Newton: 'Sliced Bread' getting a little stale?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Joey Logano was on a bar stool in the Daytona 500 Club before a January test session, but he might as well have been on a witness stand in a courtroom the way he was being pounded with questions about how this is a make-or-break season, how if he doesn't make the Chase, his future with Joe Gibbs Racing is in jeopardy.

"Obviously, this is a contract year," Logano responded calmly. "Obviously, I see where you're coming from. [I] better pick it up. I understand that. I see that."

Judging by the weekly questions on ESPN.com chats, the daily emails and comments on Twitter, many don't believe Logano has done that. Many believe he's got a foot out the door even though team owner Joe Gibbs has shown nothing but confidence in his 22-year-old driver in only his fourth year in the Sprint Cup Series.

John David Mercer/US PresswireJoey Logano sits 16th in the Cup standings, but he's got four wins this season in the Nationwide Series.

Some have speculated that Kurt Busch already has been penciled in as the next driver for the No. 20 Home Depot car.

Well, they did before Busch's meltdown with yet another reporter following Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Dover, which landed the 2004 Cup champion a one-race suspension by NASCAR.

That probably swayed the opinion polls of some.

But Logano wasn't worried about Busch in January and he's not worried about him now. He has everything in its proper perspective, understanding his future is tied to him, not the availability of another driver.

"It's pressure all the time, so whether it's a contract year or not, you're always out there to do the same thing," Logano said Tuesday as he prepared for Sunday's race at Pocono. "So for me, I'm out there to win every race, and that doesn't change from what it was this year or three years ago.

"So there's no added pressure to that. Is there something extra in your mind? Yeah, there's something extra on your mind that you have to figure out before the season is over. But at the same time, you go out there and focus on your job."

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Newton: 'Sliced Bread' getting a little stale?