A second chance. That’s what Joey Logano has been presented with after Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy was disqualified from the 2024 Bank of America ROVAL 400. The Team Penske driver miraculously made it to the Round of 8 in the most bizarre circumstances, which not only kept his championship hopes alive but reignited a popular fan theory about only making it to Championship 4 in years that end with an even number.

With four races remaining before the season ends, that hypothesis could be tested soon. Call it a superstition or just an unlikely coincidence, but the ‘even-year’ theory has helped Logano secure two Cup Series championships so far. While the 34-year-old has distanced himself from the unfounded belief, could he get third time ‘lucky’ in 2024?

Joey Logano dismisses playoff superstitions

Joey Logano had already accepted his fate. When the checkered flag was waved at the Charlotte Roval, the Team Penske driver’s P8 finish wasn’t enough to get him past the elimination cutline, with Alex Bowman occupying the final spot in the Round of 8. However, everything changed a few hours later when the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s No. 48 Chevy didn’t meet the minimum weight requirements, forcing him to be disqualified and relegated to the last place. This meant that through a stroke of luck, Logano moved back into contention for the title, reigniting the ‘even-year’ theory amongst fans.

Ever since the elimination-style format was introduced in 2014, Joey Logano has made it to the Championship 4 in all the years that ended with an even number. He won the title in 2018 and 2022 while finishing fourth in 2014, runner-up in 2016, and secured a P3 result just two years later. If the trend continues, he should be in contention for the silverware at Phoenix Raceway later this year. When asked if he believes in the superstition, the No. 22 Ford driver said, “No, I don’t think that way. It’s pretty ironic though. I don’t know, we’ll see. I hope it’s right! I don’t believe in all that stuff, but hey, cool!”

As things stand, Joey Logano is eighth in the driver standings, 11 points below the playoff cutline going into the Round of Eight. Just like his 2018 campaign, the Team Penske driver is somewhat of an underdog going into the business end of the season, but that isn’t stopping him from hoping for a miracle. Drawing parallels with his first Cup Series title-winning campaign, the 34-year-old said, “Look at 2018 when we won our first championship, it was the big three in me. I remember it had Harvick and Kyle Busch and Truex and they all won like five-six races throughout the year we won two. And what happened? We won it, right? So it doesn’t matter that much.”

While traditional heavyweights such as Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin will be the favorites going into the upcoming races, Joey Logano has the experience to get on a consistent run with some clutch performances. Ever since NASCAR’s modern era began in 1972, no driver had won the championship after finishing 13th or worse in the previous season. That was until Joey Logano won his first title in 2018 after ending the prior season in 17th place. If he can do it before, there’s no reason why Logano couldn’t pull off another upset this time around. He also has the ‘even-year’ theory backing him up.

Logano confident ahead of crucial playoff fixtures

Trending

Dale Jr. Indebted to Teresa Earnhardt for Protecting His NASCAR Legacy Amid Revival of Iconic Budweiser Duo

Brad Keselowski’s Insider Reveals the True Reason Behind Rick Hendrick’s Controversial Decision Robbing Alex Bowman

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Surprised by Step-Mother’s Disinterest in His Iconic NASCAR Legacy After Years of Gatekeeping

Dale Earnhardt Jr Stunned by the Downfall of Richard Childress’s Bully as He Still Eludes His First Championship

23XI Employee Sounds Off on Kyle Larson’s Blatant Antics Potentially Jeopardizing Boss Denny Hamlin’s Championship Dream

It’s now or never for Joey Logano. Despite a slow start to the season, the Team Penske driver has consistently improved as the season progressed, securing two wins at Nashville and Atlanta Motor Speedway so far. The 34-year-old may have made it to the Round of Eight because of a technicality, but with a top-ten finish at the ‘Roval’, momentum is on his side going into the 2024 South Point 400 in Las Vegas.

Highlighting his expectations for the upcoming races, Logano candidly said, “Every point matters throughout the whole season. I’m not discounting that, but you have to be your absolute best at this point in the season or else those points don’t even matter, so I feel confident in our team that we’ve got that. We’re still alive. We’re still going and that’s the name of the game in these playoffs.”

With three races remaining before Championship 4, all Joey Logano needs to do is secure a victory at one of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami, or Martinsville to remain in contention at Phoenix Raceway. The Connecticut native won the 2022 iteration of the South Point 400 and replicating that result this time around could be just what he needs to keep his title hopes alive. Given the unpredictability of playoff fixtures, an 11-point deficit doesn’t seem like an insurmountable task going into the business end of the season. The question is, will Logano be able to capitalize on his opportunities in the upcoming races?