Joey Logano has been there and done that. The Team Penske driver has made it to Championship 4 six times since 2014, winning two Cup Series titles in the process. With experience on his side, the No. 22 Ford Mustang driver was always going to be a force to be reckoned with at Phoenix Raceway. Little did he know that the biggest battle he would face would be from none other than his teammate.

With defending champion Ryan Blaney not giving up his title without a fight, Logano had to use all his skill and expertise in the winner-takes-all race, eventually overcoming his Team Penske teammate by 0.330 seconds.

Joey Logano’s experience paid off at Phoenix Raceway

Defensive masterclass. That’s what it came down to at Phoenix Raceway. Having qualified in 2nd place, Joey Logano capitalized on his advantage by winning Stage 1. However, his teammate Ryan Blaney showed lightning-fast pace in the No. 12 Ford and went on to secure Stage 2. With the competition heating up, it was clear that the championship would come down to both the Team Penske drivers, who were in a league of their own. Knowing that the finest of margins could make all the difference, Logano pounced on the late restart and went on to pass his teammate and William Byron, while the reigning Cup Series champion struggled in the traffic.

Reflecting on what made the difference in the biggest race of the season, NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck said on The Teardown podcast, “It looked like his (Logano) teammate’s car was faster and Ryan Blaney was going to get there. Ryan Blaney was going to make the pass. Plenty of times, Joey Logano put on a defensive clinic. His spotter Coleman Pressley basically called it like a superspeedway race. He blocked the cr-p, he took the line away. He took the aero line away, he took the defensive line. Joey Logano did what he does best. That’s how you win with this car. He stalled out Blaney’s progress for long enough.”

Ultimately, Ryan Blaney ran out of time. Had the race at Phoenix been 350 miles instead of 312, the 30-year-old would have secured the victory and defended his title. However, the difference maker was that Joey Logano approached the fixture like a superspeedway race, wearing down his teammate as the laps ticked on until the checkered flag was in sight. It was a clinical performance by Logano, who enjoyed the tense battle with his teammate and said in the post-race interview, “I love the playoffs. What a Team Penske battle there at the end.”

As for Blaney, the Team Penske driver left himself with a mountain to climb during the closing laps. When the race went green with 54 laps to go, the Ohio native engaged in a battle with Kyle Larson, who refused to make way for the championship contender. It was not until 35 laps remained that the No. 12 Ford climbed to third place, while Logano had already taken the lead one lap after the restart, passing William Byron who was on older tires. Despite it all, the 30-year-old didn’t give up, shaving off a few thousandths of a second consistently, only to finish less than a second behind his teammate.

Ryan Blaney credits Logano for his defensive display

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Ryan Blaney hoped to make history. In the 11-year history of the Cup Series’ elimination format, no driver managed to secure back-to-back championships. However, the Team Penske driver came agonizingly close to breaking that streak, giving it everything he had at the 1-mile tri-oval. Despite not taking his foot off the pedal, the 30-year-old tried every possible solution to get past Joey Logano, driving on every line on the racetrack with the hope of getting a minuscule advantage, but he still could not get by.

Reflecting on what cost him the race, Blaney said, “Everybody put on defensive clinics today, everybody I tried to pass. Everybody did. So, props to them for that. They did a great job. It’s just what you have to do. I mean, the 5 did it to me, the 24 did it to me, the 22 did it to me. It’s just what you’ve got to do if you’re struggling, and it just buys you time. And it’s just part of the sport because it’s so powerful. The defensive line is so powerful of dirty air. You have to do it if you have a faster car behind you coming down in these moments.”

Despite his heartbreak, Blaney can take solace in the fact that Joey Logano’s victory also secured a three-peat for Team Penske. Sharing his views about the achievement, the driver said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s really incredible. Three in a row for Team Penske and Roger and Ford.” With an intense Cup Series campaign finally at an end, both the Team Penske drivers will now enjoy some well-earned rest before shifting their focus to the 2025 season. Given their dominance in the Next-Gen era, the NASCAR community wouldn’t rule out the possibility of them making it four in a row.