CHARLOTTE, NC – The victory celebration ended with a rousing moment from Joey Logan, NASCAR’s newest three-time Cup champion, before he entertained to music provided by Shaquille O’Neal Friday night at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Logano, Xfinity champion Justin Allagier and Truck champion Ty Majeski were honored Friday night at the NASCAR Awards program.
Car owner Roger Penske, whose teams have won the last three Cup championships, benefited when Joe Gibbs Racing decided to release Logano after the 2012 season. Since then, Logano has won 34 races and three championships with Team Penske.
Photos: Red carpet scene at the 2024 NASCAR Awards in Charlotte
The 2024 season concluded with the NASCAR Awards at the Charlotte Convention Center.
“All I can say is that Logano is a winner,” Penske said on stage. “He was a winner when he started.
Logano admitted earlier in the day that he didn’t feel that way when he joined Team Penske at the behest of Brad Keselowski.
Two years later in 2014, Logano made the first of his six Championship 4 appearances, but even then he had questions.
“I was scared going into this race,” Logano told the media Friday morning. “It was the first time I had done it. I didn’t think I could win the championship. It was a few years after I got to Penske. That said, it was a few years after I’d just been fired, so you don’t have a ton of confidence built up yet.’
Logano grew, learned and succeeded, winning Cup titles in 2018, 22 and 24. He is one of only five drivers to win three championships before the age of 35. The others are Jimmie Johnson, Richard Petty, David Pearson and Jeff Gordon.
Chase Elliott wins the NMPA Most Popular Award for the seventh consecutive season
No driver other than Elliott or Earnhardt has won the award since 1991.
During his speech Friday, Logano thanked his team, his family, the families of his teammates and talked about the legends that built the sport.
Then Logano, 34, pivoted.
“Sometimes when I think about what we’re doing at the racetrack, it’s kind of pointless, isn’t it? We drive in circles to end up in the same place at the end of the day. You think about it a bit, it’s a bit silly.
“But if you take the opportunity that God has given us to talk to people and inspire others to live a life of generosity, then these scenarios and driving in circles are no longer just driving in circles. … When you think about the (flooding) in Western North Carolina, I’d say probably at least one person at every table here had a huge impact at some point on the victims of Hurricane Helena. I’ve also seen a lot of people helping out there, and that’s probably the thing I’m most proud of in the industry, being a part of it.”
Denny Hamlin will have a new crew chief for the 2025 NASCAR Cup season
Chris Gayle takes over from Chris Gabehart who becomes director of competition at Joe Gibbs Racing.
After the NASCAR Awards, Logano noted that the section was important when talking about the sport.
“View is important,” Logano said. “I already told you that the cup is empty when it is given to you. Our job is to fulfill it like a champion.
“Even the teams that didn’t win this year, we all came together and we’re an amazing community. That was kind of the point behind it. Yes, we compete against each other. Yes, sometimes… we don’t like each other, but when people need help, we are an incredible community.
” … Maybe I’m older and more sensitive to things. I’m getting more emotional about things than before, but I’m proud to be a part of it.”
JTG Daugherty Racing will be renamed Hyak Motorsports
The team will continue with car number 47 and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Also Friday:
The Bill France Award for Excellence – which is not given annually, but only when it’s appropriate – was presented by NASCAR Chairman Jim France to outgoing Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson.
Presented annually by the National Motor Sports Association since 1958, the Myers Brothers Award recognizes individuals in the sport for outstanding contributions. Greg Biffle was honored for his relief efforts in western North Carolina for making several helicopter flights to supply flood-ravaged areas.
Chase Elliott has been selected as the winner of the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award for the seventh year in a row. Justin Allgaier won the award in the Xfinity Series and Rajah Caruth won the award in the Craftsman Truck Series.