The plan is finally in place for Joey Logano to begin his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, with a handful of races scheduled this season in Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas. A source close to the team said Saturday that Logano will run “six or seven” Sprint Cup races with sponsorship from Gatorade between now and the end of the 2008 campaign, in an effort to gain NASCAR approval for Logano to run for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors next season. Plans call for the 18-year old Connecticut native to make his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond International Raceway on September 6th, with additional races to be announced within the next 2-3 weeks. He will also run the ARCA ReMax Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for Venturini Motorsports, to satisfy NASCAR requirements for him to compete in the 2009 Daytona 500.(Motorsports Soapbox)(8-12-2008) UPDATE: Logano will drive in selected Sprint Cup Series races this season for Joe Gibbs Racing, but the team is still deciding where he will make his debut. Logano made his first Nationwide start days after turning 18 in May and now boasts a victory and two pole positions for JGR. His early success has accelerated talks about moving the rookie into NASCAR’s premier circuit. Bill Janitz, Logano’s spokesman, said a debut next month at Richmond International Raceway was probable but the number of races was undetermined. Janitz denied Gatorade would be the sponsor. Richmond “has been talked about a few times,” Logano said. Logano also is waiting on word from his team on whether he will replace Stewart next year in the #20 Toyota.(USA Today)(8-18-2008) UPDATE 2: A source close to the team told Sirius Speedway Saturday that Logano will run an orange-and-white #02 Toyota at Richmond with sponsorship from the Home Depot. In addition, that source said the home improvement giant will back the Connecticut youngster in his freshman season of Cup competition in 2009. Team President J.D. Gibbs said the team has not yet finalized plans for Logano, saying, “He’ll run some Cup races this year, whether or not he’s running the full thing next year or not.”(Motorsports Soapbox)(8-18-2008) UPDATE 3: Joe Gibbs Racing will hold a news conference Monday, Aug. 25, at the organization’s headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., to make it official that Logano will drive the #20 Toyota full-time in the Sprint Cup Series beginning next season. Logano, 18, is expected to be in a Cup car for the first time at Richmond on Sept. 6, although one source stressed that “isn’t a 1,000-percent done deal just yet.” The only possible hold-up on JGR putting Logano in a fourth car at Richmond is the fact that the other three JGR Toyotas are currently in the midst of battling to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.(NASCAR.com)(8-19-2008)
