By Bob Pockrass

updated 9:51 p.m. ET June 25, 2008

Chances are you've heard Joey Logano's name by now. He all but took care of that two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway. In just his third Nationwide Series start, Logano became the youngest driver (18 years, 21 days) to win a NASCAR national touring series event.

Or maybe you first heard about him after he became the first rookie to win the Busch East Series title in 2007.

Or in February 2005, when Mark Martin said Logano, then 15, was ready to take over Martin's Cup ride.

At least Logano is living up to the hype from his well-oiled P.R. machine. But here are some myths about Logano you should forget right now.

Myth No. 1: He is ready to win in Sprint Cup
Uh, no, he's not. A driver isn't ready for a fulltime Cup ride until he (or she) has raced on a majority of tracks where the Cup Series competes. He's not ready until he gets to a track and stinks and figures out how to make a car better.

Stepping into the best Nationwide Series car and winning does not make one ready for the big leagues. Joe Gibbs Racing would be smart to have Logano run at least a few races for a Toyota team that does not have the best equipment or the best crew. Let him learn how to handle traffic. Let him learn how to rebound from losing position on the track thanks to an inexperienced crew. Let him learn how to finish fifth with a 15th-place car.

Don't even imagine that Logano could win right away at the Cup level. Just remember, Kyle Busch won only four races in his first three years of Cup competition. Martin Truex won a pair of Busch Series titles but has one Cup win in 97 starts.

Myth No. 2: He is thriving under pressure
Logano is handling the attention and lofty expectations well. But let's not kid ourselves — the pressure on him is nothing compared with the pressure Denny Hamlin faced in his first start with JGR. Hamlin was told if he went to Darlington and finished in the top 10 in his first Busch Series race (in 2004), he would get a full-time ride. He finished eighth.

The pressure on Logano is nothing compared to that faced by a driver like Willie Allen, who was rookie of the year in the truck series last year but knew he could be pulled from his ride at any time if another driver came along and brought money or a sponsor with him. That's exactly what happened after last season.

The same is true for Ryan Mathews, who was running well in trucks for Bill Davis Racing until he found himself on the street because he had been replaced by a driver with a sponsor.

The fact is that like a No. 1 draft pick in baseball, Logano will be given plenty of opportunities to fail. If he wrecks four cars, there will be a fifth car waiting for him when other drivers would be looking for work in ARCA. He has a good signing bonus, and he's not racing for his dinner.

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Myth No. 3: He can't be as good as the hype
Actually, he is. Logano knows how to save his tires. He has an innate ability to find the quickest line around a track in just a handful of laps. He is comfortable in a car that is borderline out of control.

He has Hamlin's swagger. He has Busch's driving talent. He's calculating like Jeff Gordon.

If success doesn't go to his head and the desire to win remains, Logano will win a Sprint Cup title. Or whatever the name of the series is by the time he wins one.

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