NASCAR Bristol 2014 recap: Joey Logano, Team Penske deliver championship reminder

In a season where Hendrick Motorsports has seen three of its drivers win a combined nine times, and in a week where Joe Gibbs Racing strengthened its 2015 lineup with the addition of Carl Edwards, Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway Team Penske served a decided reminder that it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski finished 1-2, with Logano notching his third victory of the season and sixth overall for the organization. With the Chase for the Sprint Cup just two weeks away, it lends further credence that Penske deserves consideration alongside Hendrick as championship favorites.

“We’re entering the Chase strong in a lot of different ways, and I think we’re both legitimate threats to win the championship this year,” Keselowski said. “I think the results speak for themselves and we just need to keep rolling. We’ve got two teams that are legitimate contenders by really every stretch of the imagination. I’m very proud of that.”

That status of title favorite is not an unfamiliar one for Keselowski, who in addition to winning the 2012 championship was in contention the year prior. But this is unchartered territory for Logano.

Before this season the 24-year-old had won all of three races in a career that began in 2009, a number that is now doubled. Logano’s three wins moves him into a tie with Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson for series-best. More telling, he has led more laps this season than he had in the previous five years combined.

Despite statistics comparable to NASCAR’s best, there is some doubt whether Logano should be viewed in the same light as the much ballyhooed quartet of Keselowski, Gordon, Earnhardt and Johnson.

Any notion that Logano is concerned when he is not viewed as a genuine championship challenger should quickly be dismissed.

“I don’t care what they think of us,” Logano said. “We’re going to do what we’ve got to do. They can underestimate us. They can overestimate us. I don’t really care. We’re going to go out there and do the best we can -- do what we’ve been doing.

“They can think whatever they want to think, but I know inside this whole 22 team feels like we’re contenders to win this championship. ... It’s definitely the best shot I’ve ever had at winning the championship, I can promise you that, so I feel very confident going into (the Chase).”

A justifiable statement considering that, although Hendrick’s fleet of cars still holds a horsepower advantage, the edge isn’t as prevalent as it was just a few months ago when Keselowski commented it would take another year to catch-up.

Unlike JGR or Roush Fenway Racing, Penske has been able to keep pace on intermediate tracks with its drivers owning three victories on 1½-mile speedways. That success should pay dividends in the Chase where half of the tracks are 1½ miles in length, an element made all the more critical because of the increased importance on winning.

Less tangible, but perhaps equally as important to Penske’s success, is the strong bond shared by its drivers. When Logano lost his ride with JGR two years ago it was Keselowski who convinced Penske that Logano was more than the young kid who got rushed to Sprint Cup too soon and had underperformed as Tony Stewart’s replacement.

Keselowski and Logano are close. As are their respective teams, which operate under an open notebook philosophy -- a characteristic not always associated with Penske in years past.

“There’s no No. 1, there’s no No. 2, everybody is equal,” Penske vice president Walt Czarnecki said. “We all contribute. We all have the same access to information, the same access to resources, and I think it’s really demonstrated that in the performance of the team this year with six wins.”

Said Logano: “I’d much rather finish second to Brad than beat him and finish 14th. That’s the attitude we’ve got to keep throughout this whole thing.”

Fast cars and two harmonious drivers operating at a high level is a recipe for almost guaranteed success. The only question is will it culminate with Penske celebrating its second championship in three years.

“Yeah, I see ourselves racing for a championship and I see that becoming tough,” Logano said. “But I think we’re aware of what we need to do to go fast every week, and we’ll keep that throughout everybody.”