NASCAR Cup Series

Crown jewel: Impact of Logano's Daytona 500 win will last lifetime

Published Feb. 23, 2015 10:56 a.m. ET

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Larry McReynolds

I truly believe and have been pretty vocal about it these last couple years that after moving to Team Penske, Joey Logano's career took a definite upward trajectory in a major way.

So now he adds winning Sunday's Daytona 500 to the top of his already impressive career. In our sport, we all know that once you win the Daytona 500, it doesn't stay with you for the season. It doesn't stay with you for your NASCAR career. It stays with you for life.

Joey joins some really rare air as he will be introduced for the rest of his life as a Daytona 500 champion.

I use Trevor Bayne as a great example of this. Trevor only has one top-five finish in his 50-plus NASCAR Sprint Cup career but obvious that one top five was a big one as he won the 2011 Daytona 500.

I honestly don't know where Trevor Bayne's career would be right now if he had not won the Daytona 500. I mean who knows, he might not even have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride today if it weren't for that huge win.

I love what Joey said Sunday evening on our FOX Sports 1 Victory Lane show. He talked about his first Daytona 500 start back in 2009 and how he just felt so honored to be in the race. Now here he was some seven years later not only in the race, but winning it.

He said obviously pulling into Victory Lane Sunday at Daytona International Speedway will be something he'll never ever forget. I would wager if you talk to any of the other winners of the Daytona 500, they would tell you the very same thing because this is the crown jewel of our entire sport.  

VIDEO: Joey Logano wins the 57th running of the Daytona 500

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