Catchfence

Joey Logano - Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

What are you expecting in your second Sprint Cup Series season?

“Hopefully, a lot of improvements. I’m excited. I definitely have a lot more experience coming into this season, especially coming into Daytona. Last year, I was a dart without feathers out there and this year I feel like I at least know where I’m going. I feel like our second Daytona was better. I’m excited to get back on the race track and get things figured out with this Home Depot Toyota. They have been working really hard to make our cars even better. With the more experience and more time I’ve gotten with Zippy (Greg Zipadelli, crew chief) and the better race cars, I feel like we’re going to have a good season.”

Is making the Chase too high of a goal for you this year?

“No, I think you’ve got to look far enough to the Chase right off the bat just to make it. The way it came down last year at Richmond is how it comes down every year. It comes down to where one race could have made it or break it for you. I think you have to start from the beginning of the season to make it and I think we can make it as long as we’re smart and do the right moves. We went over a lot of things that it would take to make the Chase and I think we should have a shot at it. The first four races here are going to tell a lot whether you make it or not. We were looking at it last year and I think it was eight of the top-12 were in after the first four races. It’s pretty important to start off on the right foot.”

How much of an advantage is it for you to have more experience?

“More experience is a really, really big deal, especially with the Cup car. Just driving the car alone, it was a big deal to get more seat time. There’s places where we picked up in the second part of the season and there are still places now that I need a little bit more. The good part is that most of the places I feel like we have a pretty good handle on and that’s what it’s going to take to get us in the Chase.”

How different is the Daytona 500 experience for you the second time?

“It’s going to be a lot more fun this time. To be honest with you, last year was probably two of the worst weeks of my whole life. I struggled a lot here last year. Coming back here in July is what gave me the confidence for this week. I’m looking forward to getting on the track later this afternoon because we should have a good car. Last year was definitely a whirlwind to say the least. I was trying to figure things out and all that.”

Are you excited or nervous about NASCAR allowing drivers to bump draft?

“I think it will be fine. I don’t think it’s going to be a real big deal. Here (Daytona), the tire is going to wear out, handling will come into play more than anything. I think the first 10 laps you will be able to bump through the corner and maybe not get the guy too upset and drive it in there real hard. But, I think eventually after you get 15 laps on your tires, especially if you’re in the middle to the back of the pack, you’re not going to be able to stay there through the corners I don’t think. You’re car is going to be sliding around a lot, especially if you’re in the back then you’re car’s not handling good anyway. On the straightaway will be okay, on the tri-oval might be the hairiest part, but I don’t think it’s going to be that bad through the turns. I think everyone is going to be smart enough. We’re all professional race car drivers, the best in the world out there so I think you have that going for you at least. I think the cars aren’t going to be able to stay that close through the turns anyway.”

Can you compare your entrance into NASCAR with Danica Patrick’s?

“She’s got a lot more eyes on her than I did last year and I felt like I had a lot of eyes on me. She’s probably got twice that. I think she will be fine. It’s good to start in the ARCA race. She’ll be fine in that. Those cars are pretty secure around here so that will be a good feel for her to get used to it. It will be interesting to see. I’ve never driven an IndyCar so I don’t know what that’s like. I don’t know how different they’re going to be. I would imagine it’s way, way different. I thought a Nationwide car to a Cup car was night and day different. I bet the difference for her will be more than that. I also believe that a race car driver is a race car driver and if you’re a good race driver then you should be able to figure it out. I think it will take time and it’s not going to be easy, but eventually I think if you’re a race car driver then you’ll figure it out.”

How do you approach qualifying at Daytona?

“I was thinking about that on the way here. It’s not the biggest deal in the world because it’s a superspeedway — pit position is probably the biggest deal. Positions here can go back and forth 6,000 times before the end of the race so it’s not a big deal. I was looking at some things on the airplane and there are different lines you can run. You can either run the shortest distance, which scrubs speed or you can go for not scrubbing speed. It’s confusing because you don’t really know. Everyone I talk to doesn’t really know, everyone has theories about it, but no one knows. It’s something I’ll figure out when I’m out there as to which way I’m going to do it. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and no one knows, but I’ve seen both ways work. I think we have a fast race car and it will show.”

How often do you get angry?

“I get angry more than you think. Most of the time it’s with the helmet on. I feel like I’m a very fortunate person to be sitting where I am and there’s a million people that would love to be where I’m at so I might as well enjoy it. On the other side, it is a job and it’s a serious, serious deal here. You have a lot of people counting on you to do good. I’m a very competitive person and I do get mad, I do get frustrated at times. Daytona last year I was a very frustrated person. You want to be the best and you’re going to get frustrated sometimes.”

How would describe your improvement as a driver?

“My improvement I feel like is night and day. I look at two years ago, I am twice the driver now — I’m just so much better. I look back at things I did back in the day and I really wish I knew all this back then. Last week, I went to the Toyota All- Star Showdown in Irwindale (Calif.) and that’s where that experience where I’ve been racing against the best of the best out here and it showed up when I got there. All that little stuff that I’ve learned just to keep up in Cup, then you go down to a different series is just killing people. It’s cool to see that you improve that much through a couple years. I’ve learned more in the last two years than I have in my whole career.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release