Joey Logano has good cause to like the playoffs, which has been some extent of competition among the many fanbase for years. It fits his driving fashion and as he himself will let you know, the driving force of the No. 22 Group Penske Ford solely will get higher whereas below excessive strain, which seemingly tracks after he walked away Sunday with the 2024 NASCAR Cup Sequence Championship win.
However this yr has individuals notably out of kinds as a result of Logano’s common end this yr was 17.1, which is now the worst ever for a Cup Champion. The earlier file was set only one yr in the past by his teammate Ryan Blaney with a median end of 14.1 on his strategy to the 2023 title.
Joey Logano, Group Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
However each drivers nonetheless received when it mattered whereas the title favorites failed to take action. Logano vaulted himself into the playoffs with a single win after which proceeded to gather three extra victories within the Spherical of 16, Spherical of 8, and the Championship 4. Logano raced throughout the guidelines of this format offered to him and in his thoughts, that is no completely different than some other main sport in America.
“To your level about championships and what it’s, the one cause why they do not say this about different sports activities is as a result of they did not change the playoff system,” mentioned Logano. “However the playoff system in different sports activities will not be a lot completely different than what that is. You possibly can have a terrific common season. It seeds you higher for the playoffs. That does not imply you are assured to go all the best way to the Tremendous Bowl or the Stanley Cup Finals or the NBA Finals. It would not matter. It would enable you to. It is the identical approach in NASCAR, the best way we have now the foundations now, is that you simply set your self up a lot better.”
“It is a bunch of bullshit”
He additionally famous how there have been drivers reminiscent of Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson who entered the playoffs with way more bonus factors than him. “They’ve the identical alternative to go on the market and win and transfer on to the subsequent spherical,” mentioned Logano, who additionally needed to make up extra floor than these drivers so as to get to the identical place.
“So for somebody to say this is not actual, it is a bunch of bullshit in my view. That is mistaken. That is one thing that everybody is aware of the foundations when the season begins. We discovered methods to do it the very best and discovered methods to win. It is what our staff has been capable of do for the final three years.”
Whereas a format like that is frequent amongst stick-and-ball sports activities, it is nonetheless fairly overseas within the majority of motorsports. NHRA has been doing its personal model of the playoffs since 2007 and Australian Supercars can be introducing a knockout-style system much like NASCAR in 2025. Past that, it is nonetheless largely season-long methods internationally.
The occasions are a-changin’
Logano’s closing message on this matter was easy: Instances change. But, NASCAR has had a playoff system for 20 years and the present format for ten, however individuals nonetheless put collectively factors standings primarily based on the Winston Cup factors of outdated — an X submit on that actual factor following the title-decider has garnered almost 300,000 views.
“…People who simply received to simply accept what the occasions are,” added Logano. “Instances change, proper? And I do not know when you’ve got quite a lot of the moments that we have now right now with out the playoff system that we have now. Do you wish to see the championship crown with three races to go? As a result of that is what used to occur. That is fairly boring. You’ve got received do-or-die moments. You’ve got received the strain. You’ve got received all this stuff happening the final 10 weeks. You’ve gotten guys making an attempt to get into the playoffs.
“You’ve gotten that storyline. What number of storylines may we make? It is wonderful. For individuals to complain, it makes me mad. It makes me annoyed to listen to that. Gosh, it’s superior. I watch the Xfinity Sequence and Truck Sequence, and it is exhausting for me to speak in regards to the Cup Sequence as a result of I am in it, however I watch these as a fan, whether or not it is from the sales space or simply on TV, like I did final evening. That is entertaining stuff. I am glued to my TV, particularly much more throughout the playoffs than I’m throughout the common season. What’s mistaken with that? Golly, man. I do not know. Makes me mad, sorry. I am not sorry. (Laughter).”
Joey Logano, Group Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
Logano additionally pointed how scouring over hypothetical factors is pointless as a result of the races would have performed out utterly in a different way in such a format. Whereas this dialogue is not going away anytime quickly, the very fact of the matter is that NASCAR is rarely going again, and its newly topped three-time champion of this playoff period is completely high-quality with that.
“I’ve received a fairly candy trophy proper now. I will be laughing all the best way to the financial institution.”
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