Joey Logano, a prominent figure in the NASCAR Cup Series, particularly enjoys the end of August, as it marks the beginning of the playoffs. For Logano, this is the highlight of the year, although he doesn’t always express it openly.
“It’s the most exhausting time, maybe the least enjoyable of the year,” Logano commented. “But it’s also the time that brings the greatest reward, where you can show what you and your team are made of, and create great moments. I guess it’s good for the whole sport because that’s when the great moments and drama happen. So, as a fan, you have to love it, but as a competitor, you must learn to love it because really great things can happen. Really bad things can also happen, but the fact of having the opportunity to do something great is great.”
Logano, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Ford Mustang from Team Penske, is a three-time Cup Series champion. This achievement has allowed him to embrace the postseason and everything that comes with it. His first title came in 2018, followed by the second in 2022. The third championship he obtained last year, which placed him in the same league as Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and Tony Stewart.
Now, Logano is aiming for his fourth title, which would put him in an even more privileged position, alongside Jeff Gordon.
“That would really anger some people, wouldn’t it?” Logano joked. “Four would be incredible. Three was definitely special, and it puts you in a pretty elite group. I guess sometimes, when you reflect a little bit, when you look at the end of your career and say you have three championships, are you going to be happy? That’s something to be pretty proud of. I’m not going to be upset about it.”
Joey LoganoThe only drivers who have won the most 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 Logano felt he had an incredible regular season and didn’t win the championship. He has also had years where the regular season was not outstanding, but he ended up with the grand prize.
This is the current case for Logano. He wasn’t the most dominant driver during the regular season, achieving only one victory, although he had other opportunities that slipped away. The first 26 races were enough for Logano to place 12th in the championship standings, a position from which he started the postseason.
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 battle-tested perseverance, have shown time and again that they rise to the occasion when others have already written them off.“I think we’re really close to where we need to be,” Logano affirmed. “I think our speed has improved. I think 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 the opposite. But knowing these guys like I do, and being able to do it several times, I feel like we’re in a good position.”
“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 team in particular, the 22 can do as well as, if not 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 like it.”
There is much discussion surrounding the postseason and whether the defending champion was a deserving winner. After Logano went from 15th in the regular season to win the title, a whirlwind of conversation erupted about whether the best driver was not winning the championship. There were insults directed at Logano for not being a true champion due to the format, and then insults directed at the integrity of the format.
In the elimination era, from 2014 to the present, Logano is tied with Denny Hamlin for the most appearances in the Round of 8 (nine) and leads all drivers with the most appearances in the Championship 4 (six). With three championships, Logano has the most of any active driver in the Cup Series. And to go even further, Logano leads all active drivers with the most playoff wins, with 15.
“I love it,” said Logano, who has been one of the most open in support of the format. “I know people say, ‘Oh, it’s because it works for you.’ I know. Sure. But I do think it’s very exciting.”
NASCAR created a playoff committee after the 2024 season due to the uproar from fans and drivers over the format. Discussions are underway regarding potential future changes, such as the points structure, eliminations, and moving away from a single-race final, with some expecting alterations as early as 2026. Broadcast partners will also have a say in the matters, considering the multi-million dollar media rights agreement they have with NASCAR.
Logano is one of the committee drivers. There are also former drivers, media partners, team owners, manufacturers, and track representatives, as well as independent media.
“I think there are ways we can simplify it a little bit because I do think it’s a little confusing to have two point systems where there are regular season points and then playoff points and the playoff grid,” Logano said. “There are ways that have come up in those meetings where we can simplify those things, which I think is great. I think that’s good, and we can still accomplish the same thing. I’d like to see that happen. But I think to completely scrap what we’re doing and try 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 full points all year long 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 fucking boring. Nobody’s 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 right now.”
