Joey Logano goes into this year’s All-Star Race with some quiet momentum and a familiar setting. North Wilkesboro was his playground in 2024 and he barely let anyone else touch the lead. Now with a win already under his belt in the 2025 Cup Series and one of the best short-track crews in the garage, he might end on top again this year. Here are five reasons why Logano could defend his All-Star title:
5. Unmatched Dominance in 2024
Joey Logano put on one of the most dominating performances in All-Star Race history in 2024, leading 199 of 200 laps at North Wilkesboro. Nobody else was in the same zip code. That kind of track dominance, especially at a short track where precision matters, is a huge boost going into this year.
4. Elite Short-Track Skillset
North Wilkesboro’s repaved surface is old-school line discipline with new grip challenges and Joey Logano thrives in those conditions. His short-track resume — wins at Martinsville, Bristol and Wilkesboro—shows he’s one of the most technical drivers in the field when it comes to throttle control, tire management and staying clean in traffic.
3. Team Penske’s Prep Advantage and Engineering Execution
Team Penske went all-in for the 2024 All-Star Race. Logano turned 800+ laps at the Goodyear tire test before the race. The 3-time Cup Champion had all the data nobody else had. The result? A perfect setup. And even with a few changes to the format or track in 2025, that engineering edge should definitely carry over. Paul Wolfe is one of the best at reading tire falloff off and adjusting mid-race.
2. Pit Crew Excellence in All-Star Format
The All-Star format puts a premium on pit performance, and Joey Logano’s crew delivered in 2024. While Christopher Bell’s team won the standalone Pit Crew Challenge, Logano and his crew’s combined qualifying efforts secured him the pole. The Team Penske driver converted that to winning the whole thing. With the 2025 format again emphasizing late-race adjustments and a possible “Promoter’s Caution,” a dialed-in crew could be the difference maker again.
1. Momentum, Confidence, and a Shot at History
Joey Logano comes to North Wilkesboro in 2025 off a win at Texas and a solid run at Martinsville. He hasn’t had many top fives in 2025 yet but he knows how to perform when the spotlight is on. A win would make him one of only a few to go back-to-back in All-Star Race history and the first to do it at North Wilkesboro since it was added back to the schedule.
