The third-round opener of the Cup Series playoffs in Las Vegas had Joey Logano take the checkered flag. This came as a surprise to many as the Penske driver was almost eliminated after last week’s Charlotte ROVAL race. However, after Alex Bowman’s disqualification for failing the post-race weight inspection, the No. 22 got a spot in the top 8.

Still, Logano was not the favorite heading into the race. Many expected it to be a Kyle Larson or Tyler Reddick-dominated race after they got P1 and P2 in the last race here. However, the Connecticut native showed why he is a two-time Cup Series champion. What was turning out to be one of Logano’s worst seasons with Penske suddenly changed gear with him now eyeing a third championship. He recently revealed the reasons behind his success.

Joey Logano calls his team the best in the business

In the 2024 season, the No. 22 team has delivered when it was absolutely required to. Logano only managed to get a single win, four top-5, and nine top-10 finishes in the 2024 regular season. But that proved to be enough to bag them a playoff berth. Even in the playoffs, Logano won the opening race in Atlanta, securing a spot in the next round and the remainder of the races were mediocre. After Atlanta, he failed to achieve a single top-10 finish until the ROVAL race, where they were aware of the necessity for a strong result.

Although Bowman’s misfortune played a big role, Joey Logano put himself in P8 at the race, which enabled him to take the top 8 spot when it opened up. And most recently, when all teams expected to start the final round on a high note, the Penske No. 22 secured the top spot. Logano started from the 10th position, eventually finishing 8th in the first stage. He slowly and steadily climbed up in stage 2 to finish 5th. In the final stage, with only 5 laps to go, he overtook Daniel Suarez to take his third win of the season. The team that was almost out last week is suddenly a championship contender.

After the race, Logano was asked about his success mantra. The No. 22 gave all the credit to his team. In the post-race media interaction, he said, “I don’t think there’s a team out there that works better together than Team Penske. That is just in our DNA all the way through. That started years and years and years ago. I can’t even take credit for being part of that. From when I got there, the openness between team to team. I remember years ago Brad (Keselowski) telling me when I got there, I’d rather you beat me and finish second than him beating me and finishing 21st, right? That’s the attitude that we have.”

When Logano joined Penske in 2013, he had Brad Keselowski as his teammate. And this was just a year after Keselowski led Penske to a Cup Series Championship, also their first since the team’s debut in 1972. Logano came from Joe Gibbs Racing to Penske and found the most success with them. In his 12 years with the team so far, only twice has he finished (2017 -17th, 2023 -12th) a season outside the top 10. The team also won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023 with Logano and Ryan Blaney. The No. 22 has attributed the team’s culture to its success.

“When you have that (teamwork) all the way through the team, it’s just very helpful for us. Been around long enough to realize that it’s good to see your teammate win. I know you want to be the top dog, right, obviously? The more I’m around the sport, the more I realize how that really raises the whole team…But I truly believe that. That teamwork all the way through with Austin, Blaney, the guys building the cars, we’re all on the same page and truly happy for each other’s success.” Logano added.

According to Logano, the team owner, Roger Penske, has brought in the best people in the business, translating to their success. Thanks to this, he is one of the most successful drivers in the current NASCAR era.

Joey Logano dwells on his goals every season

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Logano’s record so far has shown that the No. 22 is lucky in even years. Since 2014, the Penske driver has always made it to the championship 4 in even years. His 2024 appearance would be his 6th in his career, the most amongst the current drivers on the grid. And two out of three times when Logano won the first race of round three playoffs, he’s won the championship. Like in 2018 and 2022. In 2020, he won at Kansas but fell short at Phoenix and had to settle with a P3. The No. 22 team would be looking to make the record three out of four, hoping to win a third championship.

Logano recently opened up about reaching the finals on so many occasions. He said, “Our goal when we show up in Daytona every year for Media Day, What’s the goal? Win the championship. There’s nothing else that matters. I don’t care how you get there, what you do, it’s all about winning the championship. A big step of that is getting into the Championship 4. There’s a lot of pride in making it to the Championship 4. It’s tough, right? A long year, you got to get through a lot of different scenarios, a lot of curve balls that are thrown your way. It’s hard, right? Making it is something to be proud of, there’s no doubt.”

But according to Logano, it’s a double-edged sword as it hurts not to bag a championship coming that close. Which he has felt on three occasions so far, 4th in 2014, 2nd in 2016, and 3rd in 2020. “I also have lived through the moments of getting to the Championship 4 and not winning and feeling that pain. Being that close and not winning, that sucks, right? I can’t put a better way of saying that. That hurts a lot… As proud as I am that we’ve made it, I also feel like the job’s far from being over because I know what that feeling is if you don’t make it happen.” And Logano doesn’t want that feeling for a 4th time!

What do you think are his chances of winning a championship this year? Let us know in the comments below.