This NASCAR champion knows exactly how far cars have come in 102 years
This NASCAR champion knows exactly how far cars have come in 102 years

Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-JournalFri, November 13, 2026 at 3:20 PM UTC
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DAYTONA BEACH — After the unveiling of the new Mustang body for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season, one driver reflected on the old Ford.
The really old Ford.
Joey Logano owns a 1924 Model T. He brought it more than a decade ago in his mid-20s and around the beginning of his illustrious tenure with Team Penske.
As a guy with three Cup Series titles and a Daytona 500 victory, Logano knows how far automotive technology has come. He still enjoys the classics, though.
“I bought that (Model T) because I just thought they were awesome,” Logano said Wednesday at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. “I still think they’re awesome. And it’s also, like, the birth of the Ford Motor Company ... The Model T is what really put them on the map.”
Logano said he often takes the car for drives near his North Carolina home. His kids love it.
“I don’t go too far in a Model T because you’re not going anywhere in a hurry,” he said. “But I drive it around. I probably drive it 15-20 miles away and come back. Kids want to go to dinner, get ice cream. We’ll take it out for little rides like that. You’re not going to Bristol in that thing.”
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But even 102 years later, the machine holds up.
“I’ve done nothing but change the oil,” Logano said, “and I drive it all the time. It’s cool as can be.”
Logano admits his car collection includes more Fords than he knows what to do with at the moment. Among the highlights: a 1971 Mustang Mach 1, 2017 GT, 1961 Econoline and a “badass” Mustang GTD.
Soon, he’ll get to break in his newest ride.

Logano and the rest of the Ford Cup Series drivers will debut the Mustang Dark Horse SC model when the 2027 campaign kicks off in February at Daytona International Speedway. He expects a learning curve. Chevrolet experienced one after introducing a revamped body in 2026.
But by the end of the year, the Chevy teams had figured it out. Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson won the championship.
“I feel good about it because you don’t make your car to be worse,” Logano said. “When you think about the evolution of the automobile and look at Ford Racing, they kept building new ones and they kept getting better.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: This NASCAR champion knows exactly how far cars have come in 102 years
Source: “AOL Sports”