Logano Firmly Focused On Chase Recovery

Joey Logano is fully focused on the here and now.

No lingering disappointment, no more controversy and no more upheaval.

The Team Penske driver said today that he has put his ongoing feud with Matt Kenseth behind him, in order to focus “out the windshield” on the task at hand; qualifying for the Championship Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  

Logano met with the media today at Texas Motor Speedway for the first time since a late-race crash with rival Kenseth ruined his chance for victory at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. And while Logano remains convinced that he did nothing to deserve being taken out last week, he clearly understands that continuing to focus on the controversy will do nothing but damage his effort, going forward.

"What happened has happened," he said. "It is in the past at this point. It is in the rear view mirror. The only way we will get in the Chase is if we keep looking out the windshield.

“To be honest, I’m not convinced it’s a bad thing,” said Logano of the controversy. “Our team is more fired up than ever. I’m more focused than ever. I’m pumped up about being here at the track today. What happened last week is what happened last week.

“Is it the way we wanted it to go? No, of course not. Did we get the finish we felt we deserved? No. But this team has plenty of confidence coming off three (wins) in a row and in position for four. There is plenty of confidence and more drive than there has ever been.”

Confidence notwithstanding, the Connecticut native has plenty of work to do in the next two weeks. He is dead-last among the eight remaining Chase contenders, 28 points behind the all-important transfer spot. With just two races to recover – beginning with Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway – Logano said he believes a berth in the Championship Round is still possible.

“We are not out of this thing,” he said, “and I’m not blaming anyone for what happened. We’re going to move forward. It would be one heck of a story if we win this thing, (and) like I said, I have more drive than ever.”

And for the record, the Shell/Pennzoil Ford driver said he will race no differently the rest of the way, against Kenseth or anyone else.

“When I walked in here, there is a pretty cool trophy with a cool hat on the top,” he said. “I want that. When we get to Homestead, there will be another cool trophy. We’re going to want that.

“That is the number-one goal when this team gets to the racetrack.

Logano called the challenge of the next two weeks “a test of character,” adding, “when you think about being a champion in life, this is a true test of the type of person you are.

“I look forward to the opportunity.”