“You move on and keep going”: Joey Logano not counting himself out of playoff qualification just yet

Team Penske driver Joey Logano is not yet considering himself out of playoff qualification after a tough race last weekend.

Logano has two wins this season. The No. 22 Ford Mustang driver's chances for a strong finish were hurt when a big crash ended his race early during the YellaWood 500 at Talladega. He is currently 9th in the Cup Series standings with 13 points below the cutline.

However, Logano, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, is optimistic about his chances to qualify for the next round of the playoffs this Sunday.

"As an athlete, you go through the downs and the ups. You move on from it, you learn from it, and you keep going," Logano said.

The last race of the Round of 12 is the Bank of America Roval 400 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13.

Logano finished 5th on the road course last year after starting in 7th place. He has had strong top-10 finishes in previous years, including 2nd in 2020 and 7th in 2021.

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"Good enough spot to where I could get a top-five" - Joey Logano after Talladega mess

Joey Logano, who drives the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, has a total of 34 Cup Series wins. He is one of only four drivers (Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Busch) to win over 25 races before turning 30.

Logano was in fifth place when the 28-car crash occurred last Sunday at Talladega. It affected both Logano and teammate Austin Cindric. After the race, he pointed out that he was in a good position to finish in the top five. He believed the bottom lane was the safest spot, but after Cindric spun out, it ruined Logano's chances of advancing to the next round.

"I felt like I was in a good enough spot to where I could get a top-five, and if they started crossing each other up coming to the checkered, I was on the bottom, and things were going to work fairly well for us. I actually thought the bottom was the safest place to be, but [Cindric] got sideways, and there I was,” Logano said.

He added that drivers tend to get more aggressive at the end of races and mentioned that the No. 2 driver, Brad Keselowski, was pushing harder than normal. However, he believes "it was just a product of racing" and does not blame anyone for the massive crash.

The 34-year-old needs at least a top-five finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway to keep his playoff hopes alive.