“We’ve got to be perfect”: Joey Logano expects head-to-head battle with Penske teammate Ryan Blaney after strong qualifying effort at New Hampshire 

Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano recently aced the New Hampshire Motor Speedway qualifying session. Following that, Logano was featured in a pre-race interview with Motorsports.com and shared his thoughts about competing with his teammate Ryan Blaney to secure the win.

The #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver won the pole position at the 1.058-mile oval track. He completed the lap with a best time of 29.159 seconds, reaching a top speed of 130.622 mph. Meanwhile, his teammate posted the second fastest time on the track with a difference of 0.170 seconds. Blaney crossed the finish line in 29.329 seconds and achieved a top speed of 129.865 mph.

Reflecting on his teammate's speed in the qualifying session, Joey Logano expects a head-to-head battle with Ryan Blaney at the NHMS. Logano also gave Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron some credit and stated:

“The 12 looked really fast. I think we can get there with some adjustments, hopefully, and be able to compete with him, but with that said, the 24 looked pretty strong too. There are some other cars that are definitely in the mix, so we’ve got to be perfect. That’s how it is to win these races these days. Everyone is close."

Continuing further, the Team Penske driver explained:

"It’s not like someone is just two-tenths faster than the field, like we’ve seen here in the old car. First to 20th is pretty close, so a lot of times you can put the best car and put it 20th, and it’s gonna run 20th. It’s just really hard to move through the field when everyone is running the same speed, so you’ve just got to be really good."

Joey Logano has gathered 37 wins, 172 top-fives, 286 top-tens, and 32 pole positions in 608 starts. Additionally, he has led 166,852 laps with an average start of 11.8 in his 18-year stint in the series.

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"We are going to go out there and perform": Joey Logano delivered a strong message to rivals ahead of the NHMS race

Ahead of the Mobil 1 301 race this weekend, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano was featured in an interview with Mass Live. During the pre-race interview, Logano expressed his views on his aim to secure his third win at his home track.

The #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver spent his childhood in Connecticut and had a special memory at NHMS. He watched his first-ever NASCAR race as a kid at the 1.058-mile oval track. Additionally, Logano secured his very first Cup Series win on the track in 2009. Reflecting on the instances, he believes the NHMS is his home track and stated:

"I am from Connecticut, and I consider it my home track."

Joey Logano landed his second win at the track in 2014 and aims to secure his third win this season. Reflecting on the same, the Team Penske driver told the media:

“We have to go out there and do our thing. We are going to go out there and perform, and Loudon is a fun track. It has been a very good track for us, and I feel we should be strong there. If we win, we move on to the round of eight, and if not, we need stage points, and an honest finish would help.”

The Middletown, Connecticut, native ranks tenth in the Cup Series points table, sitting two points below the cutoff line. To lock his spot in the next round, the Round of 8, Logano either needs to win the New Hampshire Motor Speedway race or secure a solid finish like a stage win or a top-five finish.