For much of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, three-time series champion Joey Logano looked more like a driver trying to survive the regular season than one preparing for another championship run. In the last few weeks, that conversation has drastically changed.
Logano has found his stride at the right time with only two races to go before ‘The Chase’, winning twice in the last four races and climbing from 20th to ninth in the standings over the last six events. After Saturday night’s win at Richmond Raceway, Logano and Team Penske enter New Hampshire Motor Speedway with momentum.
The turnaround for Logano has been one of the most significant events of the summer, as the 36-year old from Middletown, Connecticut was on pace for his worst average finish during a season since his rookie year in 2009. Finishing 12th at Chicagoland Speedway, ninth at EchoPark Speedway, a win at North Wilkesboro Speedway, third in the Brickyard 400, 14th at Iowa Speedway, and his second win at Richmond Raceway surely turned the tides around.
Now sitting one point behind reigning champion Kyle Larson, the goal for the No.22 group has drastically changed from just making the Chase, to now gunning for his fourth title.
“It’s been a nice turnaround, we’ve been able to switch our goals from making The Chase to winning the championship,” Logano said after Richmond. “It’s quite the turn around in month and a half’s time or so, I think it all kind of goes back to a little bit before Chicago and started to see some speed there, Wilkesboro we expected to be good, Indy was strong, I look at the last month and a half and we’ve been capable of winning all of them.”
While the confidence and momentum run high for the group, it isn’t the perfect storm. The stats show many of the upcoming tracks, mile-and-a-half circuits, have been the Achilles heel for Logano. An average starting position of 21.4 (22nd), finish of 18.3 (20th) and running position of 18.6 (21st) have plagued the team throughout the season. So, with the final 10-race stretch consisting of five intermediate-style ovals, his performance will need to see an uptick if they still seek a realistic path to the title. Logano, however, is confident in finding speed.
“I feel like we have made some good gains,” Logano said. “I feel much better about it, some of the rules that have been changed recently have helped us some, so that on top of finding a couple of things setup wise that made sense to where we can get the car driving the way I want it.”
Logano’s three previous titles have often been criticized by many amongst the NASCAR faithful, some calling them ‘legitimate’ or ‘undeserving’. When asked about this, Logano defended his titles and even shared a new slogan for his detractors.
“They’re all legit, I don’t care what the format is, everyone knew the rules before it started,” Logano said. “Do I have a chip on my shoulder? Yes, so much that our little team slogan in our hauler on the little scoreboard is ‘4 the haters’, that’s where we’re at.”
