“Won it like they’re champions” - Richard Petty acknowledges Joey Logano-Ryan Blaney's superiority in Phoenix

NASCAR legend Richard Petty this week complimented the dominating performance by Team Penske drivers in the Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney crossed the start-finish line in P1 and P2, respectively, securing the third consecutive Cup Series title for their team.

Logano and Blaney were both in contention for the 2024 Cup Series title. Logano launched from P2 in the Championship Race, while Blaney’s #12 Ford started mid-pack in P17. Although teammates, they battled intensely, with Logano clinching victory in stage one and Blaney taking the green and white checkered flag at the end of stage two. Ultimately, Logano captured his third Cup Series title, shattering Blaney’s aspiration to win back-to-back championships for Team Penske.

Seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty recently shared his thoughts on the dominance by the #22 and the #12 Penske Fords in Phoenix. In the post-Phoenix episode of the Petty Race Recap podcast, Petty said,

"Probably the best two cars overall was up front running. I look at it, they won it like their champions. It was luck to get there, to run for it. But once luck got them there to run for it, they took advantage of it and stepped their program up and got the job done.

"Next year, It's going to be a whole different deal. Because all these people are going to sit down all winter long, and they're going to have all these engineers and they're going to go through every cotton-picken' thing they've done and pick up the bad things and throw them out."

Despite a career-low average finish, Joey Logano clinched the 2024 Cup Series championship, sparking widespread debate among fans and athletes regarding NASCAR's playoff format.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty, famously known for driving the #43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises, had an extraordinary career from 1958 to 1992, securing over 200 race wins.

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“Forget the points” - Richard Petty proposes changes to NASCAR’s controversial championship format

NASCAR legend Richard Petty shared his thoughts on the current elimination-style playoff format, following Joey Logano's title win at Phoenix. Responding to a fan's question on what he would change in the current playoff format, Petty said:

I guess what I would do look at the deal and say [...] forget the points, let the winners run for the Championships. I mean if the guy's won one race or 10 races, they get into the Championship.

"Looks to me, like, in the long run that would be the best way because you got some guys up there that almost run for the Championship that didn't win any races."

Meanwhile, many fans and notable NASCAR athletes have expressed concerns about the fairness in the current championship format. Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern has reported that NASCAR may review the format over the winter break, considering potential changes for future seasons.