Joey Logano’s Las Vegas finish in the South Point 400 demonstrated his ability to fight back under pressure, even when not in contention for victory, securing sixth place on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Team Penske driver, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, battled throughout the event to deliver a result that kept his playoff hopes alive despite formidable challenges.
Team Penske Faces Adversity as Rival Encounters Trouble
Ryan Blaney, Logano’s teammate, found his own race cut short after a flat tire sent his car into the Turn 4 wall on Lap 73, leaving the team facing limited opportunities for a strong showing. While Logano grappled with handling and track position for much of the day, a late-race caution created a new opportunity. Paul Wolfe, renowned as a 43-time NASCAR Cup Series-winning crew chief, opted for a strategy focused on right-side tires only during the final pit stop, enabling Logano’s No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse to leave pit road in second position.
Strategic Decisions Shape Final Stages of Race
During the opening laps, Logano evaluated his performance and said,
“At the beginning of the race, we were decent but had to get some track position,”
Joey Logano, Driver. His team showed solid pace on longer runs, but adjusting the car proved difficult.
“Our long run haul was decent, but we just got loose in the third stage. We didn’t get our track position back once we tightened up until [Paul] took two [tires] there,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
For the final restart, Logano lined up behind race-leader Chase Briscoe, who also changed only right-side tires under the advice of crew chief James Small. Although Logano briefly challenged for the top spot and assumed the race lead on Lap 244, Briscoe reclaimed the advantage just one lap later. Ultimately, Briscoe would lose the lead to Denny Hamlin, who took the checkered flag, while Logano finished in sixth—a top-10 he viewed as hard-earned under difficult circumstances.
Post-Race Reflections from Logano
After the race, Logano assessed his performance bluntly.
“We were not good enough. That’s the facts,”
Joey Logano, Driver. He described gaining an outside chance at victory in the closing moments as the best outcome he could have hoped for amid the day’s adversity.
“I just didn’t get the right push on the backstretch,”
Joey Logano, Driver. Logano elaborated further,
“The No. 48 [Alex Bowman] kind of had an option of going three-wide or push the No. 19 [Chase Briscoe], and he pushed unfortunately. That’s what put us in a bad spot,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
Playoff Prospects Ahead of Talladega
The sixth-place finish provides important, but not decisive, points for Logano as he heads into the next critical playoff event. With Chase Briscoe holding the final transfer spot for the Championship 4, Logano trails by 24 points entering Talladega. The Middletown, Connecticut native has three career wins at Talladega Superspeedway, but has not visited Victory Lane there since 2018. Recent performances indicate a challenge: in the last seven Talladega races, he has finished outside the top 20 six times, with his last top-five coming in the fall of 2021.
Despite these hurdles, Logano remains focused on closing the playoff gap.
“The closer we get, the more we’ve got to win. I think we closed the gap a little bit today,”
Joey Logano, Driver. He added,
“It’s still possible to point in, but one of the spots is obviously taken up now,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
What’s Next for Logano and Team Penske
The YellaWood 500 at Talladega represents another pivotal race for Team Penske and Joey Logano’s championship aspirations. The event is scheduled for Sunday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m. ET, with coverage on NBC, as well as Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The pressure remains high for Logano, Paul Wolfe, and the Team Penske group as they chase the ultimate goal of advancing to the Championship 4, keeping viewers focused on the drama and unpredictability of the NASCAR playoffs.
Don’t count him out yet. pic.twitter.com/loaVO4Elts
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 13, 2025
