"He has a history": NASCAR Insider credits underappreciated X-factor behind Joey Logano's Las Vegas win

Joey Logano won the opening race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas and booked his spot in the Championship 4 race in Phoenix after being written out of making it past this round following a disastrous finish in Charlotte. Jordan Bianchi recently gave his take on Logano's victory, detailing the role played by Paul Wolfe, the team's crew chief.

A big part of Logano's win was his strategy centered around fuel mileage, orchestrated by his crew chief Paul Wolfe. During the post-Las Vegas episode of The Teardown, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi highlighted the big asset in Wolfe's arsenal which has helped his drivers clinch championships time and time again.

"Paul Wolfe, his history, you even go back to 2012 at Dover, there's a fuel mileage to call there that really was pivotal in that championship that year and he kept Brad Keselowski out there way longer than he should have. I don't know if Brad won that race or he finished second or third, but it was a huge boost to their championship. But he (Wolfe) has a history. He's really good at putting his drivers in situations, managing races, here's what we need to do, here's our contingency plan, and here's how the chips are going to fall," Bianchi said.

He pointed to Logano's win earlier this year at Nashville when Wolfe's self-assuredness and calm demeanor was on full display. Bianchi mentioned that a lot of the spotlight among crew chiefs falls on names like Chris Gabehart, Cliff Daniels, and Adam Stevens. But said that among all the current crew chiefs, only Paul Wolfe and Stevens have won multiple championships.

"Paul is a very unassuming guy, very mild mannered, doesn't get fired up on the radio, doesn't give these big speeches, it isn't like he's insightful or gives you deep break down of things, he just kind of goes about his business and we overlook him a lot. But he is so good at managing these situations and he's done it year after year with multiple drivers now," Bianchi added.

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Joey Logano's crew chief emphasizes team effort in Las Vegas win: "Everyone did their part"

Following their second playoff win this season, Joey Logano's crew chief Paul Wolfe opened up on his next target following the Las Vegas win. Speaking via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the Team Penske crew chief acknowledged that his team has done 'some special things' like his Las Vegas win in the past as well, so it's not all just a matter of luck.

Wolfe further mentioned that the win was a team effort and mentioned how a good team and communication were key in their mileage management and capitalizing on the right moment to pass for the lead and keep the contenders at bay.

"Utimately, everyone did their part and it doesn’t say who was the fastest car on the trophy. It says who won and who’s going to Phoenix and that’s us. I don’t see any reason we can’t go to Phoenix and win that race," Joey Logano's crew chief attested.

With that said it'll be interesting to see if Joey Logano can further strengthen his chances of winning his third Cup title with strong showings in Homestead and Martinsville, the two remaining playoff races in this round before Phoenix.