Under the bright lights of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15, 2025, Joey Logano found himself at the center of attention once more, as questions swirled around Team Penske’s turbulent start to the NASCAR Cup Series season. Despite being one of racing’s most successful teams, with a track record boasting three consecutive Cup Series championships and dominance across motorsports, the powerhouse organization now faces an unsettling pattern of underwhelming early results on the track. Joey Logano, the reigning Cup Series champion, has not been shy about acknowledging these challenges, prompting the racing world to wonder if Team Penske can overcome its recent struggles and reclaim its place at the top.
The season’s opening races set an anxious tone for Team Penske and for Joey Logano personally—after clinching the championship the previous year amidst intense scrutiny. With only one regular-season win at Nashville and an average finish of 17.0, Logano was criticized for capitalizing on NASCAR’s playoff format, which sometimes rewards sporadic success over week-to-week consistency. As the new season unfolded, the entire Penske camp found itself without a single win through the first nine races. For Joey Logano, the search for a top-5 finish grew more urgent with each passing weekend as the question loomed: was this just a temporary slip, or was the team’s signature blueprint starting to show cracks?
Relief came at last at Talladega Superspeedway, where the famed Penske machine seemed to finally show its might. Austin Cindric edged out Ryan Preece in a heart-stopping finish to secure Team Penske’s first win of the year, while Joey Logano, despite some heated on-track moments with his teammate, finally appeared poised to notch his first top-5 finish of the campaign. “You just gotta look at the positives, and this has been one of those years to start,” Logano told SiriusXM NASCAR after the race, his tone walking the line between optimism and frustration. “The positives are that the car’s going pretty fast. We’re executing at a very high level, from a speed perspective.” With Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric each ranking among the season’s lap leaders, the team’s raw speed was obvious, but translating that speed into strong finishes remained elusive. Logano’s average finish plummeted to 19.7, the lowest among his Penske teammates, reflecting the team’s puzzling habit of racing well but finishing poorly.
Just when it seemed the tide was turning, post–race inspections at Talladega delivered a fresh setback. Logano was disqualified for a missing spoiler bolt, erasing his hard-earned top-5 and dropping him out of the top 10 in the Cup Series standings. The moment was a microcosm of the season to date—a brief flash of hope, snatched away almost as quickly as it arrived. The disappointment was palpable, but for Joey Logano and the 22 crew, it was yet another twist in a season that felt unsettled from the start.
Joey Logano, reflecting on Team Penske’s history, pointed out, “We’ve been in this scenario before. I think of our championship years, haven’t started off the best. In some of the years that we haven’t won the championship, we came out of the gate swinging. Things were awesome… It’s just what it is. Race is a weird sport. So many variables than other sports.” He wasn’t exaggerating about Penske’s patterns—recent seasons have confirmed his point. In 2024, for example, Penske’s breakthrough didn’t come until June’s race at Gateway, courtesy of Austin Cindric. From that moment, momentum shifted as Blaney and Logano also scored wins, demonstrating the organization’s knack for turning midseason adversity into championship contention. Such unpredictable turns have become almost characteristic of Team Penske.
Looking further back, the contrast between rapid early success and late-season heartbreak is part of the team’s story. The 2019 season stands as a striking example: Penske started hot, with Brad Keselowski winning at Atlanta and Joey Logano triumphing in Las Vegas just a week later. By mid-summer, the team had already tallied six wins. Yet none of its drivers appeared in the championship 4, as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch walked away with the title that year. For Joey Logano, these experiences underscored a hard truth of NASCAR: championships are not always about how you start, but how you finish.
Despite these historical parallels, internal frustration has been building within the Penske stable, especially for the 22 car and its crew. “You show up to the racetrack and you’re like ‘Man, I just want a normal solid weekend.’ As much as we thought we had that even this weekend… didn’t get out of the racetrack before I was like ‘Aww really? Come on!’” Logano shared, the sting of disqualification still evident in his voice. The setback was tough for a seasoned team accustomed to success, but as Joey Logano was quick to point out, there is still a long way to go in the season—a message he delivered with the conviction of someone who’s faced adversity before.
