NASCAR insider: Playoff win for Joey Logano, 22 team was 'given to them'

There is just something about the magic of playoff Joey Logano in an even year. After his win in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas, Logano is locked into the Championship 4 at Phoenix for the sixth time in his career.

When looking at his Championship 4 appearances between 2014-2024, every single one has been in an even year. At this point, it’s Logano’s trademark, as is his ability to maximize the days where he does not have the best car. That was the case at Las Vegas, said Jeff Gluck of The Athletic on “The Teardown” podcast, who said that Logano’s victory was sort of “given to them” after the late caution involving Ty Gibbs.

Jeff Gluck opines on Joey Logano’s victory at Las Vegas

“Let’s not pretend he came out here and was the fastest car and he raced his way in with a dominating performance,” Gluck said. “Look, they played it absolutely perfectly. They got the strategy exactly right, but they played a strategy that was essentially given to them in a way. The caution came out when Ty Gibbs spun, the caution came out right at the edge of the fuel window. The leaders, like Christopher Bell who dominated this race, could not take a strategy of trying to make it all the way.

“… The teams that weren’t gonna have a chance to win straight up, had to try something different. Logano did and kudos to them and they deserve all the credit in the world. He has a habit of somehow maximizing these days where he doesn’t have the best car. He’s not even really — maybe he’s gonna finish in the top five, maybe a fifth to 15th-place car or something. And he somehow is able to milk his fuel.”

Gluck is correct in saying that Logano did not have the best car. Logano himself admitted it, and anybody who watched the race knew the best car belonged to Christopher Bell. The Joe Gibbs Racing star led 155-of-267 laps, however, Logano had the winning strategy. He saved enough fuel down the stretch to outlast his fellow playoff competitor for the win.

Joey Logano advances to Championship 4 after victory at Las Vegas

Not too shabby for a driver who nine days ago, saw his championship hopes come to an end before NASCAR disqualified Alex Bowman at the Charlotte Roval for failing post-race inspection, giving Logano the final transfer spot into the Round of 8.

The two-time Cup Series champion has been far away from the best driver this season. And yet, he is currently the championship favorite. Under the current playoff system, it is all about getting hot at the right time and Logano certainly is, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic said.

“It’s not about body of work necessarily,” Bianchi said. “It’s about getting hot at the right time of the year. And finding a way to capitalize on other people’s misfortune. Just finding a way to flip OK days into great days and doing whatever it takes to win races. And this team does an exceptional job of that.

“We hear all the time about how teams and drivers aren’t clutch, and they make mistakes at inopportune moments. We don’t say that about this team. They are the opposite of somebody who stumbles over themselves. They are the epitome of clutch.”