Joey Logano Is All Over Today’s Headlines—Here’s Why NASCAR Fans Can’t Stop Talking

Joey Logano reminded the NASCAR Cup Series field why eliminating him early is so critical, muscling the No. 22 Team Penske Ford into the Round of 8 with a late-race masterstroke at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Crew chief Paul Wolfe rolled the dice by pitting for fresh tires with 11 laps remaining; Logano surged forward while Ross Chastain faded, then watched Chastain spin off Denny Hamlin in the final chicane to lock up the last transfer spot. The dramatic escape keeps the defending champion’s bid for a fourth Cup title alive—an achievement that would tie Jeff Gordon on the all-time list and cement Logano’s status among the sport’s legends. “We’re still alive, baby!” the 35-year-old exclaimed to a chorus of boos from grandstands that have come to respect, if not always embrace, his playoff savvy. Sunday’s finish echoed last season’s Houdini act, when a post-race disqualification vaulted Logano back into contention before he parlayed a Las Vegas victory into the championship. With another trip to Sin City looming this weekend, rivals know history could repeat itself. Logano owns wins at Las Vegas, Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix—the exact quartet of tracks that will decide who hoists the 2025 Bill France Cup. Statistically, the Connecticut native hasn’t been the fastest car all year, but NASCAR Insights rate him the Cup Series’ top defender in traffic. Give him track position—through strategy or pit-road execution—and passing the bright-yellow Ford becomes a migraine. Hamlin admitted as much after Charlotte: “Truthfully, I wish I’d known the points picture on that last lap. Anyone but Joey, man.” The playoff grid now reads like a who’s-who of contenders forced to deal with Logano’s relentless efficiency. Points leader Kyle Larson carries speed, while Christopher Bell, William Byron, Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. scramble for stage points and clean air. Yet the paddock’s collective groan after Charlotte said it all: the one driver they least wanted to see survives yet again. Looking ahead to Sunday’s South Point 400, Wolfe’s crew will unload a setup honed during May’s victory at Texas, another 1.5-mile oval. A win would punch Logano’s ticket straight to the Championship 4, but even a solid points day ratchets up the pressure on everyone else. If the past two seasons proved anything, it’s that Joey Logano doesn’t need to dominate speedsheets to dominate headlines—and championships. For fans, the takeaway is simple: whenever the NASCAR playoffs intensify, so does Logano. And unless the remaining seven contenders find a way to finish him off in the desert, the sport may be on the verge of crowning a four-time champion who just refuses to go away.