Contributed by: Toby Davis
One of the youngest current stars on the race track is Joey Logano, driving the GameStop Toyota car in the Nationwide Series and the Home Depot car in the Sprint Cup. As Logano, an avid gamer, drives the circuits his vehicles are often adorned with images and graphics depicting the latest Triple-A game of console hardware.
We had a moment to spend some time with the 20-yr old Logano discussing his gaming habits, his thoughts on the inclusion of NASCAR racing in Gran Turismo 5, and his personal favorite racing and gaming memories.
Toby Davis: Joey, before NASCAR racing for Gamestop what would be your favorite gaming memory and why?
Joey Logano: I’ve always been into video games, when I wasn’t racing. I’ve been racing since I was 5, so that has taken up a lot of my time. But I remember playing Nintendo, Sega, Super Nintendo and all those other old games. I never probably spent as much time playing games as other kids though, because I spent so much time racing.
TD: During the racing season do you get to play video games? If so, how much time and what do you play?
JL: I actually do play video games quite a bit. In my motor home, I’m always firing up the Xbox or Wii and playing some games with friends during downtime at the track. I mostly play racing games and hockey game, although I’m really into beating up on some of my friends with Wii Sports. I also try out each game that is on my GameStop Toyota before the race, so I know more about it and I can better talk about it in public. There have been some really cool ones this year, like Split Second and Red Dead Redemption.
TD: Do you enjoy playing any racing games? What cars do you like to use when playing them?
JL: Most of the time, I’m beating up on people playing racing game. I really like Forza 3. And I don’t have a particular car that I like. I play with pretty much all of the cars. It depends on the track that I’m racing at and who I’m playing. Sometimes we use the easier cars, sometimes the ones with more power. I always play without aids though. What’s the fun in having the game help you out? I also play a lot of iRacing at home when I’m not on the road. It’s a computer based game, but it’s a lot of fun. I actually use it as a training tool a lot. The tracks are so realistic, I can get my braking and throttle points down really well.
TD: What are your thoughts on the NASCAR racing being in games like Gran Turismo instead of its own stand alone game?
JL: Anything to help further the sport is fine with me. And Gran Turismo is a pretty popular game, so that will bring some added attention to us. I know the GameStop car is going to be a special add-on car for GT5 that you can only get by pre-ordering the game at GameStop. So that will be really cool. I’ve seen screen shots of the game and it looks sick.
TD: If you could make a game what type would it be and why?
JL: I would make a realistic NASCAR game for PlayStation or Xbox. I know a lot of people aren’t into the hardcore physics of the sport, but it would be a lot of fun that could hit the biggest audience. I think that would be cool. And I would have a lot of the support divisions in it, like they did years ago with the Trucks and Modifieds in NASCAR 09.
TD: With your main focus on winning races, do you ever get to look forward to a game? Are there any games you are looking forward to down the road?
JL: If I look forward to anything, its just seeing what game is going to the on the GameStop Toyota next. Then, I always look forward to seeing the paint scheme and then trying the game out.
TD: What has been your one of your favorite racing memories in the Sprint Cup, both individually and one with you and your pit crew?
JL: Obviously, becoming the youngest driver to win a Nationwide Series race and a Sprint Cup Series race are probably the best memories I have so far. That is an accomplishment that will be hard to beat. That is pretty special to me. My favorite memories with my crew are when we win. Anytime you get to go to victory lane with them is a cool thing. They are the guys that work really hard on these cars every week, so to see their faces in victory lane is a memory that I really like.
TD: Joey Logano, thanks for your time.
[Images courtesy Joey Logano. For more information, visit JoeyLogano.com]
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