Ryan: True to self, Joey Logano’s poise carries him to 600th Cup start

Editor's note: Joey Logano became the 34th driver to make 600 Cup Series starts when the green flag dropped Sunday at Dover. On the eve of becoming the youngest driver to make his 600th Cup start, Joey Logano somehow has emerged as the wise old man of NASCAR’s premier series. Logano, a seasoned 35 years old, is a far cry from the wide-eyed and understandably overwhelmed teenager who made his first Daytona 500 start in 2009. The youngest driver in the history of NASCAR’s biggest race was pitted against experienced stars who were more than twice his age. Bully tactics and intimidation greeted Logano at virtually every turn of his early years in Cup. MORE: Logano through the years The rookie also was thrust into the untenable position of pretending to be something he wasn’t while trying to fill the shoes of legendary firebrand Tony Stewart. Imagine being barely old enough to vote, much less shoulder a mortgage, and being tabbed as the corporate spokesman for a home improvement chain that markets to families. In an amusing twist, Logano now fills that role perfectly as a happily married father of three. After a rough start to his NASCAR career of trying to meet others’ expectations despite unrealistic circumstances, he shook loose from the chains of impostor syndrome long ago. He loves his family, cars and competing for wins with the verve of a madman whenever he dons a helmet. “Those are the things that make Joey Logano who he is,” he said. He never has sounded more confident of his place in the world, and it’s because he is comfortable in his own skin in a way that was impossible for an 18-year-old still trying to figure out his own personality while also navigating a major-league sport. Yes, three Cup championships and a rock-solid ride with Team Penske helps in feeling more secure. But when asked recently about what’s most important for building a driver’s brand, Logano skipped the part about being enormously successful. He instead offered sage and simple advice. “The No. 1 most important thing is being authentic to your brand,” he said. “Be who you are. When someone is being fake, it’s so obvious. You can pick them out so easy. You know when someone is not being who they are. Being yourself is the most important thing.” The words came from experience. They were spoken with the authority of a true elder statesman. Maybe it’s the role Logano was always meant to play.