Logano Defends NASCAR Playoffs Format: “It’s Exciting”

Joey Logano, the NASCAR driver, especially enjoys the end of August, as it marks the start of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. For Logano, this is the best time of the year, although he doesn’t always express it that way. “It’s the most exhausting time, maybe the least enjoyable of the year,” Logano commented. “But it’s also when the reward is greatest and you have the opportunity to show what you’re made of with your team and create great moments. I think it’s good for the whole sport because that’s when the great moments and drama happen. As a fan, you love it, but as a competitor, you have to learn to love it because very good things can happen. Very bad things can also happen, but the opportunity to do something great is great.” Logano, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, is a three-time Cup Series champion. He won his first title in 2018 and the second in 2022. The third title came last year, putting him alongside figures like Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and Tony Stewart. Now, Logano aspires to a fourth title, which would put him in an even more select group, alongside Jeff Gordon.

“That would bother some people, wouldn’t it?” Logano joked. “Four would be incredible. Three was definitely special, and it puts you in a very elite group. Sometimes, when you reflect on your career and think about having three championships, will you be happy? It’s something to be proud of. I won’t feel bad about it.

Joey Logano

The only drivers with more titles in the Cup Series are Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson, all with seven championships in their careers. Logano’s title defense begins with a similar feeling to 2024 and, as he himself points out, to the 2018 season. There have been years when he felt he had an incredible regular season and didn’t win the championship, as well as years when the regular season wasn’t outstanding, but he ended up with the grand prize. Currently, Logano was not the most dominant driver during the regular season, with only one victory, but he had other opportunities that slipped away. The first 26 races were enough for Logano to be ranked 12th in the championship standings, and that is the position in which the postseason began. The reason Logano loves this time of year is that, regardless of his position in the standings, he and his team, whom he praises for their experience and perseverance, have shown time and again that they give their best when others have given up on them.

“I think we’re really close to where we need to be,” Logano stated. “I think our speed has improved. We’re in a comparable place to where we were last year. So, if you didn’t know Team 22 and didn’t know our history, you’d probably argue otherwise. But knowing these guys like I do and having been able to do it several times, I feel like we’re in a good spot.” “Team Penske in general does a good job of rising to the occasion, which is very important. But I think if you look at one particular team, the 22 can do as well as, or even better than, any other team when it comes to people writing you off, saying your stats aren’t good enough to win a championship, and then you show up. At this point, I think we kind of like it.” After Logano went from 15th in the regular season to winning the title, a discussion erupted about whether the defending champion was a deserving winner. There were criticisms directed at Logano for not being a true champion due to the format, and then, criticisms of the integrity of the format. In the elimination era, from 2014 to the present, Logano is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most Round of 8 appearances (nine) and leads all drivers with the most Championship 4 appearances (six). With three championships, Logano has the most of any active driver in the Cup Series. In addition, Logano leads all active drivers with the most playoff wins, with 15.

“I love it,” said Logano, who has been one of the most staunch advocates of the format. “I know people say, ‘Oh, it’s because it works for you.’ I know. Sure. But I think it’s very exciting.”

Joey Logano

NASCAR created a playoffs committee after the 2024 season due to controversy among fans and drivers regarding the format. Possible future changes are currently being discussed, such as the points structure, eliminations, and moving away from a single-race final, with the hope of implementing alterations starting in 2026. Broadcast partners will also have a say in these matters, considering the multi-million dollar media rights agreement they have with NASCAR. Logano is one of the drivers on the committee. There are also former drivers, media partners, team owners, manufacturers and track representatives, as well as independent media. “I think there are ways to simplify it a bit because I think it’s a little confusing to have two points systems, where there are the regular season points and then the playoff points and the playoff grid,” Logano said. “There are ways that have come up in those meetings to simplify those things, which I think is great. I think that’s good, and we can still achieve the same thing. I’d like that to happen. But I think giving up completely on what we’re doing and trying something different, I don’t think that’s right either, because a few people complained. People complain about everything. Literally, everything. The silent majority is a real thing, regardless of the topic. However, Logano will never be swayed by the emotion that the format brings with its win-or-go-home moments. And he’s ready to be the one to do it again in the next two months. “There are a couple of people who say we should have all the points throughout the year and that’s the only real way to do it,” Logano said. “Well, then it should be that way in all sports too. But it’s not. Why? Because it’s boring. Nobody is going to watch a boring sport; you have to do something exciting, and the playoff system does that. You won’t have a Super Bowl moment without a run, all or nothing. That’s what we have now.”