All-Star race frustration fuels Joey Logano's $1,000,000 push in NASCAR's In-Season challenge 

Joey Logano isn't one to forget a million-dollar miss easily. After finishing second and missing out on the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race prize money, the Team Penske driver now sees the sport's new In-Season Challenge as the perfect shot at redemption.

The In-Season Challenge is NASCAR's newest mid-year tournament, a single-elimination bracket featuring the top 32 drivers based on points after the June 30 race in Nashville. Seedings are determined by the best finish across three seeding races at Michigan (June 8), Mexico City (June 16), and Pocono (June 22). For Logano, the stakes are familiar.

"With this in-season tournament, there's a million bucks on the line. That's plenty for me to go to work. I don't need more. Like, I get it, you see how upset I was at the All-Star race. Like, it's the same number. So I'm going to be in here," Logano said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Earlier this year at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Joey Logano and Christopher Bell went door-to-door for a million-dollar prize. While the No.22 driver led a race-high 139 laps, Bell battled from sixth to first, nudging Logano with 10 laps remaining to steal the win and the cash.

Now, he gets another shot at NASCAR's In-Season Challenge, which unfolds across five races, broadcast by TNT and streamed on Max. The bracket begins at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta (June 29), with the winners from each head-to-head matchup advancing through Chicago (July 6), Sonoma (July 14), and Dover (July 20). The last two drivers standing will battle it out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27 for the $1 million prize.

"I'm excited about (it), I think it's something great. It gives us something to talk about this point of the year, outside of just the teams that are trying to make the playoffs, the guys that are already in the playoffs... I think it's a great idea, something I'm excited to see how it plays out," Logano added.

Joey Logano also expressed his desire for the challenge to return in upcoming seasons to add interest during the middle leg of the regular season.

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Joey Logano heads into Pocono seeking momentum and a higher seed for the In-Season challenge

Joey Logano heads to the garage as fans look down during Tuesday's Next Gen Daytona test- Source: Imagn

Joey Logano sits 27th in the In-Season challenge bracket after two seeding races. He finished outside the top 20 at both Michigan and Mexico City, leaving him at a potential Round 1 duel with Chase Elliott. Fortunately, the three-time Cup Series champion has some breathing room.

Logano's Texas win in April locked him into the playoffs, allowing him to zero in on this Challenge without worrying about points. Denny Hamlin still leads the seeding order despite skipping Mexico City to be with his family for the birth of his son. Chris Buescher sits second, followed by Bell, with one race left to finalize the bracket.

That gives Logano a final chance to improve his seeding at Pocono. The unique 2.5-mile triangle has been a challenge throughout his career. Speaking to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and Shae Cornette on First Take, he said:

"Pocono hasn't been one of our strongest tracks at the moment. I feel like last year we finished fifth here, which is not too bad. But, it's a challenging track. It's actually shaped as a triangle. So it's not an oval like we typically race on... It's a two and a half mile triangle. Every corner is a lot different. So, trying (to) set up the car to be good in every corner, it's kind of hard to do." (2:45 onwards)

Joey Logano has one win in 29 starts at the raceway, but with a $1 million incentive on the line this time, he is fired up to turn the tide. The green flag at Pocono drops at 2:00 PM ET for The Great American Gateway 400 on June 22.