Joey Logano, a prominent Team Penske driver, has unveiled a startling age fraud scandal from his early racing days, involving the use of forged birth certificates to bypass age restrictions. This revelation highlights how Logano and his father, Tom Logano, twice manipulated regulations to allow him to compete before reaching the official minimum age requirements.
How Joey Logano Used a Fake Birth Certificate to Enter Racing Early
At just 10 years old, Joey Logano was determined to race in a series with a minimum age cutoff of 12. To overcome this barrier, he and his father collaborated with a series insider who replaced Logano’s authentic birth certificate with a fabricated one, listing an age that met the competition’s rules. While this initially succeeded, the insider neglected to remove the original certificate, leading to Logano’s discovery when officials found two conflicting documents in his file.
After being exposed, speculation spread among fellow competitors regarding his true age. Logano initially lied and claimed to be 12 years old until the officials confirmed the double birth certificates, ending his deception. The driver recounted on Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“So, the rumors started flying around. Like, ‘Hey, he’s not really 12. He’s only 10.’ I would just lie about it every time someone asked me. One day, someone looked in my file. Two birth certificates. No more fun.” —Joey Logano
Repeated Attempts to Circumvent Age Limits in Different Racing Series
Despite being caught once, Joey Logano and his father did not abandon their strategy. When Logano was 13, he again employed the birth certificate fabrication to compete in a category requiring participants to be at least 15 years old. During this attempt, Logano was involved in a serious crash and was asked his age by medical responders while being transported by ambulance. He gave his fake age, reassuring his father, who was on site.
“They go, ‘How old are you?’ I go, ’15.’ My dad goes, ‘He’s fine.’ I was only 13. That was the moment he knew I was fine.” —Joey Logano
Though this story may seem humorous now, it underscores the dangers of such age misrepresentation, especially in a high-risk sport like racing. Rules mandating minimum ages exist to protect younger drivers from hazards they may not be physically or mentally prepared for, and violating these rules puts competitors’ safety at risk.
Potential Consequences of Age Fraud in Motorsport
Joey Logano has become a significant figure in NASCAR, yet his early age fraud episodes bring to light troubling ethical and safety concerns. Young athletes witnessing the actions of a star might be tempted to flout similar guidelines to advance their careers prematurely. This could increase the likelihood of accidents due to inexperience or insufficient physical development.
Thankfully, Logano avoided any major injuries despite racing underage, but his story serves as a cautionary example of why regulatory bodies enforce age requirements. It also reflects Logano’s later acknowledgment of the risks involved in such deceitful actions.
Going forward, this revelation may encourage racing organizations to enhance verification measures and reinforce the importance of following age limits strictly, ensuring that aspiring racers compete safely and fairly.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Does Joey Logano have cerebral palsy?
A. Due to complications during his birth, Joey experienced a brain bleed and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. As a result, he requires extensive physical therapy.
Q. What medical condition does Joey Logano have?
A. When Joey Logano’s hair did not regrow, he visited a doctor and received his diagnosis. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that usually impacts individuals who are under 30 years old.
Q. What illness does Joey Logano have?
A. The problem was a stomach virus. Logano kept going until the race was over.
He said, “I had the Norovirus. I thought I was fine, but right before the race, I realized I wasn’t,” according to Steven Taranto from CBS Sports.