’s on the oval or the unique 2.439-mile Road Course, the prestige of racing at the Brickyard doesn’t waver.
The Team Penske driver will attempt – along with everyone else in the field – to win the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the 14-turn road course on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), one year after NASCAR’s debut on the road circuit in the Xfinity Series.
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“I have the same feeling (whether it’s the road course or the oval),” Logano said earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio when asked about winning at one of the most famous venues in motorsports. “I’ll make this comparison. Indy and Daytona are comparable when it comes to history and what those tracks mean to certain drivers. And when you look at whether it’s the Rolex 24, if that’s what you do, that’s on the road course in Daytona. Or the Daytona 500 on the oval. It doesn’t matter. You have a win at Daytona. That’s a huge deal. You’re marked in for history.
“Indy is as big … because I feel like it’s a track that everyone in the world wants to say they’ve won at. The history of the Brickyard is incredible. All you have to do is go through the museum one day when you’re there and say, ‘Wow, this is a sacred place.’ “
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Adding to the personal pageantry of the weekend for Logano is that he drives for Roger Penske. “The Captain” will have cars entered in all three races in the upcoming historic weekend – NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Saturday’s IndyCar race. Penske Corporation also owns the track, making it all-the-more important for the Ford stable.
Logano has one road-course win to his credit, a 2015 triumph at Watkins Glen. A victory Sunday would give him 28 for his Cup Series career, deliver additional playoff points and allow the 31-year-old driver and his No. 22 team an opportunity for one of the most famous victory celebrations in sports.
“Whether you’re on the oval, or on the road course, in a stock car or an IndyCar or a tricycle, you want to say you’ve won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, plain and simple,” Logano said. “So, I don’t care where it’s at. I’m kissing the bricks at the end of the race. That’s all that matters to me. That’s all I want to do. So hopefully this is the week to make it happen.”