Pennzoil Commemorates National Mobility Awareness Month with Joey Logano and Torsten Gross
In honor of National Mobility Awareness Month, Pennzoil has unveiled new original content featuring Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series and Torsten Gross, a C6 quadriplegic and founder of the Just Hands Foundation to celebrate innovation, accessibility, and the unyielding passion for driving.
[In vision] [Written] Pennzoil presents
[Background Music]
[In vision] [Screen] Video of Pennzoil car in a garage
VOICEOVER: Two Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano has been behind the wheel since he was ten.
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of Joey Logano racing highlights
VOICEOVER: But, what if he had to compete using only his hands?
[In vision] [Screen] Video of Joey trying to start car with hands, Torsten appears in the window
TORSTEN GROSS: Need a hand?
[In vision] [Written] TORSTEN GROSS | FOUNDER OF JUST HANDS
VOICEOVER: Introducing Torsten Gross. Pioneering race car driver, and founder of the Just Hands Foundation. Basically, Torsten is a bada** changing how people drive. Today, he is going to show Joey how he competes using only his hands.
[In vision] [Written] CHAPTER I | BACK TO THE BASICS
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of Joey and Torsten on the track
[In vision] [Screen] Joey Logano sitting in a garage
JOEY LOGANO: Alright, so show me how you drive this thing. You’ve got hand controls, you’ve got a whole bunch of different things that I haven’t seen before.
VOICEOVER: Pay attention now. This is the part where Torsten shows off the amazing setup that helps more people get behind the wheel.
[In vision] [Screen] Torsten Gross sitting in the car
[In vision] [Written] TRI-PIN
TORSTEN GROSS: This is my tri-pin. It allows me to control the steering wheel without much grip.
[In vision] [Written] HAND CONTROLS
TORSTEN GROSS: These are my Veigel Classic II hand controls. Turn for gas, push for break. And this is Pennzoil. It maximizes engine protection.
[In vision] [Screen] Bottle of Pennzoil Platinum Full synthetic
[In vision] [Written] THE GOOD STUFF
[In vision] [Screen] Joey Logano smiles and laughs
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of the car racing around a track
[In vision] [Written] CHAPTER II | LOOK MA JUST HANDS
JOEY LOGANO: So, what made you want to start racing then?
TORSTEN GROSS: My wife got me a track day.
JOEY LOGANO: That’s a cool wife, by the way.
TORSTEN GROSS: You know what’s really funny? The same day, the same anniversary, I got her motorcycle lessons. We didn’t even know that we were doing that!
JOEY LOGANO: Ah, you guys are meant to be.
TORSTEN GROSS: She handed that to me and I was like “wait a minute.. no way!”
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of the car racing around a track
TORSTEN GROSS: This is the only sport that makes somebody in a wheelchair equal to ablebodied people. I skydive, I ski, I did 12 marathons in 12 months. All of that is great, but you and I will never be in the same division together. But when it comes to car racing, the car doesn’t care that I’m in a chair. So that’s why I needed to do this.
JOEY LOGANO: I’m lucky that I get to do what I love but also get to share with other people the love of driving. In your situation, we could have been the most disconnected people in the world, but we have this as a connection – the love of cars, the love of driving. As Pennzoil says, ‘Long May We Drive,’ I’d say they nailed it.
VOICEOVER: Darn right, they did.
TORSTEN GROSS: Now that you’ve seen this, are you willing to give this a shot?
VOICEOVER: Dear viewer, I think you already know his answer.
JOEY LOGANO: I want to give this a shot, yes.
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of the car racing around a track
[In vision] [Written] CHAPTER III | JOEY’S TURN
VOICEOVER: Take three. Vroom vroom.
TORSTEN GROSS: Alright so, don’t do it yet but once you turn on this corner right here. Now make a left.
JOEY LOGANO: Straight and now hit the break? I got it!
TORSTEN GROSS: Now I wish I had driven faster. Now I’m pissed off. So, how does it feel? Talk me through it.
JOEY LOGANO: I feel pretty good. I can’t talk a whole bunch, I’m thinking a lot.
[In vision] [Screen] Video reel of the car racing around a track
JOEY LOGANO: I’m driving with a smile.
TORSTEN GROSS: That’s a good way to drive, right?
JOEY LOGANO: Lot of smiles per gallon here! I’ll tell you – it is like anything else. You can get the first eighty percent pretty easy, it’s the last twenty and ten percent that’s more challenging.
TORSTEN GROSS: We’re on our way to staging and Joey wants to do donuts first.
VOICEOVER: Racecar drivers. You can’t take ‘em anywhere! [In vision] [Screen] Video reel of the car racing around a track
[In vision] [Written] CHAPTER IV | INTO THE SUNSET
[In vision] [Screen] Joey and Torsten conversing on a track
JOEY LOGANO: Well, that was a fun day! It was fun to experience something that is so familiar, a vehicle, but in a completely different way.
TORSTEN GROSS: So, what was the easiest and hardest part of both of them?
JOEY LOGANO: None of it is that easy. Like you said, it’s easy to make the car roll but getting the max amount out of the vehicle was the most challenging part. I thought one of the coolest things you said is that this is the sport where we can compete at an equal level – I can line up on the grid next to you and I would never know! That was a cool perspective that I didn’t have coming into this.
TORSTEN GROSS: But I will tell you, try one lap and see what happens.
JOEY LOGANO: Yeah, well that might be my last lap. I was thinking I was not that bad!
[In vision] [Written] LONG MAY WE DRIVE | SINCE 1913
Filmed at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the content highlights Logano taking command of a Ford Mustang Dark Horse retrofitted with hand controls while embracing the challenges and triumphs of adaptive driving. Gross showed Logano the nuances of racing with hand controls and demonstrated the possibilities of adaptive technology in motorsports.
Throughout the day on the track, Logano and Gross also shared insights about cars and recounted personal stories about their passion for driving. This experience helps set the stage for a broader discussion on the essential nature of accessibility in motorsports and beyond.
“I’m lucky that I get to do what I love but also get to share with other people the love of driving,” Logano remarked as Gross took the driver's seat. “As Pennzoil says, ‘Long May We Drive,’ I’d say they nailed it.”
This collaboration also highlights Pennzoil’s relationship with Gross, his determination in motorsports, and what he’s done to drive advancements in mobility.
“Racing is the only sport that makes someone in a wheelchair equal to able-bodied individuals. I skydive, I ski, I’ve competed in 12 marathons in 12 months,” Gross emphasizes. “All of that is great, but Joey and I will never be in the same division together. But the car doesn’t care that I’m in a chair when it comes to racing. So that’s why I needed to do this,” Gross explained while instructing Logano how to drive a hand-controlled vehicle.