Kevin Harvick identifies what makes Joey Logano No. 22 team 'dangerous' for NASCAR playoff field

Joey Logano made it to the Round of 8 by the skin of his teeth once again in 2025. That has drivers and fans alike worried the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion could make another unexpected run to the Championship 4.

Kevin Harvick believes it’s possible. On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the former Cup Series champion broke down why Logano and his No. 22 Ford team remain one of the most dangerous threats in the NASCAR playoffs — especially when the lights are brightest.

“I still believe that the (threat) with the No. 22 car — with Joey Logano — is exactly what happened this week. You’ve got Paul Wolfe sitting up on the pit box, and he made an absolutely gutsy call to bring that car to pit road. The whole strategy was their’s, right? You saw the No. 20 come to pit road before the No. 22 car, put tires on it, and it forced everybody else to follow,” Harvick said.

“That’s why I say the 1 car could’ve just come down too — they were off strategy and didn’t follow suit with everyone else. But Paul Wolfe — guts. He has the guts, the knowledge, the brains to just do something that — Big Ball Paul. He made the call, and it put them in position for everything that happened after. It also put the No. 1 in a bad spot because they didn’t match the pit call.

“The No. 22 team is that they just race better than most everybody else. When they execute, they’re a lot like the No. 11. The No. 11 has issues and runs into trouble sometimes, but they’re great at grinding it out. The 22 team is the same way — they grind it out on restarts, they make the right calls at the right time. You look back at Kansas — that two-tire call put them in position, and that’s just what Paul Wolfe does. And Joey Logano executes it well to maximize what they do.

“I don’t believe they have the speed they need — Vegas, Martinsville, Talladega, those are good tracks for them — but I don’t think they have the outright pace of the No. 12. What they do have is the ability to put themselves in front of faster cars by executing on restarts. They’re dangerous from that standpoint. Like I said, I don’t think they have the speed, but they have the ability to make the right calls and make things happen better than just about anyone else.”

All in all, Harvick believes it’s easy to see why Logano remains one of the most feared competitors left in the postseason. Ross Chastain might be a formidable opponent, but Logano’s ability to execute under pressure gives him a unique edge over the two wheelmen who were battling for the final spot in the penultimate round.

“I want the weakest people to give my opportunity the best that it can be — to win the championship and get through the Round of 8. I want the weak guys in there. I want the surprise winner. I want the Ross Chastain over the Joey Logano, because of exactly what I just said. They have a better ability to call better races and execute the chances they take with their driver,” Harvick added.

“That’s what makes them dangerous, even when you don’t think they have the speed. But what if they find the speed — like they did at Loudon? Any given Sunday.”

As the playoffs tighten, Harvick’s warning is clear: underestimate Joey Logano and Paul Wolfe at your own risk. When execution matters most, the No. 22 team knows exactly how to deliver. Just look back to last season as your prime example.