Joey Logano, one of NASCAR’s most respected voices and a three-time series champion, has voiced his support for NASCAR’s decision to rotate championship venues beginning as early as 2026, a move that will see Daytona excluded as a finale option. This development arrives as the sport addresses concerns about the fairness and excitement of the current championship format, with NASCAR leadership confirming their intent to revamp the season’s climactic event and make it more compelling for competitors and fans alike.
Recently, NASCAR fans and drivers alike have questioned whether the tradition of holding the championship at the same venue year after year truly showcases the spirit and competitiveness expected at the sport’s highest level. Joey Logano, who last season joined high-profile peers Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in calling for change, has long advocated for taking the championship race on the road. He believes moving the finale to different tracks is essential not just for variety but also for fairness, ensuring fans in various regions get to witness the decisive moment in person.
Logano’s stance carries weight within the paddock, especially as he insists that any rotating championship venue must remain a traditional oval rather than a superspeedway or road course. In his view, the championship should be settled on intermediate or short tracks, steering clear of unpredictable superspeedways like Daytona or Talladega, which can influence outcomes in chaotic and uncontrollable ways. After news broke that Daytona would not be considered for the finale, many fans echoed Logano’s reasoning, voicing concerns about the possibility of one crash taking out leading contenders and skewing the championship battle.
NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy, the Executive Vice President and Chief Venue & Racing Innovations Officer, has confirmed that focus is now firmly set on more conventional ovals such as short tracks and 1.5-mile intermediates. He explained that the series wants the finale to retain the authentic feel of classic NASCAR, emphasizing the importance of a race where strategy, skill, and resilience are truly put to the test.
“Not that Daytona isn’t a championship-caliber venue,”
Kennedy clarified,
“but it just doesn’t fit the mold for how we want the finale to play out.”
Fan reactions have been both strong and divided, as debates swirl around what makes the perfect stage for the season’s defining moment. One fan remarked,
“I love Daytona, but I absolutely do not want a championship decided on a super speedway.”
Another pointed out,
“Championships race should never be on superspeedway like Daytona and Talladega. Because if the championship 4 caught in a wreck especially near the closing end or final lap…”
Such sentiments highlight the underlying anxiety about fairness and the heartbreaks that could result from a mistimed accident at a high-speed track.
For Joey Logano, the decision represents a step toward upholding the integrity of NASCAR’s most important race. By supporting the move to rotate venues and exclude Daytona as the finale, he aligns with the growing chorus seeking to preserve the suspense and challenge of crowning a deserving champion on a track where control and composure, not luck, determine the outcome. The transition, if successfully implemented, may redefine how future champions are made and remembered, offering drivers a fair and formidable stage while giving fans across the country the opportunity to witness racing history unfold in their own backyard. The changes raise tense questions about tradition and risk but promise to reinvigorate the sport’s climax, setting a somber yet exciting tone for the battles to come.
