Confident Logano hopes to keep rolling right into post-season - MotorSportsTalk

One more good result. That’s all that separates Joey Logano from his first-ever berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup after what has been a superb run in the last six races.

Logano’s post-season hopes seemed pretty much done for after back-to-back 40th place finishes at Daytona and New Hampshire in July. But since then, it’s as if “Sliced Bread” and his No. 22 Penske Racing team have flipped a switch.

Now, a stretch of three straight Top-5 finishes (including a win at Michigan) and six straight Top-10s in the last six events have him on the verge of completing an impressive rally. Logano can lock up a Top-10 spot in the Chase with a finish of 11th or better tonight.

“I will say I kind of thought we were close to being out of it after [New Hampshire],” Logano said Thursday at Richmond International Raceway, site of tonight’s Federated Auto Parts 400 – the last race that will determine the 12-driver Chase field this fall.

“We were 10th [in the standings] going into Daytona. Then after two races you’re 18th, way out of it, 50-something points back. Think we’re in really big trouble here.

“Then we started racking up Top-10, Top-10, then you get a win – ‘we’re back in it, we got a shot.’ You knock off two more Top-5 finishes, you’re sitting eighth all of a sudden. Good thing we didn’t give up and quit on this thing.”

Considering what Logano and his team have done to get to this point, it’s easy to see why he’s brimming with confidence going into tonight’s Chase decider.

“The momentum that this team has got right now, it’s hard not to have confidence right now,” said Logano. “I feel like if we just do our deal, be smart – obviously, we’ll be aware of what’s going on out there, what the bubble cars are doing. At the same time, we’ve got to run our race and get the best finish out of it we can.”

He’s also hopeful that his Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski can somehow overcome the odds and make his way into the Chase with a win tonight and some help.

Keselowski is 15th in the standings (28 points out of the Top 10) after suffering an engine failure last weekend at Atlanta, and his own hopes of defending his 2012 Sprint Cup title are fading fast. But Logano expects his Penske partner to come out firing.

“I’d be willing to put money on him that after last week, he’s twice as motivated to come into Richmond right now and win this thing and get in the Chase and prove everybody wrong – probably more than most people out there,” said Logano. “That’s how tough he is.”

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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”