“Everybody on the 22 has been doing this for a long time. 90% of them. A couple of them are fairly young and new… Everyone on the road crew has been there, done that. Lived this story before and know it’s a long, long season,” Logano said, highlighting the blend of experience and resilience that defines Team Penske. Roger Penske’s organization is renowned for cultivating veteran crews whose familiarity with both victory and struggle gives them an edge when the pressure mounts. No strangers to adversity, they remain focused on the bigger picture, recognizing that a season’s fate is never sealed in the first third of races.
Pit road issues and mechanical failures have been additional thorns for Team Penske in 2025, especially for Ryan Blaney, who has shown strong pace but seen stellar runs undone by blown engines and costly mistakes. Austin Cindric broke the winless drought at Talladega, bringing a much-needed confidence boost to the garage. For Joey Logano, though, the wait for another breakout win continues, and every weekend grows more charged with a sense of urgency. Enthusiastic fans of the team and Logano alike are left to hope that, as in years past, a breakthrough is just around the corner—and that the team’s characteristic resilience will shine once the regular season enters its crucial later stages.
Team Penske’s recent struggles are not simply the product of bad luck or occasional missteps; they signal a deeper, more complex challenge that Joey Logano is willing to confront head-on. The pressure to perform at the level expected of a reigning champion and a powerhouse organization is immense, and every disappointment is magnified by memories of past glory and recent dominance. For Logano, the weight of expectation is matched only by his determination to lead the turnaround.
That same determination was on display following his Talladega disqualification. Undeterred, Joey Logano was quick to remind observers that racing is inherently unpredictable, with countless variables coming together week after week. He remains confident that his team’s expertise, built over years of trials and triumphs, will eventually translate into better results. “We just need to keep doing the little things right,” Logano explained, referencing the intricate details—strategy, speed, execution—that often separate potential winners from actual champions. Logano’s mixture of frustration and resolve set the tone for what promises to be a season of high drama.
The impact of this turbulent start goes beyond the immediate concern of points and wins. As the summer stretch approaches, rivals in the Cup Series are beginning to sense opportunity, while Team Penske walks a fine line between confidence and concern. Joey Logano’s leadership, both in words and actions, will be pivotal in determining whether the team can harness its potential and launch a run toward another championship, or whether their early stumbles will be too much to overcome. The setback at Talladega, while significant, could serve as the rallying point the team needs—a moment that calls forth their best under adversity.
Looking ahead, the stakes for Joey Logano and Team Penske could not be higher. Every race becomes a test not just of skill on the track, but of mental fortitude in the face of setbacks. Their rivals have grown stronger, with other teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports capitalizing on early-season momentum. Maintaining focus, finding consistency, and turning raw speed into race-winning performances will be essential if Penske is to return to the form that brought them previous championships. The pathway to victory is clear but demanding; only time will tell if Logano and his crew can chart it successfully.
While enthusiasm from fans remains strong, a sense of urgency now permeates the halls of Team Penske’s operation. Joey Logano’s willingness to speak candidly about the team’s struggles shows a leader both confident in his group’s ability and acutely aware of the challenges ahead. The battles on track will likely continue to be intense, filled with close calls, strategic gambles, and moments of heartbreak and elation. But for Logano and Team Penske, overcoming adversity has always been part of their DNA. With a long season still to run, the opportunity to rewrite the narrative remains alive, and the question of whether the NASCAR powerhouse can reignite its championship spark hangs in the balance.
As fans and insiders speculate about whether Team Penske’s slow start is a sign of deeper trouble or merely the calm before a storm of success, Joey Logano’s reflection on both past and present offers a rare glimpse into the mindset of a champion. The next several weeks promise to reveal a great deal—about the strength of Team Penske, the determination of their star driver, and the relentless drama that defines NASCAR’s highest level. For Logano, the story is far from written, and as history has shown, resilience and timing often prove decisive in the quest for glory.
