Joey Logano wanted to “shut up the haters” with a fourth title win, and his confidence was at its peak right before the season started. However, that was all the peak he has had ever since. Despite the format not being his best suit, fans still expected him to take some control of the season and battle for yet another Cup Series title. But looking at his mid-pack finishes, is this season already out of his hands?

Logano is understandably the priority driver with Team Penske, considering his massive experience compared to teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney. However, his comfort spot seems to be slipping to the latter this season. While Blaney has already managed to win a race and put on a strong show against the team’s competitors, Logano hasn’t nearly had a similar effect. His overall pace seems largely affected, despite his teammates making the most of the Chevrolet crisis.

So far, his best result has been at the Daytona 500, where he finished in a strong third place. This proved to be a strong start to the season, and the fans were genuinely excited. But that was it. After that, there’s just been a streak of poor finishes starting from Atlanta, where he finished 18. Things were still fine till the next race at COTA, but seeing the finishes at Phoenix and Darlington, serious questions were raised.

But let’s be real here for a moment. Logano had an eerily similar performance even in 2022 and 2024 when he did manage to win the Cup Series championships. So does it mean that he can make a strong comeback? Well… let’s just say that he might not be able to keep up with the pace at which NASCAR has changed the regulations and championship system this year.

Up until last year, all Logano needed was one race win to get into the playoffs, and then, relying on the perfect mix of his skills and luck, he managed to win the titles. However, it is quite different this year. The Chase format rewards consistency over one-time race wins, which was the case with the playoff format last year, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that consistency is one thing that Logano has lacked in recent years.

Joey Logano losing his spot at Team Penske?

“Ryan Blaney is the clear No. 1 at Penske now, and the results speak to that,” said NASCAR insider Michael Finley. Joey Logano is currently battling within the team. As mentioned, his teammate has already managed to win a race. Moreover, the overall story of the season tells a unique story, too. Blaney’s race win brings him to second place in the championship race; meanwhile, Logano has dropped five places to 16. In fact, the Chevy drivers seem to be performing much better than he is.

Now, this initial performance in the season wouldn’t have mattered all that much, but considering the Chase format of the championship, Logano is losing the chance of winning the title with every passing race.

Even Kevin Harvick earlier explained that the drivers within the top 16 will surely qualify for the Chase, but only those within the top 6 will have a realistic shot at the title.

For Logano, this seems like the downfall of one of the more competitive drivers the Cup Series field has had in the past years. It’s not a surprise that all of Logano’s title wins came in the playoff era. Within the past couple of years, especially, Logano has followed the trend of starting with mediocre performances and then eventually catching up with the field. But this season, that wouldn’t work out for him.

If Logano really wants to win the championship, as he claimed before the season started, he will have to work on consistency and work with the #22 team to discuss suitable strategies and the right course of action. There are quite a few changes in the Cup Series season this year, including the increased horsepower on short tracks, so the team could find something to play around with. But it is important for him to begin working on it now, else he will have to bid farewell to the championship fight.