“It’s frustrating”: Joey Logano doesn’t hold back as Talladega further hits his championship odds

Joey Logano lamented a mid-pack result in the Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Team Penske driver was also disappointed by his teammates' efforts to stay in front.

Logano had a race-best 35-lap lead, but ultimately fell short of a deserving result. At one point, the No.22 driver partnered with Ryan Blaney to run up front, and they were followed by a lineup of Fords, namely Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher.

Logano went on to have the longest stint in the lead amidst a race filled with 77 lead changes among 27 drivers. However, the reigning champion fell out of contention to refuel on the final overtime caution. By checkered flag, Logano finished where he began, at 16th, while his Team Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney, finished further back at 23rd.

In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Logano rued a tough race.

“It was a battle throughout the day. The laps that mattered, we weren’t there, unfortunately.....I thought we were in a good spot at the end and had a teammate in front of me, which is the perfect lineup. I can’t say everyone did a good enough job to stay up there and do our part. Really frustrating because you’re so close and see in front of you what you’ve got to do, and you can’t do anything about it. It’s frustrating," he said.

Joey Logano is currently sixth on the playoff standings, and is in a must-win situation at Martinsville Speedway. His 2024 title contender, Ryan Blaney, is ranked one spot below with a 47-point deficit.

Chase Briscoe took the win with a well-needed push from his teammate, Ty Gibbs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has now qualified for the championship race alongside Denny Hamlin.

---

"They hate me because I smile": Joey Logano hits back at critics

Ahead of the Talladega race, Joey Logano spoke with The Athletic's Jeff Gluck and addressed his critics. He believes that his rivals weren't appreciative of racing at the highest level and instead, take it all out on him.

“They hate me because I smile,” he said,"Look what we get to do. This was your childhood dream. You’re gonna complain about your childhood dream? The fact is you’re getting paid to drive a race car. And the fact is you’re not happy about it. That’s a problem. I don’t get that."

Joey Logano recently defended the playoff format. He argued that the playoffs bring entertainment and drama to the title fight. Notably, he clinched his Round of 8 berth through a last-minute surge over Ross Chastain at Charlotte Roval.

After the race, much of the conversation revolved around the final transfer spot, while race winner Shane van Gisbergen was largely overlooked. Brad Keselowski was one of the critics who pointed out the blatant bias in playoff media coverage.