NASCAR insiders reflect on Team Penske's resurgence, silencing Joey Logano "fraud championship" debate 

On the latest episode of the Teardown podcast on YouTube, NASCAR analyst Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck shared their take on Joey Logano and Team Penske's performance during the Cook Out 400 held on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Richmond Raceway. The stock car racing team is picking up the pace after being silent during the summer.

Team Penske performed well during the 400-mile race, and all three drivers secured a spot among the top-five drivers. After missing out on the qualifying lap, the #22 Ford team was left with no resources to qualify for the race.

The team had to go to Rick Ware Racing for a set of scuffs from the #54 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and had to begin the race from the end of the pack in P38. However, this was the beginning of Joey Logano's problems for the day.

Following the same, Logano had to deal with a flat tire during the 300-mile race, but despite facing these hardships, he held onto his pace and landed a spot in the top five drivers on the grid, securing a fourth-place finish. His teammates, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric, finished third and fifth. Reflecting on a strong performance delivered by Team Penske at Richmond Raceway, Jeff Gluck stated (via YouTube):

"Um, I will say this, Jordan, we talked about the missed chances, but when you look at Team Penske finishing—all three cars in the top five, plus Josh Barry finishing eighth—good night. This is very scary for the field because this is exactly the kind of track—yes, Phoenix—this is not what the Penske haters want to see. This is not what the Joey Logano "fraud championship" type people want to see." [49:37 onwards]

"I'm just saying—Penske has been a non-factor for much of the summer, except for Blaney... Cindric hadn't gotten a single-digit finish since he won at Talladega. Josh Barry hadn't gotten a top 10 since May. Logano had just one finish better than ninth since his win at Texas in May, which was a fourth place at Nashville. So now, all of a sudden, it’s like they get back to one of these tracks that’s their bread and butter," he added.

After a solid finish at Richmond Raceway, Team Penske drivers Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric are ready for the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 scheduled on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway. NBC Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, and HBO Max will broadcast the 160-lap race live at 7:30 pm ET.

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"I like it, what we have now": Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano on the current playoff system

Earlier in June 2025, three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano had an interview on the Zach Gelb Show and shared his take on NASCAR's current playoff system. Logano supported the format, stating it helps the drivers to stay consistent during the regular season.

After securing his playoff berth by winning the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, Logano told the media (via On3.com):

“I like it, what we have now. And we gotta remember, we changed it for a reason, right? We went from where it was just 36 races, score all the points, no playoff system at all and the champion would be crowned with three races to go at the end of the year. Well, that’s kind of boring, and nobody wanted to see that.”

Joey Logano currently ranks 12th in the Cup Series points table with 616 points to his credit. The Team Penske driver has secured one win, followed by seven top-ten finishes, three top-five finishes, and one pole position in 25 starts this season.