From ‘I’ve had enough’ to winning $1 million: How Joey Logano tamed North Wilkesboro

Joey Logano was ready to take on North Wilkesboro Speedway.

This year’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race winner likened the tests he had previously run at the historic race track in Wilkes County to a scene from the famed sports movie Miracle.

Logano ran 800 laps over two days, he estimated.

And just like coach Herb Brooks is portrayed saying in the movie, Logano’s crew chief Paul Wolfe just kept telling him: “Again.”

“I was sore,” Logano recalled with a smile. “I’d had enough. It was warm out.”

“A million bucks is a lot of money”

Logano, who also won the All-Star Race in 2016, started from the pole and led 199 of 200 laps to win the race in dominant fashion. It’s the most laps any driver has led in NASCAR’s All-Star Race.

He still does not have a spot in the 2024 Cup Series playoffs secured, as Sunday’s All-Star Race does not count for points.

However, Logano does win $1 million — a hefty prize, but still an amount that remains unchanged since 2003.

“It’s funny because the first thing that goes through your mind is, gosh, I wish this counted for points,” Logano said. “But let’s be honest, a million bucks is a lot of money, and it counts for something.”

Brad Keselowski won last week’s race at Darlington and drove a Ford to victory lane for the first time this season (13 races). Every other race has been won by a Chevrolet or Toyota driver; Denny Hamlin and William Byron already have three victories apiece.

The dominance was a team effort

This year’s All-Star Race emphasized teamwork.

Following Friday’s Cup Series practice and initial qualifying session, a re-designed pit crew challenge helped determine the lineups for the All-Star Open and Race.

Logano, who also won the pole position for the Daytona 500, had raced plenty at North Wilkesboro during the tests. He considers this race to be the toughest pole to win — because of how much goes into it from the entire team.

“Hopefully tonight was a little boost for everybody,” Wolfe said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t a points-paying race and didn’t lock us in the playoffs. But it showed that, as a group, we’re still capable of putting together a good weekend like this.

“From qualifying, the pit crew. I wouldn’t say we did anything super fast on Friday, or in qualifying (Saturday).”