Joey Logano’s no stranger to the spotlight, but after the Charlotte Roval’s wild finish, he caught heat like never before. Fans in the stands let him have it, booing during interviews and broadcast hits, while social media erupted with shade, calling his Round of 8 advance a “lucky” fluke. Some even slammed the playoff format itself as broken.

The chaos of that final lap, where Ross Chastain’s desperate dive on Denny Hamlin wrecked both and handed Logano the last playoff spot, had X buzzing with “he didn’t earn it” takes. Logano didn’t flinch, grinning in post-race media with a defiant, “We’re still alive, baby.” He’s clapping back hard, doubling down on why his team’s success is no accident and why the playoffs are built for moments like this.

Logano fires back

On the Rubbin is Racing podcast, Logano didn’t hold back: “I think … staying simple is part of it as well. I’ve got a really strong team. Paul Wolfe makes the right calls at the right times. He proved that again this weekend. I don’t think there’s anyone on the racetrack who makes better race calls than Paul Wolfe, and I’m the guy to drive his car. I think that helps.”

Wolfe has been Logano’s secret weapon, and at the Roval, his late pit call for fresh tires with 10 laps left was gold. While rivals slipped on worn rubber, Logano charged, snagging the points needed to advance by four. Kevin Harvick has been singing Wolfe’s praises too, “Paul Wolfe — guts. He has the guts, the knowledge, the brains to just do something that — Big Ball Paul,” noting his “gutsy” strategy, like forcing rivals to pit by jumping first, makes the No. 22 a playoff killer.

“I think I’ve done a good job of making those strategies work. That’s another big piece. He puts me in some pretty high-pressure, sketchy situations when he makes those calls, and someone’s got to deal with that. It’s worked out most of the time. I also think we’ve done a good job handling big pressure moments, which is what playoffs do,” Logano said.

His stats back it up: 12 playoff seasons, higher Driver Ratings, and Adjusted Points+ in the postseason versus the regular grind. At the Roval, he navigated the hybrid track’s chaos, dodging wrecks and tire wear to secure his spot. That’s not luck; it’s clutch.

“The playoffs put drivers or athletes in general into high-pressure moments. Not everybody is built for that. Some athletes want the ball in their hands when the moment comes. Others can’t make the shot,” Logano added.

Critics call his 2024 title and Roval escape flukes, but his knack for thriving when it counts, like his 2018 and 2022 championships, says otherwise. The Roval’s final-lap madness, with Chastain and Hamlin crashing, wasn’t Logano’s doing. It was his team’s prep and his cool head that capitalized.

“Whether that’s the driver, the pit crew, the crew chief, the guys in the shop, pressure’s on everybody when the playoffs hit. I’m surrounded by strong, mentally tough people, and that’s what it comes down to,” he said. Team Penske’s machine, 30 Xfinity wins, three Cup titles, and slick pit stops, proves it’s no happy accident. Logano’s not just surviving; he’s built for the playoffs’ fire, and he’s daring haters to keep doubting.

Las Vegas looms large for Penske

Logano’s defiance ties straight to the Round of 8, where Team Penske is chasing a fourth-straight Cup title, and Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas could be make-or-break. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 champ, sits second, six points above the cutline, while Logano is last at 24 points below.

Blaney has momentum, but Logano’s Vegas track record, with four wins, including 2022 and 2024 to lock Championship 4 spots, makes him a threat. His 9.8 average finish there is tops among 1.5-mile tracks, and those autumn victories fueled his titles.

Blaney is still hunting his first Vegas win, with a best of third in 18 starts. “After we won New Hampshire to lock in a Round of 8 spot, people asked me if anything changed, and I think the only thing that changed is we looked at Vegas a little bit earlier than what we normally would have,” Blaney said.

“I thought we learned a lot from Kansas, even though I thought the best I was going to run was seventh behind a handful of those guys.” His Next Gen runs at Vegas show promise, but Logano is the proven closer.

The Round of 8 is stacked. Hendrick has Larson and Byron four points above the cutline, Elliott 14 below. Gibbs has Hamlin eight above, Bell four below, and Briscoe 14 back. Vegas, Talladega on October 19, and Martinsville on October 26 set up the Championship 4 for Phoenix on November 2. Logano’s four Phoenix wins and Vegas dominance mean his “lucky” label is a bad bet. His team is built to pounce, just like at the Roval.