CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 05: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 05, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)
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It’s becoming a fall tradition in NASCAR: the Great Joey Logano Escape.
Last year, he made the playoffs only because Alex Bowman was eliminated after failing post-race inspection. Logano then went on to win his third championship. This year? He slipped in again—on the final lap—after Ross Chastain went spinning through the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval like a shopping cart with a broken wheel.
With just over 11 laps left, Chastain was ahead of Logano again. All he had to do was hang on. But Team Penske rolled the dice, bringing Logano in for fresh tires. That gamble left Chastain on worn rubber and praying for divine intervention. Instead, he got Denny Hamlin.
On the final lap, in the final chicane, Hamlin and Chastain tangled. Chastain spun, threw his car into reverse, and barreled backward across the finish line. The crowd roared—until Logano slipped past, stealing the last playoff transfer spot by a single position. One man in, one man out.
Logano, who knew exactly how close it was, could barely contain himself. Chastain’s team owner, Justin Marks, didn’t sugarcoat it either:
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 05: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, crosses the finish line ahead of Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Chevrolet, who finishes in reverse after an on-track incident after an on-track incident to end the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 05, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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“It was a bit self-inflicted on the 1 team,” Marks said. “We need to be better on pit road. We need to eliminate the mistakes that were made today so we weren’t in that position.”
And Hamlin? He didn’t even realize he was the accidental villain.
“I wasn’t aware,” he said. “I definitely wish I was aware, but nobody told me. Obviously, I was the guy in the way.”
That moment set off a weeklong argument about what exactly counts as “racing” in the playoff era. Hamlin’s pass accidentally helped a Ford driver advance while eliminating a Chevrolet, triggering accusations of race manipulation and questions about whether teams were influencing outcomes to protect manufacturer allies.
NASCAR reviewed radio communications after reports surfaced that several teams were using coded language to manage tire wear and track position. Officials didn’t find enough evidence to penalize anyone, but the message was clear: the sport’s biggest drama is now flirting with its biggest risk.
Logano Shrugs at the Gray Area
Now, the Cup Series has arrived at Las Vegas, and Logano isn’t apologizing. In fact, he isn’t even pretending to care.
“Honestly, I don’t care how we move on,” Logano said. “I don’t really care how we win the championship, I just want to win. I don’t care how we get there. I’ve always said it’s about the big trophy at the end of the day. That’s all that matters.”
That’s Logano in a sentence: pragmatic, unapologetic, and totally unfazed by the chaos swirling around him. While others were debating ethics, he was focused on execution.
He also made it clear that he wants as much information as possible inside the car—even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
“I want to know my point situation because it matters,” he said. “But I also want to know the other point situations because that matters too—not for manipulating the race, but for understanding what risk I’m taking. Is this guy in a must-win situation and he’s gonna clobber me? What are the motives out there?”
To Logano, that’s not interference—it’s intelligence. Knowing who’s desperate and who’s safe helps him calculate moves in real time. “That helps me,” he said. “Not in a case of changing the outcome or anything like that, but how can I make the 22 car finish better. That’s my job.”
The Line Between Strategy and Sabotage
It’s a line NASCAR has been tiptoeing for years. Team orders have existed in subtle forms since the sport’s earliest days, but the modern playoff format—with its cutoffs, eliminations, and single-race showdowns—has made every decision feel more consequential.
Logano admits it’s complicated.
“It’s a slippery slope either way because where is the line?” he said. “Is just telling somebody where you are in points too far? Saying straight-up what to do is probably too far. But just saying what the point situation is, I don’t think that’s too far.”
The gray area is obvious—and so is Logano’s comfort living in it.
He hasn’t discussed the issue with NASCAR, leaving that to the officials. “My opinion, I don’t think, matters too much in this one,” he said. “I’m sure we could probably tighten some of that up a little bit and just help us understand that.”
It’s a typically Logano answer—measured, strategic, and unbothered by the moral debate that follows him.
Racing Ethics in the Age of Entertainment
When Hamlin was asked whether he should have let Chastain keep his spot to knock Logano out, the question struck at the heart of NASCAR’s new dilemma. Is blocking a rival fair game? Is passing him manipulation?
Logano didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Everyone is gonna have a different opinion on that,” he said. “If that’s your main goal to win the championship, what gives you the best chance to win the whole thing? That’s pretty gray. But I don’t know if you want to race against either one of us.”
He smirked and added, “Or get wrecked. There’s that. Should have waited a little sooner.”
This is NASCAR in 2025—part sport, part theater, part strategic warfare. The playoff system was built to deliver drama, and business-wise, it works. Each round becomes a must-watch event where every corner, every restart, and every radio call can change the championship picture. But the same system that amplifies the spectacle also invites suspicion.
NASCAR knows the line between strategy and manipulation isn’t just a sporting issue—it’s a brand issue. The integrity of the outcome is the product being sold.
The Super Bowl Moment
Still, Logano wouldn’t change a thing.
“I love the one-race championship,” he said. “I love that every pit stop and every decision can win or lose you the title. It’s the Super Bowl moment. You will leave the racetrack knowing who is the champion.”
It’s pressure that few can handle.
“As a competitor, it’s stressful as hell,” he said. “It’s supposed to be hard. I’ve been on both ends of it. One pit stop can win or lose you the title. So be it. Those were the rules when we got them.”
And now that he’s back in the hunt, Logano knows the field has noticed.
“Do they feel that way? Great,” he said. “We’re in their head.”
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with the Bill France NASCAR Cup Series Championship trophy in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Love him or loathe him, Joey Logano has mastered NASCAR’s modern survival game—where chaos is currency, gray is gold, and winning is all that matters.
Because in his world, there’s no such thing as luck. There’s only timing, tires, and the ability to be the last man standing when the smoke clears.
For NASCAR, the challenge isn’t Joey Logano—it’s the system that rewards him. The playoff chaos is part of the show. The question now is whether the line between drama and distortion can stay bright enough to keep fans—and the sport’s integrity—on the same track.
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