Practice Makes Perfect for Joey Logano in
Pocono ARCA 200
By Dino Oberto
Race Results
(LONG POND, PA. 6-6-09) As a rookie with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Joey Logano had come to Pocono Raceway for the first time and entered the Pocono ARCA 200 with the simple intent of gaining track experience at the tricky tri-oval in preparation for Sunday’s Pocono 500.
Logano not only got the needed track time but a victory as well.
In a dominating performance, Logano scored a solid win over ARCA point leader Justin Lofton in Saturday’s 80-lap/200-mile trek.
“It was a good experience for the Sprint Cup race tomorrow. I felt like I learned a little bit and we’ll try tomorrow and hopefully this makes us run a little quicker over there. I got to find out things today like were the bumps are, were you can find more grip and stuff like that,” said 19-year Logano who will be racing in the Joe Gibbs-owned Toyota on Sunday.
His ARCA win was with Venturini Motorsports with help from Gibbs.
Logano never took a lap on the track until earlier that same morning as Friday action was washed out. A special practice session was arranged for the ARCA cars first thing Saturday and Logano went out and quickly got comfortable by setting fast time. He then ran two practice sessions with his Cup car for added laps. It all paid off during the race.
At the start Logano settled in behind pole sitter Lofton, made his pass for the lead after a dozen laps and then began to flex his muscle by gradually pulling away from the pack. By the time a caution waved on lap 32, Logano had built a commanding 8-second lead.
When the race went back to green he was then challenged by Parker Kligerman who ran several side-by-side laps and eventually eased into the top spot on lap 40. Kligerman was then holding his own until lap 49 when his left rear tire went flat and was forced to pit.
Race Results
The lead then went back to Logano and from there on it was his race to lose.
“It was a really good car and we were good on the long runs. We led most of the laps and had a little bit of a challenge there with Parker (Kligerman) but I think we were able to adjust the car and make it a little better,” said Logano.
“I didn’t want to use up my car at that point of the race but I wasn’t backing down either. I waited for it to come to me.”
Lofton settled for second with Patrick Sheltra, Joey Coulter and Matt Merrell completing the top five.
Kligerman battled from a lap back to take sixth with Robb Brent, Mikey Kile, Craig Goes and Alli Owens rounding out the top ten.
Although Logan is focused on Cup, he hasn’t been bad at all when it comes to ARCA. In just four career starts he has two wins, his career first start last year at Rockingham and second placed finishes this season at Daytona and Talladega.
Chase Mattioli had day he would much rather forget. The grandson of track owners Joe and Rose Mattioli was hyped about making his return to the ‘home track, but his race ended on lap one when he was involved in a turn one crash with Tom Berte.
The ARCA cars return to Pocono on August 1 for the Pennsylvania 200.
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