Logano officially named to replace Stewart in No. 20

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- There were no surprises Monday at Joe Gibbs Racing, where the green flag was dropped on Joey Logano's Sprint Cup career (watch video).

The news had been expected since the driver's seat in the No. 20 Home Depot car that has been occupied for the last decade by Tony Stewart came open more than a month ago. It was then that Stewart announced he would be leaving the car -- and the JGR organization -- at the end of this season to become a partner in the newly formed Stewart-Hass Racing, where Stewart also will drive the No. 14 Chevrolet.

Get your Logano T

From Chase Authentics: Joey Logano / Joe Gibbs Racing Announcement T-Shirt

• To order from Store, click here

Logano, who has been the rising star in JGR's driver development program since he was 15 years old, is now 18 and will drive his first Cup race at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 6. J.D. Gibbs, team president for JGR, said Wally Brown will serve as crew chief in that race and other Cup races Logano may run for JGR between now and the end of the 2008 season -- and that Logano, for at least that race and the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Oct. 26, will run in a No. 02 Toyota sponsored by Home Depot.

Logano also could gain some valuable experience running additional Cup races in the No. 96 Toyota fielded by Hall of Fame Racing before this season's end. But beginning next season, he will be in the No. 20 Toyota for JGR full-time.

"This is a dream come true," Logano said. "I couldn't be more excited to get in a car like this."

Logano's crew chief beginning next season will be Greg Zipadelli, who will remain with the No. 20 when Stewart moves on. In 10 years paired with Stewart, Zipadelli has helped get the car to Victory Lane 32 times and win two points championships.

Team owner Joe Gibbs said that Zipadelli's blessing was important when it came time to determine if Logano was ready to make the jump to full-time racing in Sprint Cup.

"We lean heavily on Zippy," Joe Gibbs said. "Zippy has been to a bunch of tests with Joey and he had to compare him in the car with Tony and everybody else that was at the racetrack. I think he has thought from Day One that Joey had the talent to get this done."

Zipadelli added: "We have had a great 10 years with Tony. We've got some pretty good stats to set our goals at right now. We'll use that as a motivating tool in the future."

In 10 Nationwide starts this season, Logano has finished lower than 10th only three times -- with one win, two poles, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Logano's victory came at Kentucky in only his third Nationwide start, leading both Joe and J.D. Gibbs to believe that he was going to be ready to attempt full-time Cup racing sooner rather than later.

"That surprised me. I was like, 'Wow, what is he going to do next?' As it turns out, [going Cup racing] is what he is going to do next," J.D. Gibbs said.

Logano said he believes he is mature enough to handle it, physically and mentally, on and off the track. Both he and Zipadelli said they are confident they will be able to contend for race wins next season, and J.D. Gibbs said he expects to contend for championships over the long haul with Logano, who signed what all parties would describe only as "a multi-year deal longer than most."

So Logano not only welcomes high expectations, but is helping to set them.

"You can jump in with a great team, have a little bit more pressure and run up front, or you can run with a middle to back-of-the-pack type team and not have the pressure to run up front, but you're not going to win races," Logano said. "I'm all about the pressure. I'm cool with pressure.

"Moving up to this car now, it's more pressure. But I can handle it. I think it's cool."