“I love the playoffs, I love it man,” an ecstatic Joey Logano proudly declared at Phoenix Raceway. The 34-year-old Connecticut driver achieved the feat of the decade. He became the first driver boasting three Cup Series titles since the elimination format of the playoffs debuted in 2014. But as Logano scripted history for his team – winning three consecutive titles was unseen after Jimmie Johnson’s five-time streak for Hendrick Motorsports – questions arise.

Most prominently, the statistics stand out. Joey Logano is hardly one of the best performers of the season. HMS driver Kyle Larson holds the highest rank in that regard with 6 wins and has led 1700 laps. In comparison, Logano’s stats pale. However, the Team Penske driver also performed well when it mattered, nailing the playoff system perfectly.

Joey Logano’s case – deserving or fluke?

Well, the overarching stance may tilt toward the negative. NASCAR introduced the Chase format back in 2004 as a solution to an apparently drab full-season points format. Yet two decades down the line, fans are clamoring for a return to that – considering the question of true worth. Kyle Larson aside, Christopher Bell owns the best finishes – 23 top-tens and 15 top-fives along with 3 wins and he also led 1145 laps. Joey Logano’s stats are not even on that level – he has only 13 top-tens and 7 top-fives besides leading a middling 414 laps. At Phoenix, Roger Penske’s star led 107 laps, more than one-fourth of his total laps led.

So in a long thread breaking down the consequences of this format, journalist Justin Long explained why Joey Logano‘s win should convince NASCAR of the need to change. “Logano’s win, hate it or not, is going to draw questions about the legitimacy of the #NASCAR Cup Series Playoff format,” he said. “He only made it into the Playoffs due to a win in quintuple overtime at Nashville, a race where he was around 15th at the time the scheduled distance of the race was completed. A lot of crashes and fuel tanks running dry led to a win.”

Then Long expanded on the lucky draws that came hurtling Joey Logano’s way in the playoffs. “He was eliminated from the Playoffs in the Round of 12, but was re-added to the Playoffs following a DQ for Alex Bowman at the end of the Charlotte ROVAL, the final race of the round…Logano then utilized a fuel mileage strategy to secure the win in the Round of 8 opening race at Las Vegas, which secured his place in the Championship 4.” Ultimately, the No. 22 team controlled the game with a dominating performance in Phoenix. “Then Logano and Wolfe picked a fine time to have their best performance of 2024, as he led 107 laps on his way to winning Sunday’s race at Phoenix to win the championship. They played the system, and they were rewarded with a title. Don’t hate the players, hate the game.”

Behind Joey Logano and his team’s resounding victory was a strong hand. That hand knew how to wield the strings of the game.

An expert behind the scenes

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As the No. 22 team was enraptured in celebrations on Victory Lane, a quiet individual shared in the glory. Soon after Joey Logano clinched his victory, Roger Penske issued a humble statement. “It’s all about the people,” Penske said. “My name might be on the door, but it’s all about the people who make the difference and we sure have them on this team.” However, it may be more about Penske than he cares to admit. In the 1960s and 1970s, Penske was at the very cutting edge of the racing scene alongside driver and engineer Mark Donohue. The two men sought out the ‘unfair advantage’ or the totally legal trick that would allow them to overcome their competitors.

Penske applies that same ideology to modern-day NASCAR. That effort may have derailed a few times – NASCAR fined Joey Logano for wearing webbed gloves in the March Atlanta race. Then three Penske drivers in IndyCar received penalties for a ‘push-to-pass’ maneuver. Yet as regards mastering the Cup Series playoff format, Penske is king. NASCAR may have been looking to shake up the running order with the elimination format. But it didn’t take long for Team Penske to make the most of that format and form strategies that consider that chaos. Now Roger Penske has three championships under his belt for 2024. They include the IMSA and WEC championships with Porsche along with the Cup title.

Granted, NASCAR’s format throws up questions surrounding Joey Logano’s win. However, that does not nullify the immaculate strategy that Team Penske put forth to clinch this championship.