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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 1, 2007) – Joey Logano, 17-year-old development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), is touted as one of “13 Young Stars” from various sporting endeavors in the July 2 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Logano is the driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo campaigned by JGR in NASCAR’s Busch East touring series with associate sponsorship from Joe Gibbs Driven, a licensing program for the automotive aftermarket that features a line of racing lubricants. He scored three race wins in his first four outings this season, including a thrilling battle with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regular Kevin Harvick in a Busch East-West combo series event at Iowa Speedway in May. Harvick and Logano swapped the lead 15 times before the youngster pulled away for a 2.5-second victory.
In the Sports Illustrated spread – headlined “Where Are They Now? Where Will They Be?” – Logano, who hails from Middletown, Conn., is said to be reminiscent of Nextel Cup star Mark Martin, who has mentored Logano since he was 11. The story projects Logano to be competing in the Nextel Cup Series by 2010, although JGR development driver coach Mike McLaughlin is quoted as saying Logano might likely be seen on NASCAR’s top circuit by the time he reaches its minimum age of 18.
Logano’s first win this season came in his NASCAR debut in a West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway in April, where together with his 17-year-old teammate Marc Davis, the duo finished 1-2. Logano followed that up by winning the Busch East season opener at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway the next weekend. His most recent victory came June 29 at New Hampshire International Speedway where he won from the pole.
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“Joey Logano and Marc Davis have been tremendous additions to our stable of young development drivers,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “For Joey to be recognized by Sports Illustrated as a 17-year-old development driver, that’s about the best exposure any present or future star could possibly hope for. Only a select few race car drivers can ever say they made it into Sports Illustrated in their entire careers. He and Marc have already excelled on the track for us, and we all know their best years are ahead of them. They’re great representatives for Joe Gibbs Racing.”
Not only are Logano and Davis stars in the making, their sponsor, Joe Gibbs Driven, is coming into its own as well. Joe Gibbs Driven includes a successful line of JGR-owned high-performance racing oils and lubricants – products developed by JGR’s three-time Nextel Cup championship-winning engine builder Mark Cronquist and used by JGR’s Nextel Cup and NASCAR Busch Series teams. Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil is sold nationwide to racers at every motorsports level, helping race car drivers all over the country win week in and week out.
“We’re strong believers in the ability of Joey Logano, Marc Davis and in the quality of Joe Gibbs Driven products,” continued Gibbs. “Joey and Marc are young and have proven themselves in a very short period of time. But with Joe Gibbs Driven, we’ve spent many years investing our resources into making Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil the best engine lubricant on the market. After not being able to find an oil that met the standards our engines required, we went to work in creating a product that exceeded our own high standards. In the two years since Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil hit the marketplace, we’ve seen tremendous growth and have built a nationwide distribution system.”
“Joe Gibbs Racing is invested in not only their driver development program, but in the Joe Gibbs Driven brand as well,” said Steve Boguski, vice president of aftermarket operations for Joe Gibbs Driven. “The hope is to grow both programs. There’s great synergy between the two. Joey and Marc are up and coming drivers and Joe Gibbs Driven is an up and coming brand. It’s one of the fastest growing high performance products in the market. Joey and Marc are performing on the race track and for us as well.”
Joe Gibbs Driven is supported by an integrated marketing program, where taking the brand to the track highlights the unique synergy offered by JGR to its partners. It’s a natural extension that allows Joe Gibbs Driven licensed products to be cross-promoted within motorsports and the automotive aftermarket. To learn more about Joe Gibbs Driven, please visit www.JoeGibbsDriven.com.