From the first
“It’s about time,” Penske said. “Joey did a great job, and for us to have two championships in the same year, that’s what we’re here for. That’s the goal we have every year. I think we’ve been close, but we got it this year.”
It was the fourth win of the season for Logano, who opened the year with a January win in an exhibition race at
Will Power added the IndyCar championship to the Team Penske trophy case in September and Logano's dominating run Sunday closed out the banner year for the organization.
“I knew going into this thing that we’re going to win the championship. I told the guys we were the favorite from Daytona, and we truly believed it, and that’s the difference,” Logano said. “I had a good team with a bunch of confidence, and we had all the reason in the world to be confident. I’ve never been truly this ready for a championship race, and yeah, we did it, man. I can’t believe it."
Logano was met after the win by his wife and 4-year-old son, Hudson, the oldest of his three children and only one to make the trip to
His son skipped back down the track, waving the flag and holding his champion father's hand. Logano had promised Hudson he'd win the championship.
“We’ve had so many conversations over the last couple weeks before bedtime. First was ‘Daddy is going to get a pole, and he’s going to meet me out here and we’re going to win the race,’ and I couldn’t be a liar to my son,” Logano said.
Logano then drove Hudson inside the No. 22
“I always wanted to do that with Hudson. He’s such a little car guy," Logano said.
Logano at 32 was the oldest driver in the championship four, as well as the only one who is married with children. The Next Gen equaled the competition this season and the Cup Series celebrated 19 different winners, including five first-timers and two drivers making their first appearance in the championship race.
Even with the parity, Logano never doubted this would be his season.
“Getting the bookends, the first and the last race, means a lot,” Logano said. “It’s just a really special year for us with our third baby, and 22 in ’22, I told you so!”
It is the third Cup championship for Penske, who won with
Logano won the pole and was never really challenged on Sunday as his
It is the second Cup championship for crew chief
“I was texting him throughout the race, ‘What are you guys thinking? What would you do?’” Wolfe said. “I have thoughts, but all the other crew chiefs might think something different. It’s good to have another perspective. There’s guys in the garage you can trust and there’s guys you can’t. I think Rodney and I have a great relationship, and I appreciate that.”
“You wake up this morning and you're racing for a championship, you're happy, you're elated, and then your world comes crashing down," Bell said. “Whenever you get news like that, it definitely puts it in perspective that there's much more to this outside of racing.”
“Just disappointed, obviously, ended our day and ended our chance at a win or a championship. Just disappointing,” Elliott said.
“I feel like it was just hard racing and I had position," Chastain said. “I got to the left of (Elliott) and saw an erratic move that he made to turn left to cover it, but I was already there. It’s not how I want to race them or those guys.”
Logano, who started his career with JGR and spent five seasons there before he was fired after the 2012 season, gave his regards to the Gibbs family after the win.
“I don’t know what to think, but obviously my condolences go to the Gibbs family,” Logano said. “But just an incredible day for us, and kind of mixed emotions at the moment.”
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