NASCAR
What Can Championship Defense Look Like for Joey Logano?
A little over a week into his third tenure as NASCAR Cup Series champion, many have already put Joey Logano in rarified air. Only the tenth man to ever win three Cup titles, Logano is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. At only 34 years old, the Connecticut driver seemingly has another decade of peak competition left ahead in the windshield. Just how much can Joey Logano achieve both as a defending champion in 2025, and throughout the rest of his driving career?
On paper, Logano’s championship days seem to be far from over. The 11-year span of the elimination Playoff era has yielded team No. 22 a series record six Championship 4 appearances. The last seven years alone have seen his three Cup-winning performances. Another legend won all of his titles in an equally short span, however. Jeff Gordon won his only four championships from 1995-2001, never finishing higher than second in the championship hunt (2007) before retiring.
“I don’t know,” Logano said when asked how many more championships he has in store. “I tell you guys every year when the season starts, the goal is to win the championship. As many years as I’ve got left is as many as I want to get. I don’t really know what that is yet. But I still enjoy winning, and it’s going to keep going.”
Logano has certainly been a beneficiary of the Playoff schedule since 2022. Across all three of his winning years, the 22 has won the Round of 8 opening race before taking the season finale. Since 2022, these tracks have been Las Vegas and Phoenix, respectively, two of Logano’s best venues on the circuit. Should the Playoff schedule see shakeup with Round of 8 and finale dates in 2026 and beyond, the ‘Even Year Logano’ trend may be in jeopardy.
The Penske 22 crew is perhaps the best in the series right now at adapting to new challenges and finding immediate success. Inaugural races conquered by the Logano team include: Bristol Dirt, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and Gateway. New championship venues or not, Logano will remain a top-tier title threat for years to come.
“I’m starting to believe in this stuff,” Logano said on his even year Championship 4 streak. “I’ve always been Mr. Anti-luck, anti-superstitions. I always do the opposite of what people say you should do. And when people say good luck, I say, I don’t need it; there’s no such thing.”
“I don’t believe it’s luck. I still don’t believe it’s luck. But it is kind of weird that it’s gone this way. I promise you I will try hard next year, too. I don’t understand it, though. Hopefully we break the streak next year. That would be cool. I’d much rather break it by making the Championship 4 on an odd year than missing it on an even year. So let’s do it again next year.”
In the short-term, it will be interesting to see how Logano bounces back in his third title defense year. Repeat attempts have not been kind to the 22 crew; with points results of fifth (2019) and 12th (2023). Last year’s Playoffs saw Logano become the first reigning Cup champ to be eliminated in the Round of 16. The most success Logano has seen as king of the hill was a two-win 2019 campaign. If the even year trend is here to stay, then odd year struggles may arise again as well. Logano is the poster child for coming to life and snapping into form once the postseason hits. ‘Luck’ will need to be on his side, however, should 2023’s regular season results appear again.
There aren’t many unchecked boxes left on Joey Logano’s proverbial career wishlist. He has a Daytona 500 (2015), two Bristol Night Races (2014-2015), and multiple All-Star Race wins (2016, 2024). Perhaps the biggest gaps in his racing résumé include a Brickyard 400, a Southern 500, and a Coca-Cola 600 triumph. The Penske driver is still very much in the prime of his career, and can seemingly pop off a clutch win on any given week. In what many discounted as a down 2024, Logano still won four times plus the All-Star Race.
History says that Logano is due for an upcoming off year, but he should still find victory lane at least once in 2025. Where his first win as defending champion will be remains to be seen. It could easily be the Daytona 500, or any of the next 25 weeks. In addition to his stellar driving career, also working in Logano’s favor is his partnership with Paul Wolfe, who is now the winningest active crew chief. Joey Logano now claims three Cup titles and 36 career wins. The 50 win club is certainly within his reach, as is another championship or two should the 22 team remain elite. Expect both of these stats to likely grow in the coming years.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Chris Graythen/Getty Images
