Joey Logano is back in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8, and that’s bad news for everyone still chasing the championship. Thanks to some gutsy pit calls from crew chief Paul Wolfe, the No. 22 team pulled off another clutch performance under pressure.
“Proud of Paul Wolfe. Made some tough calls today,” Logano told NBC Sports after advancing. “Three-stopping the end there, kind of an audible there at the end. Just our fall-off was a little too much, so making that call there at the end was ultimately what kept us there in the game with just a few left.”
It was a classic Joey Logano move, not just driving skill, but sharp strategy. The final laps were packed with playoff chaos, including Denny Hamlin’s late pass on Ross Chastain, which nearly shifted the playoff picture.
Meanwhile, as the crowd reacted during his post-race interview, Logano soaked it all in.
“Is that me? Is that who they’re booing at?” he joked. “Oh well. We’re still alive, baby! We’re still going. I’m so excited. It’s the drama of the playoffs. If you want drama, the playoffs bring it every time.”
Joey Logano didn’t have the fastest car, but his team delivered a championship-level performance when it mattered. “Wish I was a little faster,” he admitted, “but overall, I couldn’t be more proud of the team. We still got a shot.”
Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin: The Round of 8 Veterans
With this advancement, both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have now reached the Round of 8 ten times each, the most among active drivers. But here’s the difference: Logano’s been to the Round of 4 and won a championship. Hamlin, despite years of dominance, still hasn’t broken through to a title.
“Joey Logano finds his way into the Round of Eight. Joey Logano makes the Round of Eight. Now, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have made it ten times,” Kyle Petty said on NASCAR.com. “Joey Logano has won that championship because he’s made it to the Round of Four. Denny Hamlin is yet to do that, and he’s going to have to go through Joey Logano. I’m just going to say it.”
Kyle Petty: ‘He’ll Bite You’
Petty didn’t mince words about what this means for the rest of the field heading into Phoenix.
“You don’t want to race against guys like Joey Logano,” Petty said. “He will bite you, and I’m telling you, it’s everybody’s worst nightmare going to Phoenix right after Halloween. Joey Logano is going to be there. Remember, Paul Wolfe made that call last year at Las Vegas, and he made another one yesterday. He deserves the award.”
Petty credited Wolfe’s strategic brilliance for keeping Logano alive in the title hunt. “Those guys were in the playoffs, and they took themselves out to the pit and put on tires. And it paid off, because Joey had run down Ross Chastain at the end. It played out exactly like Paul thought.”
As the NASCAR Cup Series tightens up, one thing’s clear: if Joey Logano’s still in it, everyone else should be worried.
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