Joey Logano “relates a lot” to Carl Edwards about fierce competition while racing

Joey Logano defended Carl Edwards against fans calling him fake for being nice outside his racecar, but fierce while racing. Relating to Edwards, Logano said drivers would be “jerks” if they were the same people on and off the track.

Logano, driver of the #22 Team Penske Ford, raced against Carl Edwards in the 2010s. The two had an infamous battle for the championship in 2016 when the #22 spun Edwards' #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with 10 laps remaining. Edwards didn't return the following year and withdrew from the sport.

After nearly a decade, Edwards reappeared in NASCAR, but this time as a race broadcaster with Amazon Prime. Joey Logano joined the broadcast crew at Pocono Raceway, where the reigning champion explained why he relates to Edwards.

“I feel like we can relate a lot to that because I feel like when you are racing, everyone looked at Carl as fake [...] You went through the same thing because you were really nice off the racetrack, and then you were a pretty fierce competitor,” Logano said (via NASCAR on X).

“It makes sense to be that way. It's just hard for people to understand that. Not just fans to understand. It's hard for competitors to understand that there can be a switch that you turn on and off, and it's healthy to have that [...] If you were the type of person on and off the track, you'd be a real jerk.”

The 35-year-old Connecticut native pointed out that drivers should find the balance on and off the track as he added:

“You've got to find that balance. That balance is really important. For me, I'm able to do that.” [0:44]

Joey Logano started the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway in row six alongside Erik Jones. The 160-lap Pennsylvania race marks Amazon Prime's final NASCAR coverage this year. Carl Edwards mans the broadcast with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Corey LaJoie and Adam Alexander, among others.

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Joey Logano reacts to boos at Pocono Raceway

In a pre-race interview at Pocono Raceway, Joey Logano was booed after Carl Edwards argued that the Team Penske driver was misunderstood. Logano responded by saying the fans didn't act that way if he was signing their autographs.

The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion said (via Sports on Prime on X):

“But hey, they weren't booing when I was signing their autographs a minute ago... now they're booing. I don't get it.”

Since debuting in 2009, Joey Logano has had good and bad moments on the track, some of which aren't appreciated by fans. Just last year, the Team Penske driver was criticized for winning the championship despite arguably not being the best that season, though some insist the blame should be on the playoff system instead.

This year, Logano has had a slow start to the season. His first win as the defending champion came in the 11th race at Texas Motor Speedway. He currently ranks ninth in the points standings with two top-5 and four top-10 finishes.