Joey Logano gives honest reaction to 2024 NASCAR title influencing playoff changes

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano shared his thoughts on his 2024 title-winning campaign influencing changes to the playoff system. Logano said that he doesn’t have a clue regarding the potential changes to the playoffs and responded to whether the new format should be dubbed the "Joey Logano Rule."

The playoff system, originally known as the Chase, was introduced following Matt Kenseth's championship win in 2003. Under the season-long format, Kenseth secured the title through remarkable consistency, despite winning just one race. This led NASCAR to increase the points awarded to race winners and implement a playoff system, which became popularly known as the "Matt Kenseth Rule."

With Logano's 2024 title-winning campaign prompting NASCAR to rethink its playoff format, the #22 Penske driver was asked if the new format should be named after him. The 3x champion was unsure about the changes to the playoff format but insisted that every sport has seasons, where a team starts off slow but steps up its game in the playoffs to win the title.

Logano also referenced the Philadelphia Eagles' recent Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, remarking that nobody was upset over that. In a recent interview with SpeedFreaks, he said:

"I don't know if they're going to change it. To your point, it's happened in Major League Baseball, it happens in every sport, it happens in NFL, it happens in NHL. I can happen in everything, that's just part of the playoffs and they have long seasons."

"Just because a team has a rough start — look at the Eagles, they didn't have the best start and then they go win the whole thing. Is anyone mad about that?"

Although Joey Logano won four races last year, his 17.1 average finish for the season was the worst of any Cup Series champion. NASCAR opted not to make any immediate changes to the playoff format for the 2025 season but is evaluating potential changes for 2026 and beyond.

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Joey Logano reflected on penalty-stricken outing at Phoenix

Joey Logano lined up on the front row for the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway but got penalized early in the race, which derailed his outing. The #22 Penske driver committed a restart violation from the lead in Stage 1, going below the yellow line before crossing the start-finish line.

The penalty derailed his strategy, forcing the #22 Ford team to use its option tires early in the race. He finished second in Stage 2 and was classified 13th at the checkered flag. Reflecting on his race, Logano told NBC Sports:

"Obviously, our strategy took a hit with the penalty early on. That took us out of, at least, a pair of top-10 stage finishes. We had top-10 speed all day but had to settle for 13th. We’re looking forward to Vegas and building off of our last trip there."

Joey Logano has yet to secure a top-10 finish this season but currently sits ninth in the driver standings, tied in points with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. He now heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track where he has claimed two victories in the next-gen era.