With the All-Star Race’s return to North Wilkesboro for the third time, many drivers have expressed their concerns with NASCAR’s gimmicks and ever-changing formats. However, Joey Logano is not quick to jump on the hate train. The 2024 All-Star winner, looking to defend his title this weekend, has shared his thoughts amid the ongoing debate of the event’s future format. The Team Penske #22 had a disappointing start to the 2024 season, but not only did he win the hefty prize money at North Wilkesboro, he also took home the Cup series Championship by the end. However, with a fresh set of gimmicks being added to the 2025 race, Joey’s path to a repeat victory won’t come easily, and he knows it.
Since its inception in 1985, the All-Star has built its glorious reputation, hosting past winners and legends like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick, to name a few. Logano, who has claimed victory twice, continues to earn his place as one of the sport’s greats and create a racing legacy for himself. Beyond the very tempting 1 million dollar prize, Joey talks about the uniqueness of the race, saying, “It’s a bit of an all-or-nothing kind of race. You’ve got nothing to lose and a million bucks to gain.” But aside from the glitz and glamor of this exhibition event, Logano is still a little doubtful of a few things and voiced his thoughts on them recently.
Joey Logano’s take on the weekend
Joey Logano has had a slow start to 2025 but turned his fortunes around with an unprecedented win at Texas. Logano led just the last 7 laps in what was a thrilling race marred by bumps in turns 3 and 4 that ruined it for race leaders under shorter green flag runs. These short runs and multiple restarts worked in Logano’s favor, as he could capitalize on every restart, eventually overtaking Michael McDowell for the win. However, the All-Star race is at a completely different track type, a short track where long runs could make all the difference.
Since its revival in 2022, North Wilkesboro has been at the center of attention. The historic track was made the host of the All-Star race in 2023, which Kyle Larson won, but Logano’s win in 2024 was particularly noteworthy. The Penske driver started on pole and led 199/200 laps in what was a dominant victory, despite Goodyear’s using softer tires to make the race more strategic and thrilling. In 2025, this compound is set to take on a larger role with the qualifying and heat race format, which Logano is surprisingly a fan of, as he resisted the temptation to complain about longer runs on a short track.
In an interview on SiriusXM ASCAR with Pete Pistone and Mike Bagely, Joey Logano has weighed in on the heat race structure – one that has been increased to 75 laps from 60 laps—and the qualifying format. He states that, “75 laps in a heat race, I mean, those things, it’s still quite a bit of laps, right? Like things can happen, and there could be some falloff, and things could be happening out there. The longer heat race makes sense, too… If you do get a penalty in qualifying and you gotta start in the back, this gives you a lot longer time to actually get all the way back up there, and you very well can.”
The 75-lap heat race allows teams who had a mediocre qualifying run to make up for their time. With the qualifying format involving three laps with a mandatory pit stop for the pit crew challenge, some drivers could get the short end of the stick because of circumstances out of their control. However, these comments are surprising coming from Joey Logano, as he is known for his preference for shorter runs and frequent restarts. This was evident last season as his only regular-season win came at Nashville in a quintuple overtime finish. But Logano’s main concern for the race stems from the track itself!
Goodyear’s softer tires last year delivered a race that left a lot to be desired, with a lack of passing and racing grooves. However, Logano feels that the North Wilkesboro of 2025 will be like nothing we’ve seen in recent times. Joey added, “Tires, if you know with a softer compound all the time, another year, another race track, it seems like that track, you know, it’s lost a lot of color already. I don’t think it’s gonna be the same Wilkesboro we saw last year.” Despite dominating the race with softer tires last year, Logano remains cautious about the fact that the track is aging, and with age comes more unpredictability.
The changes made to the track surface weigh on Logano’s mind. He also expects new challenges, especially from how the track has aged faster than expected. Logano very skeptically added, “You know, I’m sure some bumps probably developed, like it’s been a year. The asphalt that they paved it with seems to weather really quickly, so we’ll see if that changes anything.” These uncertainties would make it very difficult for any driver to rely on past data and strategies.
How did the All-Star qualifying pan out?
NASCAR exhibition races are always exciting and thrilling to watch. It is the perfect blend of speed, strategy, and surprises coming up in between. It all started on Friday, with a very unique qualifying format where drivers race three laps, but with a twist. The drivers need to hit the pits after the second lap. Their total time on the track and the time spent in the pits decide their starting spot for Saturday’s heat races. Michael McDowell won the $100,000 pit crew challenge with a blistering 12.587-second pit stop, and Brad Keselowski took the pole.
Saturday heats were where the top drivers fought for the best spot in the starting lanes for Sunday’s event. The two heat races, now bumped up to 75 laps this year, set the stage with inside and outside lanes up for grabs. Meanwhile, drivers are still trying to qualify, racing 100 laps, with top finishers earning the best spots for the “Open Race” on Sunday. What makes this more interesting is that the fans get to decide and vote one driver in for the All-Star Race, adding to the communal feel of NASCAR. Shane van Gisbergen nabbed the pole for the All-Star open, while Joey Logano managed to improve on his 6th place qualifying attempt on Friday and finished third in the heat race to start in 4th on Sunday!
The main event on Sunday is a 250-lap showdown packed with loads of drama and twists. There’s a planned caution halfway through the race that gets deployed, but as of this year, a wild card has emerged. The promoters get to throw in an unexpected caution anytime before the 220th lap. This is aimed at bunching up the field and shaking up all the teams’ planning. And the winner who sustains all these challenges and proves themselves by winning the race gets to go back with the $1 million prize money! The unpredictability is what keeps the fan engaged until the last lap.
Who do you think will rise to the top on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
The post Joey Logano Resists Temptation as Drivers Finally Get Onboard With NASCAR’s All-Star Gimmicks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
