When NASCAR first announced the new in-season challenge back in May 2024, major hype followed, only for it to die down with almost no promotions in sight. Thankfully, in early June this year, the conversations finally reignited—not with fanfare, but some head-scratching reactions topped off by Kyle Larson pointing out soon after his ‘Double’ attempt, “I just really haven’t seen anything promoted about it, so I think it’s easy to forget about it.” But, mind you, Joey Logano hasn’t forgotten about the upcoming challenge at all. In fact, he’s making sure not to slack off one bit.

Before we dive into Logano’s comments, here’s how the tournament works. Thirty-two drivers compete for tournament seedings over three races, which start at Michigan and conclude at Pocono on June 22. The winners of these races automatically qualify (so far only Denny Hamlin has qualified). Following the Pocono clash, over the next 5 races, starting at Atlanta on June 28, drivers are seeded by their best finish. The driver who has a higher H2H finish at each race progresses to the next round.

Then a single elimination format narrows the field to 16 at Chicago, then eight at Sonoma, four at Dover, and ultimately two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The biggest attraction? The $1 million prize money. Interestingly, despite winning at Mexico City, Shane van Gisbergen did not qualify for the tournament as he was already out of the eligible points cutoff before last weekend. As for Logano—currently 9th in the standings—he knows he’s locked and loaded.

During an appearance on the Sirius XM NASCAR podcast this week, the three-time Cup Series champion remarked, “The in-season tournament…there’s a million bucks on the line. That’s plenty for me to go to work[laughing]. I get it, you know? You see how upset I was at the All-Star race. It’s the same number. So, I’m gonna be in. So, I’m excited about.” All you have to do is cast your mind back to that night of North Wilkesboro’s All-Star race when Joey Logano and Christopher Bell were fighting for the win at the All-Star race.

Yes, the same race where Bell took advantage of a two-tire stop to outduel the defending Cup Series champion with nine laps remaining. This time, Logano is not allowing that.

“I think it’s something great. Gives us something to talk about at this point of the year. Outside of the team trying to make the playoffs, that are already in the playoffs. It gives them a little something more. I think this is a great idea. I’m excited to see how it plays out. And I’m sure it’s going to be something exciting, and they’ll probably do it again. But, yeah, I think it’s great,” he further said during the podcast appearance.

But there are still a few doubts around him. Earlier this month, Logano shared ahead of Nashville, “You can’t dominate by talent alone. You’ve got to have the work ethic, the experience, and the drive to outlast everyone else.” 

How is the season looking for the reigning champ?

Joey Logano’s 2025 season began with promise but quickly became challenging. At the Daytona 500, he led 43 laps before a crash ended his race. He faced similar issues in subsequent races, too. At Pheonix, the veteran racer, finished outside the top 10 (P13) because of a restart violation. Then, a significant blow came at Talladega, where he initially finished in the Top-5, but was disqualified after post-race inspections revealed a technical violation.

Despite leading more laps than any other Penske driver, Logano struggled with consistency early in the season, managing only one top-10 finish (P8 at Martinsville) in his first ten starts. His frustration was evident when he admitted in March, “I’ve left the racetrack every single weekend mad at something.” However, he silenced critics with his first victory at Texas Motor Speedway in May, which helped him gain momentum.

While not considered a favorite for the Viva Mexico 250, Logano qualified ninth and gained positions early in the race. However, he dropped to 24 by the end of Stage 1, ultimately finishing P21. One thing’s clear: Luck has certainly been a hit and a miss this season for the Penske driver. Can he still shoot for the million dollars on the line? Only time will tell.