It is quite normal for a driver to snap, especially after losing 11 positions in the first 14 laps of the race. And Joey Logano lived his misfortune at the Bristol Night Race. He expressed his frustration with the car’s handling issues, stating it was “absolutely awful” and that it was “sideways into the corners” during the early laps. Then came the early tire wear that left him a lap down by lap 32 in the 500-lap race. The No. 22 Ford Mustang managed to rally back, securing a fifth-place finish and advancing to the Round of 12 in the playoffs. That’s some impressive racing, to say the least, and Jeff Burton agrees!
The 35-year-old rolled into the Bristol Motor Speedway hoping to show off his Team Penske chops, but the weekend quickly reminded everyone why short tracks can chew up even the most seasoned champions. Practice sessions were a struggle for the No. 22 Ford as Logano wrestled with a car that just wouldn’t settle. When qualifying rolled around, Logano clocked a 15.298-second lap, which only earned him 22nd on the grid. Well, that’s not exactly the launchpad for a highlight reel weekend. However, Logano’s surge and speed on a race day is what caught the eye of many.
Speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Burton couldn’t hold back his praise: “I feel like I’m going to—I’m going to tell you somebody, and this is going to sound silly because he’s a multi-time champion, but if you would have told me Joey Logano was going to finish fifth this weekend, I’d have said there’s no way in hell. They were horrible in practice. They’ve been horrible there. They haven’t run good there at all. I mean, it was shaping up to be a really crappy night, and somehow or another Joey Logano did Joey Logano things. I had no idea he could finish fifth.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Joey Logano had a turbulent day at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he dropped to 33rd place by lap 14, indicating a rough start. As the race progressed, Logano started to recover through pit strategy and green flag runs. On lap 202, he made a pit stop, and under a caution on lap 243, he waved around to get back on the lead lap. By lap 259, he came in for another pit stop along with other lead lap competitors like Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, and Chase Elliott, suggesting he remained in the middle of the pack.
Then he briefly held the lead at lap 450, pitting from that position and handing the top spot to Brad Keselowski. With 61 laps remaining, Logano was running second behind Zane Smith, showing that he had climbed back into the top three. He also pitted under caution on lap 393 alongside other drivers, further managing his race strategy.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In all, the No. 22 driver’s Round of 16 was a rollercoaster. At Darlington Raceway, he started in 14th but struggled to make ground, ultimately finishing 20th. At the World Wide Technology Raceway, he found some mojo, starting 13th and climbing to a solid fifth-place finish. Then there was Bristol. Even with that late urge, Logano’s earlier stumbles left him precariously perched 10th in the playoff standings, just two points below the cut-off line heading into the Round of 12 this weekend.
And now, with Denny Hamlin making bold claims about Joey Logano’s playoff fate, another driver has expressed their opinion on the playoff system altogether, and he believes that Logano deserves every championship within the current playoff system.
Hendrick Motorsports driver defends Joey Logano amid playoff chatter
Team Penske’s Joey Logano is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, yet he often doesn’t receive the recognition one might expect for such an achievement. All of Logano’s titles have come under the current NASCAR playoff system, and his success is frequently cited in discussions questioning whether the format truly identifies the best drivers. Critics argue that this system can produce champions who might not have dominated over the full season, using Logano’s victories as a prime example. His season average finish of 17.1 is the worst of any Cup champ in 76 years of NACAR racing.
And some even go as far as to suggest that the championship earned under the structure carries an asterisk or is somehow illegitimate. However, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman feels that the line of thinking is unfair. Speaking on Speedfreaks, Bowman explains that he personally prefers a traditional 36 race points format; it’s unjust to devalue a driver’s championship simply because it came under the current playoff system.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
He said, “I’ve seen people that try to say that like Joey’s taking advantage of it, right? Because he struggled through the year last year, got one win, and then kicked all our as*es in the playoffs. That doesn’t make him an illegitimate champion. He has the system that we all have to work with, and he worked with it better than the rest of us. I don’t think that makes it illegitimate.”
Ultimately, Bowman’s perspective highlights a clear point that winning a championship under the current playoff system is no easy feat. It demands skill, strategy, and the ability to perform when it matters most. Criticizing a driver for succeeding within the rules ignores the challenges and competitive excellence that define a champion like Joey Logano. But it is yet to be seen whether the 2024 champion can defend his title this year.