A milestone achievement. That’s what Joey Logano is on the verge of at Dover Motor Speedway. The Team Penske driver made his Cup Series debut at the tender age of 18, driving the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2008. At that time, the Connecticut-native was widely considered one of the brightest talents in NASCAR, even though his career got off to a slow start at the Sylvania 300 with a 32nd-place finish.
Fast forward to the present day, and Logano is a senior member of the grid. And at 35 years, 1 month, and 28 days old, the reigning champ is all set to become the youngest driver to achieve 600 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Logano to join NASCAR’s all-time greats
Joey Logano is no stranger to expectations. After making three starts in 2008, the racer went on to make 596 consecutive appearances at NASCAR’s highest level heading into this Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Back in the day, he took over Tony Stewart’s No. 20 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing and learned the ropes before moving to Team Penske in 2013, which is where he truly flourished and won three championships.
Joey Logano has had a Hall of Fame career, with plenty of years left in the tank to achieve more milestones. He has a knack for producing clutch results, securing 37 Cup Series wins in the last 15 years. Now, he’ll look to join the legendary Richard Petty, who is the only NASCAR driver in history to win a race in his 600th appearance. The Team Penske driver has finished third at Dover Motor Speedway thrice before, and if he wins at the ‘Monster Mile’, it’ll be the 22nd different track he will triumph at.
And he’ll be joining an elite list of drivers after making his 600th appearance. We’re talking about the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and plenty of others. Sharing his thoughts about the milestone, Logano said, “I remember my 300th start and I think it was Kenseth at the time… [who] wasn’t too far from 600 and I thought, ‘Geez, that’s double the amount of races as me. That’s crazy.’ But here I am, so it went by pretty quick.”
In 2008, an 18-year-old driver made his #NASCAR Cup debut. 17 seasons, 37 wins, and 3 championships later, 35-year-old @JoeyLogano is set to become the 34th driver (youngest ever) in history to reach 600 career NASCAR Cup starts this weekend at Dover: https://t.co/swQQWuwski
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) July 17, 2025
Dover Motor Speedway is also the site of one of the wildest moments of Joey Logano’s career. Driving the No. 20 Toyota, the racer flipped during the fall race during his rookie season in 2009, and rolled on the racetrack before landing on four wheels. While his vehicle looked damaged beyond repair, the Connecticut-native escaped the incident unscathed, while the fans cheered on from the sidelines when he got out of the racecar. If he wins at the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, it’ll show just how far he has come as a racing driver.
Joey Logano looks back on his career
The milestones were bound to stack up. Joey Logano has been around the Cup Series scene long enough for the records to follow him, showing year after year that he belongs amongst the sport’s all-time greats. Three championships are nothing to scoff at, and with a win in Texas already, he’s locked into the playoffs to defend his crown once again. The reigning champ is going to Dover 11th in the point standings, and will be hoping to get another triumph with just a handful of regular-season races remaining.
Looking back on his illustrious career, Logano said, “At first glance, I say ‘well, they’re just starts,’ but then when you think about it to be able to be around in a sport as an athlete, competing at a top level for 16 years-plus years and hit 600 starts, that’s pretty incredible. That’s something I take some pride in. I did all of this in front of everybody. They went along the ride with me. I was a young cocky kid coming in, to getting my humble pie, and learning to become a champion. And learning a lot of lessons in front of everybody. They all got to see the evolution of myself.”
From a trembling teenager to a household name, Joey Logano’s career has been full of ups and downs. But like a true champion, the 35-year-old has powered through all the obstacles in his way to build a career others can only dream of. But despite his accomplishments, the racer is hungrier than ever to do more, saying, “I’ve always felt like I haven’t done enough.” But the good news is that he still has plenty of time to chase more trophies. Four more titles, and he’ll equal the legendary Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson. Now that’s a record.
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