Joey Logano still chasing trophies ahead of his 600th NASCAR start

Logano did, in fact, live another day — 5,770 of them, to be exact.

Nearly 16 years after he tumbled down the high banks of the 'Monster Mile,' Dover will be the site of Logano's 600th Cup Series start on July 20. He's only the 34th driver in history to reach that milestone.

Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie gave Logano the moniker 'Sliced Bread' during Logano's rise up the ranks — making it clear to the NASCAR industry that Logano was the best thing since. 

But it took a while for Logano to live up to that nickname. Only two wins surfaced in a four-year stint at Joe Gibbs Racing, and Logano was still somewhat of an unknown quantity when he took over the No. 22 for Roger Penske in 2013. 

Over the last 12-and-a-half years, Logano has become a Hall of Fame driver in front of everyone's eyes. Three championships, a Daytona 500 triumph and 35 wins since 2013 have turned him into one of the brightest stars in NASCAR. 

"Everyone went for the ride with me in certain ways," Logano said of his journey. "It's kind of neat that race fans have been around that long that they see the evolution of myself. It's part of what sports are and being in the limelight. It's been a heck of a ride, for sure."

Logano's laundry list of accolades and accomplishments have turned him into a household name, but his present wasn't ever a future he doubted he could make happen. 

"I've always had high expectations for myself," Logano said. "I've always expected to win championships and win races." 

Even with those high expectations coming from himself, you would think Logano would be satisfied with a career most drivers would kill for. But, the 35-year-old says, those high expectations are part of what makes him tick as a competitor.

"To be honest with you, I've not met my expectations," Logano explained. "I've always felt like I haven't done enough. At the same time, it's probably what makes me great. I always have a feeling that I'm not enough — I haven't done enough yet, I haven't prepared enough, I haven't won enough, I haven't done anything enough yet. I think that's probably a good thing. It's not the most enjoyable experience when you think that way. It's that lack of complacency that has led to some success.

"Am I proud of what we've accomplished? Absolutely. I just really felt like it could've been more, because that's what I expect out of myself."

The good news? There's still plenty of time for Logano to chase more trophies, and he's not going anywhere until he knows he's done winning. The bad news? For the rest of the Cup Series field, that doesn't look like it'll happen anytime soon. 

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.