Michelle R. Martinelli

NASCAR drivers relish the few chances they get to return to their "home tracks" throughout the season. It's an opportunity to see their families or enjoy the nostalgia of visiting the track they grew up attending.

For Joey Logano, the Overton's 301 this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a chance to be treated like Dale Earnhardt Jr. - or be around fans who almost universally like him.

"I always joke about it that when I come up here to New Hampshire I feel like I'm Dale Jr. because everyone likes me," he said while laughing.

"There aren't many other places everybody likes me, so obviously I want to race here three or four times a year. That part's real nice, so I really appreciate that. And it's kind of cool that being one of the only drivers from (the) New England area, it makes it very unique and special for me to come up to this race track in this area."

Logano reacts as he is presented with a lobster after winning the Sylvania 300 in 2014. (Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)

Two of the No. 22 Ford driver's 18 career Cup Series wins are at the 1.058-mile oval, coming in 2009 and 2014.

After almost a decade of racing full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Connecticut native has acquired plenty of diehard fans, but he's also become a driver some fans love to hate. So coming home to New England is a little bit of a treat.

He also expressed his disappointment over NASCAR moving the New Hampshire track's September race to Las Vegas starting next season. But he acknowledged that the Vegas track is more of a destination one and understands "why it's probably a good move" for NASCAR in the long run.

"It's a bummer for me," Logano said. "You know, it's my home race track, so I want to come up here as much as I can. It's a beautiful area."