Kevin Harvick has his attention set on Joey Logano as a driver who needs to get a win during the NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Iowa Speedway on Sunday.
Ahead of this weekend’s Father’s Day race in Iowa, Harvick circled Logano as a wheelman who must get to victory lane sooner rather than later during the latest episode of his Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, as his playoff chances could go up in smoke if he isn’t able to.
“When I look at the new asphalt, and I look at the size of the race track, I just — it screams Joey Logano, to me,” Harvick said, predicting a possible victory for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. “You know, every time something new happens, it’s Joey. He got torn up this weekend, and we never really got to see exactly — I mean, I don’t think he was a winning car, but I think he was capable of running better than I thought he was going to run. I think a lot of that had to do with figuring out the race track, having practice and everything that they did, up until they crashed.
“But you know, as well as they ran at North Wilkesboro, and the new asphalt there, and their short tracks have been better, I look for — I think Joey Logano needs to capitalize, on everything that happens at Iowa this week.”
Alas, Logano has shown to be capable on short tracks, and the No. 22 did have a dominating performance at North Wilkesboro earlier in May. Additionally, he captured the pole at Sonoma, although he wasn’t able to keep his car up front afterwards.
Without a win on the season, Logano has to be concerned with his playoff chances. Denny Hamlin certainly is, as he named Logano among the four drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series should be worried at the moment on his Actions Detrimental podcast, along with Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher.
“If you’re those guys, you haven’t won yet,” Hamlin said. “Do you just think that magically you’re going to have an Austin Cindric weekend? Maybe you have that outlook. They’re in that position 180 or 170 (points) behind because they haven’t had the speed all year that it takes to really win.
“You would argue out of the most dangerous out of all them you would say Buescher or Logano. Logano qualifies so well, he’s going to put himself in position to win races more times than not because of his qualifying. Buescher finds a way to put himself up front by the end of these races and next thing you know, holy s***, might win when rarely do I see that he’s the fastest car. I never really see that but he executes great. Scott Graves and his team just does a great job calling races and strategizing and building a solid enough car that gives him a shot to win a lot of these weeks.”
If Joey Logano, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, misses the playoff just two years after winning the title, it would be a shocking development. We’ll see if the No. 22 can return to their standard, as Kevin Harvick believes it’s possible for the Team Penske wheelman at Iowa Speedway this weekend.
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