Joey Logano Draws Parallel With Tom Brady as He Justifies His Doubtful Championship in 2024

The biggest mystery of 2024 is still baffling people. Joey Logano went winless for the first 19 races of the Cup Series regular season. Week after week, Logano’s No. 22 Ford could not reach Victory Lane, and the surefire Hall of Famer disappointed eager fans. When he eventually did win, it involved a quintuple overtime situation at the Ally 400 race in Nashville. He made full use of that unique scenario, and that is what matters.

Being an active proponent of the playoff system, Logano and his team know the pulse of NASCAR. Under the 2014 playoff format, your number of wins during the regular season loses significance in the end. Ultimately, you need to give your best in the championship round – which Logano did. This smart thinking led him to compare himself with an NFL legend.

Football resembles racing for Joey Logano

Tom Brady retired from the NFL in February of last year after 23 seasons but left an impeccable record. The legendary quarterback holds the bragging rights to 7 Superbowl titles, more than any other player in league history. This magnanimous record is due to Brady’s generational clutch gene – during the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII, he led New England with a marginal 1:08 time to set up a championship-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri. Brady made use of slim chances similarly during the 2015 Superbowl XLIX. He was able to overcome a 10-point deficit against the Seahawks and completed 13 of 15 passes for 124 yards.

These sparks of greatness in the most daunting times closely resemble Joey Logano‘s 2024 run. Logano was officially out of the Round of 8, if not for Alex Bowman’s post-race weight penalty. Then he entered Phoenix with the worst average finish among four title contenders – 17.57. So Logano admitted to Kenny Wallace that he may not be the best in the field – but the smartest. “The game has to slow down for you… Honestly, I feel like that’s where my strength is as a driver… I need to be the smartest driver out there, because I’m not the fastest driver out there, and I know that. There’s certain tracks that fit my wheelhouse, there’s certain areas, certain lines, things that work for me better than others.”

However, Joey Logano knew exactly when to strike. After his shock return in the playoffs, the Team Penske driver immediately responded with a Las Vegas win, allowing three weeks of preparation for the finale. So Logano compared his smart tactics with Tom Brady‘s. “There’s other drivers that could go faster than me. So I need to figure out a way to beat them. Look at Tom Brady… Is he the most athletic guy on the football field? Not even close – but he was the smartest one out there, wasn’t he? He won a bunch of championships. So I think there’s just so much more to it these days than just being fast like that’s just not enough anymore.”

Accordingly, the 2024 Cup Series champion may stand out among his peers for advocating the playoffs.

Valuing the thrilling side

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True, the bygone championship era in NASCAR had its caveats. Although the Winston Cup Series recognized the most meritorious drivers on the grid, the fan experience tended to droop. Several championships in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s were decided with races still left on the schedule. Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and several others won that way. This format reached a boiling point in 2003 when Matt Kenseth became the champion by 90 points after one early-season victory and 23 more top-10 finishes. This drab early-season finish prompted NASCAR to amplify the entertainment. In 2004, the Chase format came into view, and in 2014, the 10-race elimination format appeared.

Many have protested against this format – understandably so, as Kyle Larson won 6 races this season and still couldn’t qualify for the Championship 4 round. Yet Joey Logano cut out criticism about his 2024 title as he prioritized the thrilling side of it. “Do you want to see the championship crowned with three races to go? Because that’s what used to happen. That’s pretty boring. You have do-or-die moments, you have the pressure, you have all of these things going on the last 10 weeks. You have guys trying to get into the playoffs, you have that storyline. Gosh, I mean how many storylines can we make? It’s amazing… For people to complain, it makes me mad. It makes me so frustrated to hear that. Because golly man, it is awesome.”

As expected, Joey Logano advocates for the system which has handed him three championships. As 2025 rolls into view, let us see if NASCAR changes anything or not.