Logano, driving for Team Penske’s No. 22, clinched victory at the iconic Phoenix Raceway, further solidifying his status as NASCAR’s most successful active driver and joining a distinguished cohort of three-time champions.
Despite a challenging regular season, Logano’s ability to peak during the playoffs allowed him to triumph over more consistent performers, sparking debates over the playoff system’s fairness.
Logano’s journey to the championship was not without obstacles.
Entering the playoffs, he was positioned behind frontrunners like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick in terms of points.
However, his ability to win essential races enabled his progression through each playoff round.
Whilst speaking to former driver Kenny Wallace (below), Logano explained:
“So, my point is, it helped them get all the way to the Championship 4 when they did not have a solid nine races before that at all.
We beat all of them, pretty much. I’m not taking anything away from them, but my point is the regular season matters so much, and we had to play behind the eight ball the whole time.”
Logano’s critics pointed to his lackluster performance in the regular season, positing that his playoff success did not seem justified when considering the entirety of the season’s performances.
However, Logano asserted that the playoff system is designed so all competitors understand the rules from the start and confirmed the importance of winning when it counts.
