Joey Logano to sport Mario Andretti tribute scheme at 2021 Southern 500

Joey Logano and Team Penske will be sporting a special paint scheme on their No. 22 Ford Mustang honoring 1978 Formula 1 champion Mario Andretti at this year’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 9.

The team took to Twitter to reveal the design, which pays tribute to Andretti’s first Formula 1 victory, at the 1971 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami.

Check out the @MarioAndretti inspired @shellracingus Mustang throwback that @joeylogano will drive at @TooToughToTame on May 9th!#NASCARThrowback | @FordPerformance pic.twitter.com/VLdk7qrw2W

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) April 8, 2021

The red and white scheme follows similar lines as the design on Andretti’s iconic Ferrari’s 312B which won the Formula 1 season-opener in 1971.

#OnThisDayInF1 in 1971 @MarioAndretti won the South African GP for @ScuderiaFerrari.It was the first win for Andretti in F1. pic.twitter.com/Ly3nI5r1aS

— On This Day In F1🏎 (@OnThisDayIn_F1) March 6, 2017

The announcement was news to Logano as well, who tweeted: “Talk about a complete surprise tonight on NASCAR RaceHub! Pumped to run this.”

Andretti, himself a regular on the micro-blogging platform, tweeted back:

Hope to bring you luck!! https://t.co/jdlDD8cIqY

— Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) April 9, 2021

The Southern 500 is NASCAR’s longest-running event on the Cup Series calendar, with the inaugural edition held in 1950, nine years before the very first Daytona 500. Given the track’s historic status, the event has seen teams and sponsors get into the classic spirit by sporting throwback paint schemes honoring the sport’s legends.

Joey Logano off to a good start in 2021

Joey Logano has notched up three top 5s from six races so far in 2021, including a historic win at the Bristol dirt race to lock himself into the playoffs. As the series returns from the Easter break and heads to Martinsville Speedway this Saturday for the Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500, the 2018 Cup Series champion will be starting the race from pole position, eyeing another victory at the .526-mile oval.

Logano has a stout record at the track nicknamed “The Paperclip,” including five poles, one win, eight top 5s, and 12 top 10s from 22 starts.

Mario Andretti – A motorsport all-rounder par excellence

Mario Andretti’s achievements in motorsport transcend literal oceans, as he never restricted himself to one discipline. Between winning the USAC (Indycar) title in 1965 and the Indy 500 in 1969, he jumped into a NASCAR stock car and won the 1967 Daytona 500. Then, Andretti hopped across the Atlantic to compete in Formula 1, eventually going on to win the world title in 1978, driving Colin Chapman’s groundbreaking Lotus 79.