Joey Logano defends NASCAR Playoff system: 'Rewards consistency'

With his three championships since 2018, Joey Logano is going to be the last driver to criticize the NASCAR Playoff system as it stands. Once again, the Team Penske driver was defending the championship format that the Cup Series has used for over a decade now.

The topic of the playoff system came up again after Mexico City. NASCAR fans and media were questioning if Shane van Gisbergen deserves a spot in the playoffs given his 30th-place standing in the points. But the rules say win and you’re in, so SVG is in for the time being.

Joey Logano put himself in the playoffs after a rough start to his season. His win at Texas has him firmly in the postseason hunt. In a system Penske seems to have cracked, Logano’s presence in the playoffs is enough to scare other drivers.

Talking on the Zach Gelb Show today, Logano was asked about the playoffs. He defended them just as he did after last year’s championship race.

“I like it, what we have now. And we gotta remember, we changed it for a reason, right?” Logano said. “We went from where it was just 36 races, score all the points, no playoff system at all and the champion would be crowned with three races to go at the end of the year. Well, that’s kind of boring, and nobody wanted to see that. So, they wanted to develop something better, and this is what we’ve got right now, is the playoff system.

“Bottom line is no one’s, not everyone’s going to be happy. It’s always going to be someone saying, ‘Oh, this was better back then.’ When you look at what we have now, when we have these do-or-die moments, just like every other professional sport, when it comes to the playoffs, where you perform, or you’re out. And you’ve gotta live with the consequences either way.

“Our playoff system rewards consistency through the regular season, it rewards winning through the regular season to seed you better, but at the same time, there’s always the underdog story that can get hot at the right time, figure everything out, and go win the championship and take it from what may have been the best team through the first 26 races of the regular season. Just like every other sport, we have that, so I like what we got. I know everyone’s going to say, ‘Well, it’s because you’ve won a lot of them,’ but I really do enjoy it.”

Logano feels the regular season is rewarded. However, there are those in the industry who would like to see wins and the regular season mean more. NASCAR appears open to making changes like that in the future.

Since 2022, Joey Logano has won 10 races. He has two championships in that same time, too. At 35 years old, Logano has a lot of prime years left in his career. Could a fourth or potentially fifth Cup Series championship be possible?

It isn’t like Logano was some unknown that suddenly found success in the new system. When Logano entered the Cup Series, he was considered the most talented prospect of his generation. While that didn’t play out at Joe Gibbs Racing, it did at Team Penske.

After Joey Logano’s career is over, no one will bat an eye at three championships. It will seem very fitting for a career that has spanned 15+ years at this point. With 37 wins in his career, Logano is on track to potentially reach the lauded 60-win mark. No matter the system, those are not the stats of an underserving champion.

Right now, Team Penske has a stranglehold on the playoff system. However, 2025 has a new-look with tracks like Gateway and New Hampshire making appearances. Talladega is in the Round of 8 now. While Phoenix is the final destination, the path to get there has changed for Penske and Logano. Making another championship run this season will be difficult, to say the least.