Joey Logano’s playoff hopes are on the line as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega, with the Team Penske driver needing a win to keep his Championship Four aspirations alive. Despite a strong sixth-place finish at Las Vegas, Logano remains well below the points cutoff, making the upcoming race critical for his postseason run.
Logano Improves but Remains Outside Championship Cutoff
After barely making it past Ross Chastain by a single point at the Charlotte Roval, Logano managed to deliver a much stronger performance a week later at Las Vegas, finishing sixth compared to his previous twentieth-place result at Charlotte. However, this top-10 run did little to improve his standing in the playoff picture, as the defending and three-time Cup Series champion is still outside the provisional cutoff for the next round.
Logano now finds himself seventh in the standings, 24 points behind fourth-place Chase Briscoe, the driver holding the final transfer spot for the Championship Four showdown in Phoenix. Meanwhile, Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney’s race ended in disaster, as a wreck at Las Vegas left him last among the remaining playoff contenders—31 points behind Briscoe.
Challenges on Track and in the Standings
Reflecting on his day at Las Vegas, Logano noted how difficult it was to make up ground due to the strong performances of many playoff drivers. He commented,
“There were moments I thought we were pretty decent, just needed to get track position early in the race,”
said Joey Logano, Driver. He added,
“The start of the third stage we lost balance on the car, got way loose, lost all our track position. Paul (crew chief Paul Wolfe) made a great call again to put two (tires) on it, put us on the front row. That’s all you can try to do at that point,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
As competition remains fierce, Logano observed,
“Today everyone ran so well, right?”
Joey Logano, Driver. He continued,
“All the Playoff cars, besides the ones that wrecked, were top-five stage points all day. It’s hard to close up on them,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
Upset Needed at Talladega or Martinsville
With only two races left in the Round of Eight—Talladega and Martinsville—the outlook is clear for both Logano and Blaney: a win may be their only realistic path forward. Summing up the situation, Logano remarked,
“I feel like we have to win,”
Joey Logano, Driver. He also said,
“(It’s) kind of an all-or-nothing call. Netted out ahead of where we would have finished for sure. … Overall, a good battle, but not good enough,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
Logano’s track record could offer some hope—he has celebrated three Cup victories at Talladega and another at Martinsville. Despite these successes, he acknowledges that simply earning points won’t likely be sufficient to reach the Championship Four.
Looking Ahead: Talladega as a Decisive Battleground
A win at ‘Dega would immediately secure Logano’s advancement, given Denny Hamlin’s victory at Las Vegas already taking up one available spot in the final. Logano summed up the playoff landscape when he said,
“I think it’s pretty clear what we’ve got to do, looking at the points,”
Joey Logano, Driver. He elaborated,
“I mean, one spot’s already taken up (with Denny Hamlin’s win Sunday). We’re 24 out; yeah, it’s possible. You have to be pretty special the next two weeks,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
As NASCAR heads to Talladega, the pressure mounts for Joey Logano, Team Penske, and Ryan Blaney. Their urgent need for victory at one of the season’s most unpredictable tracks has set up a tense, high-stakes battle, with each lap potentially deciding who races for the championship in Phoenix.
