NASCAR Rookie Joey Logano Wins First Cup Race

Joey Logano just recently turned 19 years old. In his first full season as a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, the kid they call "Sliced Bread", as in the best thing since sliced bread, has won a race. On June 28, 2009 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Joey Logano became the youngest driver ever to win in NASCAR's top series, the Sprint Cup. Officially, his win came while he was 19 years, 1 month and 4 days old. Logano had already proved himself a winner in every other series he has raced, so it was only a matter of time for him to prove it in Sprint Cup.

Joey Logano and his #20 Home Depot team from Joe Gibbs Racing, used raced strategy, Mother Nature and a little luck, to get "Sliced Bread" his first win in Cup racing. Logano's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, knew that rain was imminent in the area. Zipadelli, otherwise known as "Zippy", decided to keep young Logano out on the track as other cars made their final green flag pit stops for fuel and tires. Logano had not been running well throughout the race and had even blown a tire and spun around a little more than half way through the race. However, it's a known fact in NASCAR; the fastest car doesn't always win. Otherwise, Jeff Gordon himself would have won in New Hampshire, instead of finishing 2^nd to the rookie. Possibly, if the race had not ended 28 laps short due to rain, the former driver of the #20 car may have won. Tony Stewart, the former Home Depot driver, had a fast Old Spice Chevy all day long, but finished in 5^th place.

Greg Zipadelli had been the crew chief for NASCAR's 2 time Champion, Tony Stewart, for 10 years. Zippy has won Championships and is easily one of the best crew chiefs in the sport. He knows how to win, even when the car is so-so and the driver is young and inexperienced. His decision to gamble that the rain would come before Logano's car ran out of fuel, turned out to be correct. By keeping Joey Logano on the track until the rain started and the yellow caution flag flew, he gave the kid his chance to be the youngest winner ever in Cup. They had to hold their breath through 6 caution laps, hoping to conserve enough fuel until the race cars were called onto pit lane. Logano made it to pit lane as NASCAR red flagged the race, essentially stopping the race to see if the rain would pass.

It was clear that heavier rain was coming, not going away. Logano stood anxiously outside his car waiting to hear if he had won his first Cup race. Within 20 minutes he got the word that the race was over and he was the official winner. The smile on the teenagers face could have lit up the moon. His father made his way over to hug and congratulate him, as did the other drivers, including past champ, Tony Stewart. Logano, who has been compared to a young Jeff Gordon (a 4 time NASCAR Champion), didn't actually end up in the official victory lane nor did he get to do a nice burn out for the crowd. The rain ruined those moments for him, but he still got the trophy and he will now be known as the youngest driver to ever win a Sprint Cup race. He took that title away from Kyle Busch, who had won his first race at age 20. I think Joey will gladly accept his victory, even without the black and white checkers of victory lane.

Sources: http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/06/28/post.race.jlogano.wins.new.hampshire/index.html

Writers personal observations from watching the televised race and interviews.