Joey Logano, known for his no-holds-barred attitude on the track, once again let his frustrations spill over the team radio during the Kansas playoff race, as his hopes for a strong start in the Round of 12 quickly unraveled. After entering the weekend with confidence following a victory in the Round of 16 at Atlanta, the Team Penske driver found himself battling a car that seemingly turned on him after a pit stop adjustment.
The trouble began during the second stage of the Hollywood Casino 400, when Logano’s pit crew made a few tweaks to the No. 22 Ford Mustang. But instead of boosting his speed, the changes left the car underpowered, with Logano feeling helpless as he rejoined the track.
“How in the hell is this thing so f**ing slow? God bless. I hit the gas and go nowhere!”* Logano fumed over the radio, letting his team know just how frustrated he was with the car’s lack of pace.
Fortunately, a caution soon after allowed Logano’s crew to make further adjustments, but it forced them to overhaul their strategy entirely. As a result, the reigning two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion could only manage a P14 finish, a far cry from the win he had hoped for.
After the race, Logano didn’t hold back in explaining how his car went from being a potential race-winner to a loose, uncontrollable machine.
“We went from a winning car to being wrecking loose like someone hit a light switch,” Logano said. “I don’t know why or what, but we had something that we could win with early, and then we were out of control loose and trying not to wreck. It beats me. I don’t understand it.”
Despite the challenges, Logano found some solace in the fact that he was able to salvage stage points early in the race and avoid a total disaster. With some playoff contenders finishing worse than him, he secured a slight cushion above the cutline heading into next week’s Talladega race.
“At least we scored good stage points in the first stage, but we got nothing in the second stage, unfortunately. We battled back from that loose wheel and got back to 14th. We just have to go to Talladega and be solid again. It isn’t going to be a comfortable next two weeks, that’s for sure.”
Logano’s frustrations are understandable given the high stakes in the NASCAR playoffs. With two races left in the Round of 12, including the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway, the 2018 and 2022 Cup champion knows there’s no room for error. His determination to bounce back is clear, but it remains to be seen if the Kansas setback will impact his quest for another championship.
As Logano gears up for the final two races of the round, fans will be watching to see if he can overcome these challenges and keep his title hopes alive.
