If there was one thing that stood out at the Phoenix race last weekend, it was the sight of the cars sliding throughout the race. One of those victims was Joey Logano, whose day ended as he slid through the track into other cars when he came into contact with AJ Allmendinger. But despite that unfortunate end, Logano is happy about the bigger picture that comes out of it.

Speaking to Jeff Gluck, he was asked the primary reason why the cars slid so much: whether it was the new 750 hp engine, the hot temperature, or the tires. Though Logano didn’t have a clear winner, he did emphasize one aspect the most.

“Hard to say what’s affecting it the most, and there’s no doubt that Goodyear’s done an incredible job at bringing a tire that actually falls off.”

Ever since the Next Gen cars were introduced, Goodyear has come under pressure to deliver the goods. Lack of tire wear on the short ovals and intermediate tracks was becoming a recurring issue. But, finally, with a better horsepower package and some fine work on the tire compounds, drivers and fans are able to enjoy some good racing.

“You remember, you’d run a whole run and 3 tenths, 4 tenths slower than what you started. Now you’re seconds off, we’ve come a long, long way. Goodyear’s done the biggest amount,” he added.

A lot of drivers weren’t able to hold their own in what was a grilling affair. Kyle Busch had flat tires not once but twice during the race. William Byron, SVG, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, and Michael McDowell all of them had issues with tires. But this time around, it was more of a skill issue, and this was highlighted by Denny Hamlin.

“It’s the teams. We’re just pushing it. We certainly know that the lower the air pressure, the faster you’re going to be in the long run. These teams just keep pushing it.” Moreover, he feels the trends are going to continue when the Cup Series returns to short tracks.

Ultimately, these factors create more movement on the track, which is good for the sport, according to Logano. He did mention that NASCAR should still consider more horsepower, but the $2.07 billion worth tire giant’s development was clearly the biggest improvement factor for him.

Logano on his Phoenix crash

While it was a great weekend for Team Penske in winning the doubleheader events in NASCAR and IndyCar, Logano’s race didn’t end well. In the final stage, he slid after contact with AJ Allmendinger and took multiple cars with him, putting him out of the race for good.

“It just seemed like everyone ran out of space,” Logano said. “I got the wrong end of it. It is what it is. It stinks. We had a pretty good car. I hate that I got into Ross…which I didn’t mean to, so it’s just not the greatest of days.”

However, Chastain didn’t hold any grudges against the No. 22, who gave him the call following the incident.

“He gave me a call. Joey and I have a good working relationship on track. We’re very alike,” said Chastain. “I’ve studied him throughout my career before I got to Cup, and when I got here and tried to be like him. He’s not that much older than me, but has so much experience in some of the things he does behind the wheel.”

“So, we have a good relationship, and that was just a bad deal, but we’re fine. We had a good conversation on Monday,” he added.

Next up, the NASCAR community is off to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track where Logano won back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.