Against all odds. That’s the best way to describe Joey Logano’s journey in the Cup Series this year. Despite lifting the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway, the Team Penske driver had an underwhelming season by his lofty standards, having struggled with consistency throughout the 2024 campaign. However, that’s when experience and skill came in, as the driver and his No. 22 team executed their race strategy to perfection when it mattered the most, making up for the shortcomings of a car that lacked speed.

The result was hard to digest for certain sections within the NASCAR community. Especially when more consistent drivers such as Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell failed to break into Championship 4. However, Richard Petty came out and publicly backed Joey Logano, despite the backlash on social media.

Richard Petty gives credit where it’s due

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s that Joey Logano has solidified his place as one of the most clutch drivers in NASCAR history. While question marks have been raised about the elimination-style playoff system, others believe the Team Penske driver is undeserving of his third Cup Series title in the last seven years. However, the 34-year-old always had his eyes on the prize and held off teammate and reigning champion Ryan Blaney in the final 54 laps to drown out all the criticism he has faced throughout the season.

With Team Penske having dominated the Next-Gen era, NASCAR legend Richard Petty acknowledged their dominance by saying, “Probably the best 2 cars overall was up front runnin’. I look at it, they won it like they’re champions. It was luck to get there, to run for it but once the luck got em there to run for it, they took advantage of it and stepped their program up and got the job done. Next year’s gonna be a whole different deal because all these people are gone set down all winter long and they gone have all these engineers and they go through every cotton picken’ thing they’ve done throughout the year and pick out the bad things and throw em out.”

The majority of criticism directed towards Joey Logano is because of his performances, which have been quite underwhelming, especially during the regular season. His only win came at Nashville Superspeedway after a bold fuel-mileage strategy devised by crew chief Paul Wolfe paid dividends. However, apart from the one-off result, the No. 22 Ford Mustang driver finished 15th out of the 16 playoff contenders, doing just about enough to keep his title hopes alive. However, the playoffs are when he proved to be in a class of his own, showing mastery over a format that is designed to test drivers to their physical and mental limits. Since the elimination-style playoff format was introduced, Joey Logano has arguably been the best driver in the Cup series, and his record proves it.

Having reached the Championship 4 six times in the last decade, Joey Logano said, “I think as a team, we thrive under those situations.” Despite being an underdog in each of his three Cup Series title wins, the Team Penske driver showed that he thrives under pressure, which is why he is one of just 10 drivers to have won three or more championships. While luck can only take you so far, the 34-year-old’s skill is being overlooked, amidst the ongoing controversy about the playoff format. Any other sport would revere an athlete who can perform when it matters the most, but a section of the NASCAR fanbase has treated his accomplishment with indifference. However, Joey Logano couldn’t care less.

Joey Logano highlights reasons that led to Cup Series triumph

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Unlike plenty of other drivers, Joey Logano has embraced the playoff format with open arms. While others have criticized the win-and-in format, the Team Penske driver has adapted to the changes seamlessly to achieve success on the racetrack. As a result, he’s only the fifth driver under the age of 35 to have won three or more Cup Series titles in NASCAR, joining the likes of Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson, David Pearson, and Jeff Gordon. Coincidence? Unlikely.

Revealing what has proven to be a difference-maker this year, Logano candidly said, “We have a lot of playoff wins in comparison to the regular season, percentage-wise. I think that’s a big piece of it. We got the attitude that we’re never out of it. And I think that’s what’s kept us going. This season in particular, midway through it, we could have called it a rebuilding year, but that would have been the loser thing to say. We kept grinding and figuring it out and getting a little bit better and a little bit better.”

To say that Team Penske has dominated the Next-Gen era would be an understatement. Ever since the new cars were introduced in 2022, Roger Penske’s side has managed to do a three-peat, with Joey Logano winning twice and Ryan Blaney securing a championship in 2023. The team has managed to find a winning formula to excel in a sport where the finest of margins can make the biggest differences. Will they be able to continue their domination in the 2025 season? Let us know in the comments!