Logano led 199 of the 200 laps finally month’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and his victory was helped not less than partially by being one in all three drivers that participated in a Goodyear tire take a look at at monitor in March.
Paul Wolfe, Logano’s crew chief, stated the two-time collection champion ran round 900 laps on the monitor that day, together with on the tire that Goodyear finally utilized within the all-star occasion.
How does that assist Logano on this week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
Goodyear has modified the tire set-up on the Loudon, N.H., monitor this 12 months, however the tire decisions are nonetheless acquainted ones – they have been used this 12 months at North Wilkesboro and final weekend at Iowa Speedway (the place Logano completed sixth).
Mixed with the actual fact Logano usually runs properly on the 1.058-mile flat oval and his Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney have earned their first wins of the season within the final three weeks, Wolfe believes the No. 22 group’s expertise on this weekend’s tire may show essential.
“Anytime there’s a tire change in our sport, whether or not it’s a development, compound, large stagger adjustments, these issues can actually have an effect on your set-up, clearly, fairly a bit,” Wolfe stated this week in a Zoom name with reporters.
“So, with that being such an enormous issue, I feel as we’ve seen the consistency now on this tire for us and what we’ve been in a position to do prior to now at New Hampshire, I’m excited to get to the monitor. I feel now we have pretty much as good a shot as anyone to get to Victory Lane this weekend.”
Playoff hopes in jeopardy
That may be notably vital for Logano and his group as he at the moment sits beneath the cutoff to make the 16-driver playoff area with 9 races remaining within the common season.
In his Cup profession, Logano – a Connecticut native – has a pair of victories at New Hampshire and 9 top-five finishes in 25 begins, together with a runner-up end final 12 months.
Wolfe pointed on the market are some vital variations within the load on the tires between Iowa – which is shorter and sooner – and New Hampshire. North Wilkesboro may very well be extra related.
“As we speak about our brief monitor package deal and the issues which have labored for the No. 22 group and Group Penske on the brief tracks, you’re making small adjustments as a result of Iowa to New Hampshire the loading, the scale of the monitor is slightly completely different,” Wolfe defined.
“I assume what makes you give attention to a sure a part of the nook, what makes success at Loudon versus Iowa is slightly completely different, so that you’re fine-tuning off from a base set-up and settings in a race automotive.
“Once you do discover one thing that works till there’s a large change within the tire or aero package deal, I’ve discovered over time you’ll be able to actually simply take it from one monitor to the subsequent and do your offsets or your adjustments for the completely different masses or speeds and you’ll proceed to have success with it.”
Joey Logano, Group Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Logano isn’t alone in taking a look at New Hampshire as a chance for an vital victory.
Of the six former Cup winners on the monitor entered this weekend, three are nonetheless trying to lock themselves into the playoffs this season with a win – Logano (six factors behind the cutline), Martin Truex Jr. (122 factors above the cutline) and Kyle Busch (31 factors behind the cutline).
The latest success of Logano’s teammates, nevertheless, could assist give him the sting.
“If we will’t be in Victory Lane, there’s nothing higher than seeing one in all our group automobiles (there) as a result of it offers you one other knowledge level of, ‘OK, we’re on the correct path right here’ and the issues we’ve been engaged on are appropriate,” Wolfe stated.
“We’ll hold massaging on it as we transfer ahead to Loudon this weekend.”
