"Icing on the cake": Denny Hamlin says Joey Logano's potential title would underscore NASCAR's format issues

Amid the ongoing criticism of the NASCAR playoff format, Denny Hamlin has stated that Joey Logano's title win would be the "icing on the cake" to prove the format's failure. This wave of criticism intensified after two Team Penske drivers, Logano and Ryan Blaney, both recent race winners, qualified for the Championship 4 on Sunday.

Ryan Blaney claimed victory in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday to secure back-to-back Championship 4 appearances. He is the defending Cup Series champion and will vie for the title against his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, the 2022 and 2018 Cup Series winner.

As the Penske drivers made it to the final round yet again, fans called out the playoff format, something Hamlin spoke about in the recent Actions Detrimental podcast. Here's what he said:

"I mean some of that is our human nature I think right, I mean we typically always find faults in something but you know we talked about this, or we've seen it through you know on YouTube."

"The dam of legitimacy with NASCAR right and there's been so many cracks over the years and you know again I believe Joey Logano's title next week would be icing on the cake as to Holy sh*t, what are we doing," he added. (37:55-38:31)

The playoff format hindered the progress of the most successful driver of this season, Kyle Larson, to the next round. Larson claimed six victories this season, three more than the next-best driver. Apart from Larson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott also failed to make it to the Championship 4.

Logano and Blaney will compete for the NASCAR title alongside regular season champion, 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron.

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Denny Hamlin predicts wrath if Joey Logano wins title

NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) races alongside Denny Hamlin (11) during the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway (Image via Imagn)

Denny Hamlin, in the Actions Detrimental podcast, also predicted that if Joey Logano wins his third Cup Series title, fans will flood social media with criticism against NASCAR's playoff format.

“I can tell you this and it’s not their fault or his fault or anyone’s, but if Joey Logano wins this title there is going to be a wrath on social media about this format," the JGR driver stated. (33:37-33:48)

Denny Hamlin failed to make the cut after being unable to make amends in the Las Vegas, Homestead, and Martinsville races. As such, he lost the chance to vie for his first Cup Series title on November 10 at Phoenix Raceway. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell was also shown the exit door after he rode the wall at Martinsville.

Even though Byron and Bell finished the Martinsville race with identical points, NASCAR deemed Bell's move illegal and declared Byron as the last driver to qualify for the Championship 4.