“It’s just wild how quick things can turn”: Joey Logano feels ‘great’ about a shot at 3rd NASCAR championship after Las Vegas win

Joey Logano reflected on his dramatic NASCAR Cup Series Playoff run after winning the South Points 400. Logano was feeling ‘great’ about a chance at winning his third Cup Series championship after he was reinstated into playoff contention following Alex Bowman’s DQ.

Competing under Team Penske, Joey Logano is a 34-year-old professional American racing driver piloting the No. 22 Ford Mustang. Logano was eliminated after the Charlotte Motor Speedway race but was brought back to the playoff picture after Bowman’s No. 48 car was penalized for failing the post-race inspection.

In a report by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the Connecticut native felt ecstatic with the turn of events in his playoff run. When asked about his chances at a championship, he said:

“I feel great about them now. It’s so hard to say exactly how you feel. One thing you learn about this sport is you’re never out of it… not that we had the best regular season. We had a pretty decent playoff up to this point, and then now I feel like we are the favorites going to Phoenix after winning this race and knowing what that means, “ the Team Penske driver said. [0:50]

Joey Logano pointed out how unpredictable racing can be in NASCAR considering he was out of the postseason last week but is now locked in the Championship 4.

“It’s just wild how quick things can turn in this sport,” Logano added.

Joey Logano crossed the line 0.662 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Compared to the race-high 155 laps led by Bell, the No. 22 Ford driver only led the field for six laps. He walked away the race weekend with 49 points and a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4.

After the Las Vegas race, the top 4 drivers in the playoff standings are Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. Meanwhile, the drivers below the cutline are Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott.

The Round of 8 still has two more races scheduled at Homestead-Miami Raceway and Martinsville Raceway before the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on November 10.

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Former NASCAR champion counted Joey Logano out of the Championship 4

Before the Las Vegas race, former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick shared his predictions on the potential Championship 4 contenders. One of the playoff drivers Harvick snubbed was Joey Logano, saying he hadn’t seen him perform well in the postseason.

In an episode of the Happy Hour podcast, the driver-turned-commentator said:

“I don't see [Joey] Logano and [Ryan] Blaney having the speed," Harvick argued. "Chase Elliott has been very consistent and had quality good finishes. But I just haven't seen that dominant performance out of those three guys."

Joey Logano celebrating the Las Vegas win in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford - Source: Imagn

Calling the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver a wild card, Kevin Harvick believed that Denny Hamlin wouldn’t likely make it to the Championship 4.

So far, Logano has bagged two wins in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff. He won the postseason opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway before parking his car in victory lane the second time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.