After clinching his third NASCAR Cup Series championship on November 10 at Phoenix Raceway, Joey Logano handed Team Penske its third major motorsports title in under a month. It was a showdown right to the end, as Logano outpaced teammate Ryan Blaney over the final 20 laps to secure the win. But his journey to this title wasn’t a straightforward one. In fact, he almost didn’t make it. 

Joey Logano was the first driver who locked into Sunday’s winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway. As a result, he’s a part of NASCAR’s “highest percentile” of talent by the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Logano’s third Cup title now gives Johnson reason to praise his grit and timing in conquering the playoffs, a format that ruthlessly eliminates even the most skilled drivers.

Logano’s Drive to Join the Ranks of NASCAR’s Greats

With this year’s Championship 4, Joey Logano won his third NASCAR Cup Series title. For Johnson, Logano’s success in the challenging playoff elimination format is impressive. Drivers face challenges under this system, where even a minor slip can end a season. For instance, Kyle Larson had a solid regular season but an unexpected defeat in Martinsville cost him a spot in the Championship 4. Joey Logano narrows the gap to NASCAR’s historic records. Logano’s three championships reflect a career that has the potential to be legendary. Johnson’s seven titles still rule. Johnson, alongside Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, are tied at the top with seven titles each. Logano’s first NASCAR win in 2018, his 2022 win, and now his recent win place him among the greats. There’s no guarantee Logano will beat Johnson’s seven titles, but his determination is undeniable.

Joey Logano showed he could handle the intensity and unpredictability of the playoffs this year. His successful third title run in the modern playoff format drew Johnson’s respect, with him noting, “It’s impressive in this format.” Johnson went on to say, “It is so tough to make the playoffs and go rounds and put yourself in positions, so hats off to him and that team. It’s just extremely impressive.” Jimmie Johnson‘s seven championships came through a variety of changes to NASCAR’s rules, but the playoff structure now is the most unforgiving. Putting Logano’s accomplishments within Team Penske in the spotlight.

“He’s in that highest percentile of talent. We see it year in and year out his abilities his drive, his focus, his performance. And then a lot of it has to do with timing and timing of your manufacturer, timing of your team. A track that’s strong for you and we certainly know this track has been strong for Penske and Ford over the last couple of years,” Johnson said. Especially at Phoenix, where the Penske Fords have historically excelled, Logano has proven he can hold his ground in crucial moments.

Logano did start the Cup Series playoffs strong, with the win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a thrilling two-lap overtime dash, thanks to a key push from teammate Ryan Blaney. This victory locked him into the Round of 12, and Logano credited his Team Penske crew for fine-tuning the car setup to perfection. However, he pointed out that Ford still has work to do if they want consistent wins on all track types, especially in horsepower and downforce. “Superspeedways, no doubt—we’re really good,” Logano explained on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “But when we get to places like Kansas, are we going to have the best cars there? I think it’s going to be hard.” 

With that said, we come back to Jimmie Johnson, who has been planning for his 2025 comeback. He shared some insights about his plans moving forward. Not a perfectly thought-out plan, but a plan nonetheless.

Jimmie Johnson’s Return to the Track and His 2025 Plans

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Although Logano’s rise is commendable, Johnson himself is far from finished with the sport. He took a break from full-time racing in 2020 but returned in 2023 on a part-time schedule with Legacy Motor Club. Although neither of Legacy’s drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones, have made it to the playoffs this season. Johnson participated in nine races in 2024, including the Daytona 500 and the Phoenix season finale, where he finished 26th.

Johnson wants to make a bigger comeback in 2025. In talking about his return, Johnson said he’ll race again this season, though he hasn’t committed to how many races. A NASCAR legend hinted that he’s talking to his primary sponsor, Carvana, about supporting him. “Yep, I’ll definitely be in the car. I just don’t know how many,” Johnson shared after the Phoenix race, adding, “Still to be determined. Talking with Carvana now. Looks like we’ll have at least a couple of races with them, and we should have that out here pretty soon.”

The 26th place Johnson achieved at Phoenix marked the best finish of his nine-race campaign. Neither John Hunter Nemechek nor Erik Jones were consistently able to break into the top 10 this season for Legacy Motor Club, his current team. But, as far as Legacy Motor Club’s two drivers, Jones and Nemechek are concerned, they will remain with the team for some time to come.