The day of Aug. 18, 2013 has turned out to be a big one for Team Penske.
That was the day of the Sprint Cup Series’ Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was also the first time Joey Logano proved Team Penske’s gamble on the him might pay off.
In his 23rd start for the team, Logano took his Pennzoil Ford to victory lane for his first win with Penske.
Logano and the rest of the Sprint Cup Series return to Michigan this weekend for its seventh race at the 2-mile speedway since the win in 2013.
Logano’s top-10 finishes in each of those seven races represent his best streak at any track, the latest entry being his June win.
In Logano’s first eight starts at Michigan, he never finished better than seventh or led a lap.
In the last nine Michigan races, since the track was repaved, Logano is tops among drivers in laps led with 332, which is 152 more than any other driver. Of those, 138 came in his June win, which is his only win through 23 races in 2016.
But the Michigan success isn’t just with the No. 22 at Team Penske. Logano’s teammate and Michigan native, Brad Keselowski, has also done well in recent years.
In the five Michigan races since 2014, Keselowski and his No. 2 Ford have also not finished outside the top 10. Despite zero wins at his home track, that five-race stretch is tied for his best ever at any track.
The Team Penske duo will be in a good position to continue their impressive streak, especially with Sprint Cup teams using the 2017 lower downforce package that was used at Michigan in June (Logano won, Keselowski finished fourth). That package was also used at Kentucky in July where Keselowski won and portions of it were utilized in the All-Star Race, which Logano won.