AWARDS SEASON
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that deuces were wild last week at the Music City Center in Nashville, where NASCAR honored the champions of its top three national series at the annual NASCAR Awards.
Headlining the event was NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who drives the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske. The title was Logano’s second, following the championship he won for team owner Roger Penske in 2018.
Logano also made a two-time winner of crew chief Paul Wolfe, who earned his first title a decade earlier while on the pit box for Brad Keselowski.
Logano won two of the 10 Playoff races—the first Round of 8 race at Las Vegas to guarantee a spot in the Championship 4 as well as the race that decided the title, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix.
The 2022 champion ended the season with four wins—in addition, his victory on the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum, the competitive debut of NASCAR’s new Next Gen Cup race car.
“22 in ’22,” Logano said, repeating the motto that had driven his race team throughout the season.
The NASCAR Awards also honored NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Zane Smith.
Gibbs won the Xfinity Series title at Phoenix, picking up his seventh victory of the season in the process. But hours later, Gibbs’ father, Coy Gibbs died in his sleep at age 49.
Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, introduced Zane Smith with high praise.
“At such a young age (23), one can’t help but feel like we’re watching a future NASCAR superstar writing the beginning of his story,” Kennedy said.