Heading into the Round of 8, Joey Logano went over the 'grind' of the 10-week-long playoffs. The Team Penske driver outlined how tough the playoffs can get when everyone's trying to hold their momentum until Phoenix.
Logano has had a tumultuous postseason so far. He began with a mid-pack finish at Darlington, but found his footing with three consecutive top-five finishes at Gateway, Bristol and New Hampshire.
However, the last two playoff races have been rough on the No.22 driver. He was nearly eliminated when Bubba Wallace was leading at Kansas, before Denny Hamlin played spoilsport and let Chase Elliott grab the win.
The following weekend at Charlotte Roval, Logano battled a faster Ross Chastain for the final transfer spot. He was once again saved by Hamlin when Chastain got held up by the No.11 driver on the final lap.
Logano's 20th-place finish locked him into the Round of 8, albeit with a huge points deficit. Reflecting on the playoffs thus far, Logano spoke to NASCAR and said,
"I think there’s something to do with the stress level as well. Like, you have a moment to take a deep breath, right? Like, regain your thoughts again. The playoffs are tough, right? These 10 weeks are hard. It’s a grind on everybody.
"That gives you a couple weeks where you’re not taking them off because you’re still focused on Phoenix, but instead of working on three different things, you’re worrying about one thing....I think that just narrows your focus when you’re able to do that. And it’s also tough," he added.
Joey Logano has qualified among the top 10 for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He starts ninth, while his playoff teammate, Ryan Blaney, starts further back in 14th.
"I don’t see a clear favorite": Joey Logano comments on his title hopes
Joey Logano shared a candid take on the current state of the playoff field. He acknowledged his rivals and noted that they're all evenly matched. He even admitted that any one of the playoff drivers can win the title.
In a press release at Las Vegas, Logano said,
"I think you’ve got the best eight teams going for it. It’s gonna be a battle right to the end. I don’t see a clear favorite or clear like this person is gonna kill them all."
In line with his comments, there hasn't been a repeat winner in the playoffs so far. While JGR swept the first round, Team Penske was strong in the flatter tracks like New Hampshire, where Joey Logano clinched pole position.
Looking at Logano's odds at Las Vegas, it's noteworthy that the No.22 driver won the last playoff race at the track. Much like last weekend, Logano was nearly eliminated after the Round of 12 last year. He was reinstated due to Alex Bowman's disqualification and went on to win the title altogether.
Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.