NASCAR champion Joey Logano admits 'uncomfortable' strategy needed to beat road course king SVG

Joey Logano has outlined his strategy of pushing into discomfort to close the performance gap with road‑course specialist Shane van Gisbergen (SVG), ahead of this weekend’s Chicago Street Course race.

Van Gisbergen, who won the 14‑turn Mexico City street race last month (June 15), dominated from pole to checkered flag. His only other top‑10 finish was a sixth-place finish at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) early this year. Meanwhile, Logano has struggled to find speed on road courses.

During a press conference in Chicago, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion admitted he needed to push beyond his comfort zone.

"It’s easy to say that until Shane is out there a second faster than you and you have to go put yourself in some uncomfortable situations. It’s easy to say that, but you’ve got to figure out how to go fast and last I checked with this car there’s no going fast in your comfort zone," Joey Logano said (via The Express).

"It's just a little bit more out of your comfort zone, probably because we haven’t done it much. We’re not road racers to speak of. There’s only one out there that really is and so all of us are, in a way, playing catch-up," Logano added.

Logano's performance has lagged on road courses. At the March 2 COTA race, Logano started mid‑pack in 23rd and ended up 24th. He qualified ninth but finished 21st at the Cup Series' debut in Mexico City last month, where he. Overall, in his past six road‑course outings, Logano has managed just one top‑10, which came at the Charlotte Roval.

Contrast that with SVG, who has already won two NASCAR road‑course races since his debut in 2023. The three-time SuperCars champion won his first Cup race at Chicago in Trackhouse Racing's No. 91 Chevrolet.

Joey Logano ended day early after first season pole at Atlanta

Joey Logano also earned his playoff spot with a dramatic overtime victory at Texas Motor Speedway in May. He moved from 27th on the grid to take the first win of the season, which is one of just two top‑five finishes across 18 starts. He sits 11th in the standings ahead of this weekend's Grant Park 165.

Last week in Atlanta, Logano clinched his first Busch Light Pole award of the season with a lap of 30.979 s (178.96 mph). He led a race-high 51 laps before a multi-car crash on lap 69 forced his exit in 36th position at the June 28 Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to downtown Chicago’s 2.2‑mile, 12‑turn street course this Sunday, July 6. The green flag is expected to fall at 2:25 pm ET.