Logano led 199 of the 200 laps eventually month’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and his victory was helped not less than partly by being certainly one of three drivers that participated in a Goodyear tire check at observe in March.
Paul Wolfe, Logano’s crew chief, stated the two-time collection champion ran round 900 laps on the observe that day, together with on the tire that Goodyear finally utilized within the all-star occasion.
How does that assist Logano on this week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
Goodyear has modified the tire set-up on the Loudon, N.H., observe this 12 months, however the tire decisions are nonetheless acquainted ones – they have been used this 12 months at North Wilkesboro and final weekend at Iowa Speedway (the place Logano completed sixth).
Mixed with the actual fact Logano sometimes runs nicely on the 1.058-mile flat oval and his Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney have earned their first wins of the season within the final three weeks, Wolfe believes the No. 22 staff’s expertise on this weekend’s tire may show essential.
“Anytime there’s a tire change in our sport, whether or not it’s a building, compound, massive stagger adjustments, these issues can actually have an effect on your set-up, clearly, fairly a bit,” Wolfe stated this week in a Zoom name with reporters.
“So, with that being such an enormous issue, I believe as we’ve seen the consistency now on this tire for us and what we’ve been in a position to do previously at New Hampshire, I’m excited to get to the observe. I believe now we have nearly as good a shot as anyone to get to Victory Lane this weekend.”
Playoff hopes in jeopardy
That will be significantly vital for Logano and his staff as he presently sits beneath the cutoff to make the 16-driver playoff discipline with 9 races remaining within the common season.
In his Cup profession, Logano – a Connecticut native – has a pair of victories at New Hampshire and 9 top-five finishes in 25 begins, together with a runner-up end final 12 months.
Wolfe pointed on the market are some vital variations within the load on the tires between Iowa – which is shorter and quicker – and New Hampshire. North Wilkesboro may very well be extra comparable.
“As we speak about our brief observe package deal and the issues which have labored for the No. 22 staff and Staff Penske on the brief tracks, you’re making small adjustments as a result of Iowa to New Hampshire the loading, the dimensions of the observe is just a little completely different,” Wolfe defined.
“I assume what makes you deal with a sure a part of the nook, what makes success at Loudon versus Iowa is just a little completely different, so that you’re fine-tuning off from a base set-up and settings in a race automotive.
“If you do discover one thing that works till there’s a massive change within the tire or aero package deal, I’ve discovered over time you possibly can actually simply take it from one observe to the following and do your offsets or your adjustments for the completely different masses or speeds and you’ll proceed to have success with it.”
Joey Logano, Staff Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photos
Logano isn’t alone in New Hampshire as a chance for an vital victory.
Of the six former Cup winners on the observe entered this weekend, three are nonetheless trying to lock themselves into the playoffs this season with a win – Logano (six factors behind the cutline), Martin Truex Jr. (122 factors above the cutline) and Kyle Busch (31 factors behind the cutline).
The latest success of Logano’s teammates, nevertheless, could assist give him the sting.
“If we will’t be in Victory Lane, there’s nothing higher than seeing certainly one of our staff automobiles (there) as a result of it provides you one other information level of, ‘OK, we’re on the fitting path right here’ and the issues we’ve been engaged on are right,” Wolfe stated.
“We’ll hold massaging on it as we transfer ahead to Loudon this weekend.”
