CHICAGO – The trajectory of Joey Logano’s 2024 season quickly changed last weekend at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.
Coming into the Ally 400 at 16th on the playoff grid, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion scored an unlikely victory in the Music City, surviving five overtime attempts.
Maybe the most impressive aspect of his 33rd career victory is how he stretched out 110 laps on his final tank of fuel. Other contenders such as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson couldn’t reach the final distance without an additional stop, leaving many to wonder how Logano made it.
“We did a really good job of saving fuel under those cautions. It all kind of just played out just right because we didn’t have the best track position in the beginning of the race, so we saved some fuel there,” Logano said in a press conference Friday. “I just kind of worked from the engine side, seemed like we made pretty good mileage. Our bodies seemed to be pretty good as far as the drag perspective.
“It all plays in favor for fuel mileage races. Not many fuel mileage races these days though. That is kind of a rarity for sure. If it does ever go that way, it looks like we are in pretty good shape.”
Logano had just five top 10s on the season entering last weekend but had won the non-points paying All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May. Since that victory, he seemingly built momentum, finishing sixth or better in three of the next six events including Sunday’s win.
The 34-year-old now sits 14th in overall driver’s points and completed the Team Penske trifecta of winners in June. Penske is the only organization to have all of its cars locked into the playoffs.
“It is definitely something to be proud of,” Logano said. “There are really solid teams that are going to miss the playoffs this year. It is just what it is now with this Next Gen car. It is hard to get a huge advantage and if you have a few things that just don’t go your way time after time you find yourself behind the eight ball. On the outside looking in pretty quickly.
“The pressure was on to get all our cars in. That is just one piece to the puzzle that is done now. I think it lets you kind of recharge your batteries a little bit. Instead of going into the playoffs with your tongue hanging out, you have a moment to look a little further forward than just the next race.”
Though Logano’s statistically on track for his worst career season with Penske, he doesn’t want to be counted out.
He compared this year to 2018 – when he won his first title. Logano won just once in the first 32 races, but a controversial move of Martin Truex Jr. for a victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway put him in the Championship 4. He went on to win at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway to take NASCAR’s highest crown.
In 2022, Logano similarly won two of the last four races – Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway – for the championship. Last year, teammate Ryan Blaney finished no worse than sixth in the final four races and won two of the final six for his first title.
“We always think we can win the championship,” Logano said. “If you think of 2018, and I’ve said it before, I remember having the conversation with my wife just saying ‘gosh I hope we get through the first round of these playoffs because I felt that is where we were from a speed perspective’ and all of a sudden, it got better. And we go on and win the whole thing.
“Are we seeded the best going into the playoffs right now? No. We don’t have enough playoff points. The cards are stacked a little bit against us from that perspective. But I’ve also seen plenty of times where if you can just be solid, get through the rounds, win the races that matter.”
Logano has a shot at consecutive victories this weekend at the Chicago Street Course. He’ll also run double duty, piloting the AM Racing No. 15 car in the Xfinity Series.
In his Cup career, Logano has one road course win – Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l in 2015.