“He must not have had a good practice.”
Tony Stewart is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. In the early 2000’s he dominated at the race track and simultaneously various NASCAR penalty charts.
One young fan visited Atlanta Motor Speedway decked out in #20 memorabilia and waited for his chance to meet his favorite driver. However, he was ignored.
10 years later, that kid became known to the NASCAR world as Joey Logano. Ironically, Logano made his debut in the #20 car after Stewart left JGR.
The two had their funds on the track in the years that followed. And recently, Logano recalled first impressions…
Joey Logano recalls being ignored by a NASCAR driver as a kid
“I can think of a few times that I got to meet my childhood heros, as a kid,” Joey Logano opened via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
“I met Jeff Gordon, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. There was another driver, who I was a big fan of that did not say hello to me. Walked right passed me.”
“I was a kid. I was so upset that I threw all my stuff in the garbage. That is burnt into my mind, from an 8-year-old kid, forever.”
“Now, every time I see a kid I’m like, ‘I got to stop.’ Even if I’m late. If you’re an adult and I’m late, ‘Sorry bud, I gotta go.’ “
“At that moment, I was so upset. And I don’t want another kid to feel that way.”
It was Tony Stewart who snubbed Logano
At first, Logano was reluctant to say the driver’s name.
“Ok, I was a Tony Stewart fan. It was Tony. I’m not saying Tony’s not nice to his fans. It was after practice, he was walking from the garage to his bus in Atlanta. It has that little area where fans can stand there.”
“He must not have had a good practice. He looked mad. But, I was there with my Tony Stewart gear and I was excited.”
“I ran up with my stuff, ‘Will you sign my stuff?’ And he just kept walking.”
10 years later, Joey Logano took over the No. 20 car at Joe Gibbs Racing after Tony Stewart left the ride.
“That’s the funniest part about the whole story. So there buddy.”
“I know Tony now. We may have had our run-ins together but I think he’s a good person. I get it, there’s a lot of times you get out of the race car and you’re just mad.”
“But, that moment changed me, as an adult, forever.”
Joey Logano recalls the incident with Tony Stewart
Links
Joey Logano | Tony Stewart | NASCAR
