SUMTER, S.C. — A celebrity from the sports world visited Shaw Air Force Base on Tuesday to see a day in the life of an airman. Joey Logano traveled to Sumter where he got to ride in an F-16D Fighting Falcon.
“Every weekend when we have a flyover at our race, I think wow,” Logano explained. “As soon as I think I'm cool, I look up and see those guys flying over and I’m like, ‘That is the coolest job you can ever have.”
Now, 2x NASCAR Cup Series Champion Logano is getting the chance to see what life is like as an airman.
“When you get the opportunity to fly in an F-16, I mean like that’s just like dream come true territory for sure, so I'm so excited,” Logan said ahead of the flight. “I'm suited up getting ready to do this for the first time. So pretty stoked. I'm a bit nervous at the same time.”
Logano arrived at Shaw early Tuesday morning, where he started going through training with the 77th Fighter Squadron “Gamblers.”
“I got my physical, made sure I was healthy,” Logano detailed. “Then they went through a lot of the techniques of breathing and handling the Gs and what muscles you should use to keep blood up in your brain so you don't pass out and then they fit me up with my G suit and harness and a lot of other things…”
Jonathan Coleman works with the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which started the Mission 600 campaign a few years ago as part of the build-up to its annual Memorial Day Coca-Cola 600 race.
“There are tons of things when you think about the military and Nascar that go hand in hand: teamwork and leadership, technology, things like that,” Coleman explained. “So these Mission 600 visits are an opportunity to to be able to humanize both sides really, to be able to let some of the servicemen and women get to see and meet drivers like Joey Logano and vice versa, for Joey to be able to kind of immerse himself in a day in the life of the brave men and women here at Shaw Air Force Base.”
Logano echoed the idea.
“There's a lot of similarities to racing from what I've seen so far. The team aspect for one is definitely there. The preparation of whatever the mission is ahead of them,” Logano agreed. “The pursuit of perfection is here, from every aspect, whether it's the pilot all the way through the whole team, what each individual job is expected to do and at the most elite level. You see that in similar sports and in Nascar racing. Where it gets different is in Nascar and other sports, we're not doing anything to change the world. We're driving in circles all day long looking for a trophy. Whereas this scenario is all about fighting for our freedom, right, for me and you. And that's where it completely changes everything. The perspective on all of it changes so much, and the importance level of what this is all about.”
For Shaw, Command Chief Master Sergeant for 20th Fighter Wing Christopher Griste says this visit is helpful for recruitment.
“The biggest benefit with Joey coming, or any celebrity, is just, you know, getting viewers to see what we do here at Team Shaw. So we know that Joey has a big fan base. So our goal is just, you know, showing and showcasing what the men and women of the 20th Fighter Wing do day in and day out to support our nation,” Griste said. “Any bit of education that we can give because a lot of people don't know what the military knows, or what exactly we do. So anytime we get a chance to, in this case, put a celebrity, you know, in the jet, it opens up a whole different world for recruitment purposes to show what we do.”
When it comes to the similarities between driving and racing, Logano says “it’s completely different.”
“For one, I’m along for the ride here. I’m not going to be driving, so there’s not much I can do. I think it's the unknown right? Like, you’re going to get in this jet and be going really, really fast, doing all these crazy maneuvers. The one thing I'm most nervous about is just getting sick,” Logano elaborated. “Typically I'm the person that doesn't let anyone drive me down the highway. I drive everyone. I’m a bit of a control freak. In this situation. I do not want control at all. I’m along for the ride for sure.”
But in Griste’s opinion, Logano was fit for the challenge.
“I actually think he's more prepared,” Griste shared. “I know a lot about NASCAR and they typically, in some depending on what track you go to, they typically pull between three and four G's, but they do it for four hours long. So I think he definitely has a leg up on your average person.”
You can see Logano this upcoming weekend at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400.