By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
CONCORD, N.C. — For Joey Logano, joining the television booth with FOX: NASCAR and “Behind the Wheel” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” is all about giving back to the sport that has given him so much.
“I think it’s a lot of fun and it’s kind of my way to give back to the sport,” Logano said. “We talked about this as far as Hall of Famers yesterday in there. My only comments that I had was I felt like the definition of a Hall of Famer is somebody who gives more than they take and if you have the opportunity to give back to your sport and try to make your sport bigger, instead of just being a race car driver and driving in circles, taking your check and driving home and never doing anything else that, to me, doesn’t define somebody that belongs in the Hall of Fame.”
Although his comment is not directed toward whether or not he should be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it is just a matter of what Logano feels like he should do as a driver and champion in NASCAR.
One of Logano’s mission is to find ways to garner more interest into auto racing than what is already there. He believes that doing television and radio is one of the few ways to do so as it helps not only his brand but NASCAR’s as well.
“I feel like those are the things that I’m supposed to do – to try to gain more interest into our sport than what there already is and that’s one of the few ways that I’ve found to do things and it’s good for the brand of NASCAR, it’s good for Joey Logano’s brand,” he said.
“It’s a good way to get my personality out there and who I am because a lot of times everyone’s perspective or who they think I am personally when you see an interview when I first get out of the car is a lot different from when you have a moment to relax and you’re talking and you’re not wearing a race suit and you’re wearing your jeans and you’re having a good time, then all of a sudden it’s a different person. It’s like that for every driver, too, so it gives you a good opportunity to show that side of you as well.”
When Logano first started going down the broadcasting road, there was nervousness in place because he did not want to say the wrong things. After time, the 2018 champion realized that it is much easier to be himself in the broadcast booth.
“I used to get nervous about it because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and then I realized just be you,” he said. “It’s way easier and a lot of fun. I just kind of lose a little bit of a filter and just be who I am, which is great. I think that’s a fun part about it.”
One of Logano’s challenges, especially on TV, is when the producer is talking in his ear because he has to listen while putting out a thought.
“Probably the hardest piece for me is when you’re talking and you have someone in your ear and you’re trying to listen while you’re trying to put a thought out and they’re counting you down to how much time you actually have to get what you’re saying out, and you kind of start rambling because you’re trying to listen but you forgot what you’re saying and it becomes a disaster,” he said.
“That’s probably my hardest thing to get through sometimes, but I will honestly say being an analyst is maybe one of the easier parts for me because I do it so I really know what I’m looking at, so to be able to just talk about what I see is simple.
“It’s the TV stuff that makes it hard, just the way everyone is supposed to work together and some of our TV partners how they can bring it back from commercial and send it back and do that so smooth. That’s really where the true professionals can do that really good.”
The next time Logano will be in the booth is during the “Drivers Only + Chad” broadcast for the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.