Do you know about Joey Logano’s even-year magic? Ever since NASCAR introduced the elimination format (2014), the Penske driver has always made it to the championship 4 in an even-numbered year. Logano’s streak initially broke when he got eliminated this year after the Charlotte ROVAL race. However, when Alex Bowman failed the post-race weight inspection and faced disqualification, he was back in the championship hunt.

This is nothing short of a miracle for Team Penske, as no one exactly knows what caused the #48 to lose weight, and this penalty is rare. This is only the second time a car has been disqualified in NASCAR for failing the weight inspection. Justin Haley in COTA was the first instance. After taking the checkered flag at Las Vegas, the #22 has kept his even-year streak alive. Logano, after the race, is feeling pumped for a shot at his third Cup Series championship.

Joey Logano dwells on his championship hopes

The Penske driver is the only two-time (2018, 2022) Cup champion on the grid currently in contention for the championship. And Logano might be on the journey to join the likes of Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, and Tony Stewart being a three-time title holder. While he’s booked the first spot in Phoenix, the 2024 season hasn’t been his best. In the regular season, he only managed a single win and four top 5s, which is unlike the No. 22 driver. Aside from his victory in the opening playoff race in Atlanta, his playoff run was mediocre at best. Prior to Las Vegas, Logano’s only top-10 finish since Atlanta came at the Roval.

However, Vegas has always been kind to the former champ. Including the recent win, Logano’s victory tally has become 4, and he joins Jimmie Johnson as the most successful driver on the track. After starting the race in the 10th position, Logano was quick to reach 8th as stage 1 ended and then he finished 5th in stage 2. It was on lap 261 that Logano passed the race leader, Daniel Suarez, to bag his third win of the season. After entering the race as the lowest-seeded driver, he finished as the first finalist. And now the Penske driver is eyeing a third championship.

Post the race on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, speaking of his chances, he said, “I feel great about them now. It’s so hard to say exactly how you feel. One thing I have learned about this sport, you are never out of it. Not that we had the best regular season, we had a pretty decent playoff up to this point and now I feel like we are the favorites going into Phoenix after winning this race and knowing what that means. It’s just wild how quickly things can turn into something more. And like I said last year we got knocked out. Got to stay alive long enough in the playoffs for it to matter and our team did a great job doing that.”

After a disappointing 12th place to end the 2023 season, Joey Logano was grateful to his team for making it back to the championship 4 for the sixth time in his career. He gave credit to his entire team, who he naturally thinks is the best in the sport. “It’s a great team, well-rounded race team that can execute and make the best out of any situation ahead of them…having a long run in the end was helpful, being able to save fuel, having a great team of engineers and our gas man and our spotter everyone’s really really good at their jobs and very experienced at their jobs as well. And when it comes down to races like that we are able to maximize it.” Logano added.

Thanks to the Vegas race, the #22 team can relax for the next two races, waiting to see who they will be fighting at Phoenix.

Who would the next three finalists be?

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Well, as previously predicted by NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr, his championship four are Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney. But this was more than a month ago. So we don’t know if he’s sticking with the same list after the Vegas race. As two out of his, three predicted drivers are currently in the elimination zone.

Larson, after a P11 finish, is currently 3rd in the playoff standings with a +35 points cushion. Whereas Denny Hamlin is -27 points below the cutline in 5th place. And Ryan Blaney, after being involved in the Chase Elliott-Tyler Reddick crash, finished 32nd. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion is in the 7th position with -47 points with his title defense hanging in the balance. However, there are still two races left before Pheonix and NASCAR has proven to be a game of uncertainty this season, as shown by Logano’s case.

NASCAR is heading to Homestead, Miami next and Blaney finished 2nd there last year, giving him the confidence he needs after a disappointing outing in Vegas. However, Hamlin’s P30 finish from last year won’t be very motivating heading there. Christopher Bell got the win at Miami last year and is a strong contender to go back-to-back. Bell is also in a dominant position to make the championship 4, sitting +42 above the cutline after Vegas. Even regular-season champion Tyler Reddick has had good runs at Homestead in the past, with three top 5 finishes in his four races there. Picking a winner in Miami could prove to be a tricky task.

Hamlin could look to target the penultimate race of the season in Martinsville. The #11 has always been good on short tracks, with an impressive record at Martinsville. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has finished in the top 5 in 3 of his last four races there and boasts five career wins on the track. However, it won’t be easy, as Larson is also a short-track master. His recent Bristol dominance is proof enough, with five consecutive top 5 finishes, including two wins at the short track.

One driver who needs to rekindle previous playoff form is Ryan Blaney. He won the playoff race at Martinsville last year and finished 5th earlier this year. However, William Byron, who’s currently 4th in the playoff standings, is the most recent winner of the track. He won the spring race earlier this year and boasts a 7.7 average finish at Martinsville. As for Chase Elliott after the Vegas DNF, he is last in the standings with -53 points. However, he finished 3rd at Martinsville this season, making him a strong contender there as well.

Overall, it’s too soon to say who will be joining Logano in Phoenix. The competition is going to be tight in the next two races. Who do you think will qualify amongst the seven? Let us know in the comments below.