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Joey Logano’s Three-Time Champion Reign Begins – But Critics Won’t Let Him Celebrate

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 16, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Joey Logano’s Three-Time Champion Reign Begins – But Critics Won’t Let Him Celebrate

Feb 16, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) walks to the drivers meeting before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Joey Logano should be basking in the glory of his third NASCAR Cup Series championship, but instead, he’s stepping into the 2025 season with a cloud of controversy hanging over his title.

As the Daytona 500 looms, Logano isn’t just racing for another trophy—he’s racing to prove his critics wrong.


The Champion Nobody Celebrated?

In most sports, a three-time champion is universally respected. But for Logano, his 2024 title was met with backlash rather than applause.

  • The issue? The playoff format.
  • The complaint? He wasn’t the best driver all season.

Logano finished 15th in the regular-season standings, with just one win before the playoffs. But when it mattered most, he turned it on—winning three races in the playoffs, including the winner-take-all finale at Phoenix.

Instead of widespread celebration, Logano faced a storm of criticism:

“He’s not deserving.”
“He’s not the real champion.”
“The best driver didn’t win.”

Logano shrugs it off, but the narrative hasn’t gone away.

“It doesn’t take anything away, in my opinion,” he told reporters.

And while NASCAR hasn’t changed the format for 2025, the debate over whether the system actually crowns the best champion is already heating up for 2026 and beyond.


Logano Defends His Title – And the System That Gave It to Him

For Logano, the criticism isn’t just about his championship—it’s about the entire playoff format that has defined NASCAR since 2014.

Under the current system, it doesn’t matter if a driver dominates the entire season—if they don’t perform in the final 10 races, they don’t win the title.

And Logano played the game perfectly.

  • He survived elimination rounds where regular-season leaders faltered.
  • He won when it mattered—three times in the playoffs, including the finale at Phoenix.
  • He executed under pressure, while others stumbled.

So, is the system broken—or did Logano simply beat everyone at their own game?

“The format is what it is,” Logano has argued.
“You know the rules going in, and we won when we needed to.”

And that’s the brutal truth of NASCAR’s playoff system: It’s not about being the best all year—it’s about being the best when it counts.


Will NASCAR Change the Playoff System?

NASCAR officials aren’t deaf to the criticism.

While no changes are coming for 2025, discussions are already happening behind closed doors about potential tweaks for 2026 and beyond.

Some ideas on the table:

  • Weighting the regular-season standings more heavily so that dominance over 36 races is rewarded.
  • A multi-race Championship Round, instead of a one-race shootout.
  • A hybrid system that balances consistency and clutch performances.

For now, though, Logano is the champion, and the format isn’t changing.

And if he has to prove himself all over again in 2025, he’s ready.


A Daytona 500 Statement?

As Logano takes the green flag at Daytona, all eyes will be on him—not just as the defending champion, but as a driver determined to silence his doubters.

Another title run? That would force his critics to acknowledge his greatness.

But a Daytona 500 win? That would be the perfect way to kick off his reign—on his own terms.

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