Joey Logano’s 2025 playoff run has been anything but smooth sailing. After a tough 20th-place finish at Darlington, he clawed his way back with a strong fifth at Gateway. Still, this keeps him at a risky 10th place, 21 points above the cutoff, and no breathing room. And just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, he is about to face Bristol’s wrath on Sunday, a track where he’s been far from the victory lane lately.

One bad race, and he could lose that risky position along with his championship-defending dreams. As everybody gears up for the short and spicy half-mile bullring at Bristol, where either legends are made or the heartbreaks hit hard, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Logano. For him, this isn’t just about advancing to the Round of 12. Rather, it’s about proving he can tame a track that’s tested him time and again. But before that, the question to be answered is – How and why has the No. 22 struggled on the Last Great Colosseum?

Is Bristol Motor Speedway a rare weak link for Joey Logano’s résumé?

While Joey Logano’s résumé sparkles with three Cup Series championships and a reputation for playoff prowess, Bristol Motor Speedway stands out as a stubborn gap in that legacy. Out of more than 30 races, the Team Penske driver boasts just two career wins at the famed half-mile, and that too about a decade ago. But those glories have faded in the face of repeated struggles on the traditional concrete surface. As the competitive climate of the Next Gen era has leveled the field, Logano’s once-reliable Bristol performances have now become an enigma.

Despite his championship pedigree and experience, the short track’s unique demands, such as the tight corners, heavy traffic, and high tire wear, have often left his No. 22 car out of sync with changing race dynamics. Whereas previously Bristol played to his strengths, but the new car and evolving tire compounds appear to have neutralized much of Logano’s edge, leaving fans to wonder if NASCAR’s ‘Last Great Colosseum’ is now his playoff liability and his kryptonite.

Do Joey Logano’s past Bristol averages tell a troubling tale?

These struggles have obviously impacted Logano’s average finish at Bristol. A closer examination of Logano’s recent Bristol record underscores the challenges. In his last five visits there, Logano couldn’t finish even within the top-20, making his average finish an upset 27. His best finish in these races was 22nd in March last year, and that’s one of the lowest for the multi-race Bristol starters in the Next Gen era. Logano even trails his Team Penske teammates and is well below rival short-track specialists. These numbers become more glaring considering Logano’s overall playoff consistency and his ability to elevate under pressure at other key venues.

The stark contrast between his prior victories (2014 and 2015) and his current struggles highlights how Bristol’s intricacies have magnified the impact of minor miscalculations. While he’s demonstrated flashes of speed in qualifying and early race runs, late-race adjustments or untimely cautions have repeatedly derailed his momentum. For a driver known for methodical, strategic excellence, this “Bristol bug” is both unexpected and problematic at a critical playoff cut race.

Can Joey Logano recover?

Despite Bristol’s recent sting, betting against Joey Logano in the playoffs still remains risky. After all, Logano has made a career out of surviving round-by-round elimination pressure and rebounding from early setbacks, the way we saw last year. Currently sitting in 10th position, he enters Bristol with a narrow but vital cushion. Logano’s streak of reaching the Championship 4 suggests a knack for dramatic turnarounds. Fifteen of his 37 Cup wins (40.5%) have come in the playoffs. And if he and his crew can finally unlock the setup for Bristol’s concrete, a run to redemption isn’t impossible.

Once he crosses the mighty Bristol hurdle, his playoff prospects shine brighter. His record at tracks like Las Vegas, Martinsville, and Phoenix, the site of championship races and past triumphs, points to the potential for another deep postseason push. But the lingering question remains. Can he weather the Bristol storm, shake off his recent woes, and restore his status as a consistent title threat, or will the Last Great Colosseum become a stumbling block once again?

Wrapping up

Joey Logano’s relationship with Bristol Motor Speedway is as dramatic as the venue itself. It’s marked by early-career success but clouded in the Next Gen era by a puzzling stretch of poor finishes. As the NASCAR playoffs reach a fever pitch, Logano’s performance under Bristol’s bright lights may well determine his fate in the championship hunt.

If he can break the cycle and deliver a clutch drive, his legend grows. But if familiar struggles resurface, Bristol’s reputation as his playoff kryptonite will only intensify. Either way, Logano’s latest Bristol battle promises to keep fans (and the playoff field) on the edge of their seats.