Team Penske driver Joey Logano clinched his third NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024, marking the end of a two-year title drought. However, despite his recent strong performance, fans remained unconvinced about Logano’s championship worthiness. Many fans compared Logano’s stats with those of Kyle Larson, a Hendrick Motorsports driver, expressing their preference for Larson’s season performance.
NASCAR statistician Trey Ryan recently posted a breakdown of the 2024 season on X, revealing key stats that highlighted Larson’s standout season. Notably, Logano’s name was missing from the leaderboard, while Larson appeared prominently. Many fans were surprised by Logano’s victory in the final race, especially given Larson’s consistent performance throughout the year.
Over the 2024 season, Larson led with six wins, while Logano secured four, including the championship-deciding race. Additionally, Larson had 15 top-five finishes compared to Logano’s seven and led 1,699 laps across the season, far surpassing Logano’s 414. Upon seeing this statistical gap, fans questioned NASCAR’s playoff system.
One fan took to social media to voice frustration with the playoff format, stating, “The championship playoff system is broken Logano as champion is absolutely pathetic.” Another user labeled the format a “joke,” adding, “How can you have a champion that literally is not the best in any stat? This sport is a joke.” Some also criticized Logano’s perceived lack of impressive stats, with one fan noting, “Imagine having a champion that doesn’t lead any major or minor statistical category.” A particularly observant fan remarked, “Logano is nowhere on this list ,” while another creatively summarized Larson’s accomplishments with, “6 Wins – 5 Poles = CHAMPION.”
Despite the criticism, Logano defended NASCAR’s playoff structure, likening it to those of other sports leagues. He argued that having a strong regular season provides advantages but doesn’t guarantee a championship, similar to leagues like the NFL or NHL. He explained, “The only reason why they don’t say this about other sports is because they didn’t change the playoff system. But the playoff system and other sports is not much different than what this is. You can have a great regular season…that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to go all the way to [the] Super Bowl or to Stanley Cup finals or to NBA finals. It doesn’t matter.”
Logano further emphasized that NASCAR’s playoff format is designed to offer a fair opportunity for drivers to compete for the title, making it a true test of skill and strategy under the unique pressures of the playoffs.
