NASCAR fans, start your engines—because Joey Logano is not here for your nostalgia!
As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks into high gear, the two-time champion is firing back at critics who call the playoff format a gimmick. Logano, never one to back down from a challenge (or a good on-track feud), is doubling down on his belief that the current system is the ultimate test of a champion—and if you can’t deliver in crunch time, that’s on you.
Playoffs: Gimmick or Greatness? Logano Says “Quit Complaining”
If you’ve spent any time in NASCAR circles, you know that the playoff format debate never dies. Some old-school fans yearn for the season-long points battle, where consistency ruled the day. Others believe the elimination-style playoffs create a “Mickey Mouse” championship where luck plays too big a role.
But Logano? He’s not buying it.
💬 “If you’re the best, prove it when it counts,” Logano said ahead of the Daytona 500. “That’s how real sports work.”
The Team Penske driver compared NASCAR’s playoff structure to the NFL, NBA, and MLB, where the regular season sets the stage, but the championship is won by rising to the occasion when it matters most.
💥 “And the same way we just watched the NFL go through their playoffs, right? It doesn’t matter how good of a regular season you have—you may be seeded better in the first round, right?” Logano explained.
It’s a simple philosophy: Champions don’t coast. Champions clutch up.
Tony Stewart Proved the System Works—So Did Logano
If you think the playoff system is unfair, consider Tony Stewart’s 2011 miracle run. Smoke barely made the playoffs, but once he did, he won five of the final 10 races—outdueling Carl Edwards in one of the most dramatic championship battles ever.
🏆 Result? Stewart took home the title, proving that when the lights shine brightest, true champions rise to the occasion.
Logano’s own 2022 championship run followed a similar playbook. When it mattered most, he delivered. But some fans weren’t having it, calling him an “undeserving champion.”
His response? Cry about it.
💬 “Who in their right mind wants to go back to what we used to do? I watch that, too. Like, it’s so easy for us as a society to look back and say, like, ‘good old days.’”
For Logano, there’s no asterisk on his titles. No excuses. No footnotes. Just clutch performances in the biggest moments.
Penske Has Cracked the Code—And Logano Knows It
Team Penske has figured out how to play the NASCAR playoff game better than anyone. The organization has won three consecutive championships, proving that the format rewards the teams that execute under pressure.
Logano thrives in that high-stakes environment, and he wouldn’t change a thing.
💬 “I think it’s great. I enjoy watching the trucks. I enjoy watching Xfinity. It’s the same playoff system. It’s awesome.”
For him, the old system is dead, and it’s not coming back. If you want to win a NASCAR championship today, you’d better be ready to bring your A-game when the season is on the line.
Love Him or Hate Him, Logano Has a Point
💥 You don’t win championships by accident.
Whether fans love him or loathe him, Joey Logano has proven that he can get the job done when it counts. And as long as NASCAR sticks with the elimination-style playoffs, he’s not losing sleep over the haters.
So if you still think the NASCAR playoffs are a gimmick, Joey’s got one message for you:
Quit whining, step up, and race your way to the title.