NASCAR driver Joey Logano has admiration and respect for 'most iconic race,' Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — As NASCAR driver Joey Logano walked through the Penske Gallery at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum on Wednesday, he had to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
'There's the history of the sport and then there's the history of Penske. They coexist a little bit, but whether it's IndyCar champions, NASCAR champions … you want to be on that list,' Logano, who races for Penske, said. 'When you go down the list of drivers, there's the who's who. When you see your name on that, it's a pinch yourself kind of moment like, 'This is pretty neat, I had a part of this.''
Team Penske has a record 20 Indianapolis 500 victories. Penske driver Josef Newgarden hopes to extend that number as he goes for his third straight victory at the largest single-day sporting event.
Although Logano called the Indy 500 the 'most iconic race in the world,' he doesn't plan to leave the stock car and join Newgarden anytime soon.
'I don't want to take anything away from what the IndyCar guys are trying to deliver and I don't want to be a distraction,' Logano said. 'I stay in my lane. I'm the person if I'm going to do it, I gotta do it 100%. I don't want to come here to say I'm in the race. If I can't win, I'm not going to try.'
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McLaren driver Kyle Larson will attempt the double for the second year in a row, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Cup's Coca-Cola on May 25. Logano praised Larson for his ambition.
'(Larson's) a special breed who can just jump in and go. He's a freak,' Logano said.
'I hope we're in that predicament': Why Kyle Larson won't make a run at Indy 500 pole
Logano said he enjoys talking to IndyCar drivers and team members about car setup and race craft. He acknowledged the difference between a stock and an Indy car, highlighting the latter's limited space.
'First time I was like, 'These guys are crazy,' because it's so small and tiny, everything is so compact,' Logano said.
When asked if he had any advice for Logano about racing in an Indy car, Larson said to 'hold it flat.'
'It's nothing too crazy,' Larson said. 'When I came back here for the Brickyard, I was surprised that the sensation felt as fast or faster than the Indy car because you're sliding around more. I think (with) the Indy car — when you look at the wall, you feel like you're hauling a-- but before that, you're pretty stuck. Traffic is similar, but it's just magnified more. I wish more guys would try it because they'd be surprised at how similar it is.'
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