Joey Logano won his second race of the season at Richmond Raceway, and all of a sudden, he’s back in championship contention. The win was special for Logano, not just because of its implications for the standings, but because he wants to silence his haters.
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Logano won all three of his championships under the elimination-style playoff format. The No. 22 team made the most of the format despite not always being the dominant team. That’s why some fans have labeled him a “Mickey Mouse champion.” Now that the 10-race championship run is back in the mix, Logano wants to silence his naysayers.
Speaking to the media during the post-race press conference, Logano said, “Do I have a chip on my shoulder? Yeah, that’s a clear yes. So much that our slogan on the team hauler on the scoreboard is ‘for the haters.’ That’s where we’re at, so that’s a good little extra motivation. Either way, the Mickey Mouse years look good on the trophies, and the check was pretty cool to go with it.”
In the win-and-you’re-in format, Logano and the No. 22 team knew how to flip the switch during the playoffs. Take his 2024 title run, for example. He entered the playoffs in 15th place with a single win, which came at Nashville. He then won at Atlanta, securing his advance to the Round of 12, before catching another lucky break.
In the penultimate race of the Round of 12 at the Roval, Logano was out of the title race. But Alex Bowman’s disqualification gave him another lifeline. In the very first race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas, he won and secured his spot in the Championship 4. Then, at Phoenix, he claimed his third NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Logano and his team weren’t cheating; they were playing by the rules NASCAR had set. Interestingly, he has always backed the playoff format, saying, “For people to complain, it makes me mad. It makes me so frustrated to hear that. Because golly, man, it is awesome.” But now that the rules have changed and the playoffs are no longer in the picture, it has given Logano even more motivation—to prove to his critics that he can win titles under the playoffs format as well as in a 10-race championship run.
Another thing to look out for is that this is an even year. All three of the championships the Penske driver has won have come in even years. So, playoffs or no playoffs, Logano is right where he needs to be and could be contending for another Cup Series championship.