It has been quite a year for Joey Logano, hasn’t it? The Team Penske driver started the season with three wrecks and struggled with speed in his No. 22 Ford Mustang. However, as the season progressed, he showed significant improvement in form, securing four top-five and eight top-ten results. If that wasn’t all, he also entered the victory lane at Nashville Superspeedway, booking a spot in the playoffs with the result.

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Joey Logano highlighted the reasons behind his disappointing start and revealed what led to an upturn in his form as the 2024 Cup Series season progressed.

Why did Ford Performance struggle in the early stages of the season?

Excitement was at an all-time high when Ford Performance unveiled its brand new Dark Horse ahead of the ongoing Cup Series season. Ford, along with Toyota, introduced their new cars, hoping they would be able to give Chevrolet, NASCAR’s most successful manufacturer, a run for their money. However, that came with its own set of challenges, as teams under their umbrella struggled during the early stages of the season, while the Chevy cars thrived, even though they were still using old technology.

Speaking about his struggles early on in the season and the reasons behind them, Joey Logano told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “It’s pretty wild to think that we had that rough of a start and I think some of that was, you know, let’s face it, was a new car, we had a lot to learn. There’s a lot of data that was shown one way but maybe acted a different way on the racetrack right? We all know in the real world, a lot of times is different from what happens in the sim world or CFD world or wind tunnel world.”

Highlighting the limitations of simulations, the Team Penske driver went on to say, “I think, as you kind of understand that and honestly the learning process is slower now than ever because you don’t get practice. You don’t get to go testing. You don’t get to do all these things to actually figure out what works on your race car on the racetrack. Cause you just don’t get the opportunity. Even when we have 15-20 minutes of practice, you don’t get to go slinging springs out of it. You don’t get to put data on the car. You don’t really get this opportunity to learn.”

Joey Logano’s concerns are understandable. Even though Chevrolet was using an older car, they had plenty of data to optimize their Camaro ZL1s to get the maximum output from the machines. This meant that the American manufacturer dominated the early races of the Cup Series season, securing wins in the opening three races at Daytona, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. At the same time, Toyota and Ford struggled with performance, as both of them had introduced new cars ahead of the season, and didn’t have enough data to get the most out of their cars when the season began.

As the season progressed, Ford and Toyota adapted their cars with new data, allowing them not only to compete with Chevrolet but also to dominate the track. In the last three regular-season races alone, one Toyota and two Ford cars have reached Victory Lane, showcasing their turnaround. Ford Performance has six cars in the playoffs at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the most among the OEMs.

Joey Logano is confident about his chances

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Joey Logano, the only two-time Cup Series champion in this year’s playoffs, is feeling a sense of déjà vu. Despite being reseeded in ninth, he’s optimistic about his chances for a third championship. Although it hasn’t been a standout season for the 34-year-old with just one win and two stage victories, he remains confident heading into the postseason.

Speaking about his hopes for the business end of the Cup Series season, Logano said, “We have a lot of experience on this team, I think that’s probably the biggest [strength]. We’ve all been there, done that at this point. We’re a pretty old team. There’s nothing wrong with that; I think that’s a good thing when you can go into the playoffs because for a lot of these guys, it’s some of their first, second, or third time in the playoffs, and maybe some of them haven’t gone very far. So, we’ve been there and done that, and I feel confident we can run hard and get something out of it.”

The Team Penske driver has a wealth of playoff experience, having made the title race five times, the same as Martin Truex Jr., which gives him a competitive edge in the final 10 races. At 34, Logano is determined to overcome last year’s Round of 16 elimination and Team Penske’s recent winless streak in multiple races. Despite these challenges, Logano is excited for the playoffs, stating, “I love it. I love it. That’s why I said I’m happy the regular season is over.”

What are your thoughts about Joey Logano’s championship hopes? Let us know in the comments!