Who would’ve thought Joey Logano would be the first driver in the Championship 4? Whether it’s luck, the even-number streak, or Team Penske’s playoff momentum, he’s now set for Phoenix, while others battle for the final three spots. His win at Las Vegas was a team effort, with a savvy tire call from crew chief Paul Wolfe and a critical push from teammate Ryan Blaney, who helped Logano overtake Daniel Suarez in superspeedway style with five laps to go.

With Logano’s spot locked, will he return the favor for Blaney in the final two rounds of eight races? According to Logano, helping his teammate is definitely on his mind as they head into the next two races.

The #22 team is focused on the Phoenix race

Not everyone was happy with Ryan Blaney helping out his teammate in Vegas. Especially Christopher Bell, who had the best race car on the day but was outsmarted by a strategy call. “I think it’s fair game. Props to him, you know. The 22 winning was probably bad for the 12 because they’re racing each other for points to get in,” Bell said after the race.

It wasn’t all rage and frustration; he did have a point. With the two drivers contesting for similar points, Blaney just might have hurt his chances to make the final 4. The driver of the #12 Ford Mustang will have to move mountains in trying to cut the 47-point deficit in the points standings.

This is where Joey Logano would come into play. Without the stress of churning out results in the next two races, he is willing to help Blaney reach the finale. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re not gonna lay up, but the focus has to be on Phoenix. We’ve earned that right to be able to do that. It would be a total waste if we do not take advantage of that. It would be horrible. So that’s gonna come at the price of something, maybe the next few races, but we’ll run and do what we can to try to get the 12 in.” Logano said ahead of the Homestead race weekend.

At the crucial stage of the season, this might be the right time to analyze the rival camp, their strengths and weaknesses. And based on that, maybe the #22 team can build the foundation for the Phoenix race. Although this might be the strategy they might be tempted to pursue, Logano insists they are looking to improve themselves and not look into what others are up to.

Joey Logano is wary about the competition he’s up against

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Denny Hamlin said that this top eight is the best eight ever assembled to contend for the championship, and it seems like Logano feels the same. If you look at the schedule and the tracks lined up at the start of the playoffs, it feels like it’s set up for major upsets and drama. We’ve had a lot of drama in the starting six races, no doubt about that. But the usual suspects did make it through those testing times.

The #22 team made their luck in qualifying for the Championship 4 race, but they are aware of the level of the competition. So in preparing for the penultimate race, they would rather look to improve from within than try to counter the top contenders. “I think we’re on blinders. Honestly, if you look at the Round of 8, it’s one of the strongest Round of 8s I think I’ve ever seen. There’s not really one that I can pick a weak one. So, like I said, we need to focus on us and figure out how we gain that advantage.” Logano added.

It is indeed tough to call which driver will come out on top this weekend. Going by momentum and track record, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson are front runners for the Homestead race, but do not count out on a surprise winner.