Joey Logano has good purpose to like the playoffs, which has been some extent of rivalry among the many fanbase for years. It fits his driving fashion and as he himself will let you know, the driving force of the No. 22 Crew Penske Ford solely will get higher whereas underneath excessive strain, which seemingly tracks after he walked away Sunday with the 2024 NASCAR Cup Collection Championship win.
However this 12 months has individuals significantly out of kinds as a result of Logano’s common end this 12 months was 17.1, which is now the worst ever for a Cup Champion. The earlier file was set only one 12 months in the past by his teammate Ryan Blaney with a mean end of 14.1 on his technique to the 2023 title.
Joey Logano, Crew Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Picture by: NASCAR Media
However each drivers nonetheless gained when it mattered whereas the title favorites failed to take action. Logano vaulted himself into the playoffs with a single win after which proceeded to gather three extra victories within the Spherical of 16, Spherical of 8, and the Championship 4. Logano raced throughout the guidelines of this format introduced to him and in his thoughts, that is no totally different than every other main sport in America.
“To your level about championships and what it’s, the one purpose why they do not say this about different sports activities is as a result of they did not change the playoff system,” stated Logano. “However the playoff system in different sports activities isn’t a lot totally different than what that is. You possibly can have an excellent common season. It seeds you higher for the playoffs. That does not imply you are assured to go all the way in which to the Tremendous Bowl or the Stanley Cup Finals or the NBA Finals. It does not matter. It would show you how to. It is the identical manner in NASCAR, the way in which we’ve the principles now, is that you just set your self up significantly better.”
“It is a bunch of bullshit”
He additionally famous how there have been drivers similar to Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson who entered the playoffs with much more bonus factors than him. “They’ve the identical alternative to go on the market and win and transfer on to the following spherical,” stated Logano, who additionally needed to make up extra floor than these drivers so as to get to the identical place.
“So for somebody to say this is not actual, it is a bunch of bullshit in my view. That is fallacious. That is one thing that everybody is aware of the principles when the season begins. We found out the right way to do it one of the best and found out the right way to win. It is what our workforce has been capable of do for the final three years.”
Whereas a format like that is frequent amongst stick-and-ball sports activities, it is nonetheless fairly overseas within the majority of motorsports. NHRA has been doing its personal model of the playoffs since 2007 and Australian Supercars can be introducing a knockout-style system much like NASCAR in 2025. Past that, it is nonetheless largely season-long methods the world over.
The occasions are a-changin’
Logano’s closing message on this subject was easy: Occasions change. But, NASCAR has had a playoff system for 20 years and the present format for ten, however individuals nonetheless put collectively factors standings primarily based on the Winston Cup factors of outdated — an X submit on that actual factor following the title-decider has garnered almost 300,000 views.
“…Those that simply received to simply accept what the occasions are,” added Logano. “Occasions change, proper? And I do not know you probably have numerous the moments that we’ve immediately with out the playoff system that we’ve. Do you wish to see the championship crown with three races to go? As a result of that is what used to occur. That is fairly boring. You have received do-or-die moments. You have received the strain. You have received all this stuff happening the final 10 weeks. You’ve got guys making an attempt to get into the playoffs.
“You’ve got that storyline. What number of storylines might we make? It is wonderful. For individuals to complain, it makes me mad. It makes me pissed off to listen to that. Gosh, it’s superior. I watch the Xfinity Collection and Truck Collection, and it is onerous for me to speak concerning the Cup Collection as a result of I am in it, however I watch these as a fan, whether or not it is from the sales space or simply on TV, like I did final evening. That is entertaining stuff. I am glued to my TV, particularly much more through the playoffs than I’m through the common season. What’s fallacious with that? Golly, man. I do not know. Makes me mad, sorry. I am not sorry. (Laughter).”
Joey Logano, Crew Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Picture by: NASCAR Media
Logano additionally pointed how scouring over hypothetical factors is pointless as a result of the races would have performed out utterly in a different way in such a format. Whereas this dialogue is not going away anytime quickly, the actual fact of the matter is that NASCAR isn’t going again, and its newly topped three-time champion of this playoff period is completely wonderful with that.
“I’ve received a reasonably candy trophy proper now. I will be laughing all the way in which to the financial institution.”
