Too much, too soon?

Over the last few months we�ve seen and heard about the great talent that Joe Gibbs Racer Joey Logano has. Last year he took the Camping World Series East Championship and in May he won the inaugural Carolina 500 in the ARCA Series, all before his 18th birthday. In his third nationwide series start he took victory at the Kentucky Speedway becoming the youngest victory winner in any of NASCAR�s three big series. Now there are plans that young Joey Logano will inherit Tony Stewart�s vacant Sprint Cup seat next year. Which leaves me to wonder, is he ready for this big ride?

We�ve seen in the past how drivers that started racing in the Cup Series with very little seat time behind the wheel of a stock car have failed miserably. A notable example would include Casey Atwood who drove started driving in Sprint Cup with Ray Evernham at the young age of 19. After a ho-hum rookie season in 2001, he was moved over to a new ride that Evernham had teamed with Jim Smith, but the partnership dissolved and left Atwood with out a ride. Atwood has never found a new full time ride he still gets the occasional ride here or there.

A more current example would include Michael McDowell. McDowell finshed 2nd in the ARCA/Remax Championship last year and was tapped by Micheal Waltrip to drive his 00 car starting at the 6th race of the year in Martinsville. How was McDowell prepared for this big opportunity? He had one Nationwide start at Daytona. McDowell is now out of the 00 while hired gun Mike Skinner now tries to get the team back in the top 35 in points.

Even the new onslaught of open wheel drivers has had trouble getting adjusted to getting adjusted. Names like Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr, Patrick Carpentier and A.J. Allmendinger have all struggled getting adjusted to the Sprint Cup series and all have few starts in the Nationwide Series or the Truck Series. More starts would have helped them get used to handling these heavy beasts of a car.

So is Logano ready for prime time? Maybe. Being with an experienced team like Joe Gibbs Racing will help. All the other drivers listed in this little rant are not on the best of times. But certainly more track time could help and lets hope JGR has the horse sense to keep him in the Nationwide Series a little longer.

The future is bright?

This is Joey Lagano. He is 18 years old and on Saturday he will make his debut in the Nationwide Series race in Dover. To some this kid is known as "Sliced Bread" because he may be the greatest thing since well sliced bread. But can this kid really be the future superstar in NASCAR? How many times have we been led to believe that we have a new young superstar full of raw talent on our hands on to flop and leave us disappointed? Casey Atwood, anyone?

But lets give Joey the benefit of the doubt. I mean he was in late models by 13, racing in the ASA by 14, raced and won in the Hooters Pro Cup seriers at the age of 15 and last year in his first year of competing in the Camping World East series took 7 wins and the championship. Earlier this year he took a win in the ARCA series in Rockingham nearly lapping the field. It was this win that convinced me that this kid might be the "real deal". Even today during practice in Dover he was taking to the Monster Mile like a fish to water.

So say what you will. Yeah, he may look good because he has a Cup team with years of experience on his side, but truly this kid will be something to watch in the next few years. Trust me.