“The game is not as simple as it used to be”

Logano, the reigning Cup champion, has experienced highs and lows in superspeedway racing, from winning the Daytona 500 in 2015 to triggering a multi-car wreck in another with a badly timed block.

In fact, he hasn’t finished on the lead lap of the 500 since 2019, when he led 11 laps ended up fourth.

On Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, Logano added a victory in his 150-mile qualifying race to his Daytona resume and will start third in Sunday’s 500 in his No. 22 Penske Racing Ford. It’s his third career win in the Duels (he also won in 2019 and 2020).

“It’s all about how much effort you’re willing to put into something. I don’t think anybody at Penske looks at speedway racing as a luck thing. Sometimes you just have bad placement,” he said.

“But the majority of it is if you can control some things or you can keep yourself towards the front. If you get wrecked in the front, you get wrecked in the front. Like what are you going to do?

“But I think you can still put yourself up there with doing things correctly.”

Always learning

Logano said the process of learning the ins and outs of superspeedway racing never ends and he has often relied on a “group effort” – combining lessons learned from each of his Penske teammates prior to each race.

“Now everybody has like their own style. Like (Ryan) Blaney’s style out there is significantly different than mine and what I’m willing to do compared to what he’s willing to do. We drive our cars two completely different ways in the draft,” he said.

“But Blaney has done a great job at finishing up front and winning these things, as well. There’s more than one way to do this, and Blaney has kind of found his way that works for him.

“The game is not as simple as it used to be. It evolves. It evolves so quickly. This draft is never the same two races in a row, no matter if the rules are different or the same.”

The choose rule changes the game

An added wrinkle into the equation this year got its first test – albeit a brief one – on Thursday night as NASCAR is now utilizing the choose rule on restarts for superspeedways and road courses.

Those tracks were previously exempt from the rule which was first adapted beginning in 2020.

Logano believes that could alter some team’s choices in Sunday’s race, which in recent seasons has featured strategy dictated more by the various manufacturers working together.

“I would say…