“No Debating”: Upset NASCAR Fans Dismiss Joey Logano’s Championship Claim With a Major Demand

On November 10, Joey Logano created history. He became one of the 10 drivers to win at least three titles in the sport’s top tourney, but the journey to that place? Definitely not without controversy.While Logano has always maintained the legitimacy of his win, it without saying that the majority of the NASCAR fandom—AND DRIVERS—would sorely disagree. And that’s exactly what happened when one Reddit user decided to express his complete disgust with the current NASCAR playoff system. As expected, others jumped in, too. But before we get to that…

Statistically, Logano’s 2024 campaign was far from dominant. With just four wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 17.11, his season left many questioning the legitimacy of his championship claim. He scraped into the playoffs by stretching his fuel tank to the limit in Nashville and even relied on Alex Bowman’s disqualification at the ROVAL to stay in contention.

Having said that, fans are not the only stakeholders who are demanding a change. Many drivers have often spoken against it. Recently, Kyle Larson called winning races as important as winning the championship. “Winning six races is extremely tough to do. To me, these days, that’s as important as winning a championship,” he told Hendrick Motorsports’ media.

His comments expressed the frustration and setback he faced in the 2024 season. With six wins, 18 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.91, he outperformed Logano in nearly every category. Despite leading in several categories, Larson’s playoff hopes were dashed after two subpar finishes in the Round of 8. His frustration mirrors a growing sentiment among drivers that the system unfairly punishes consistency and excellence across the season.

Denny Hamlin also seemed to agree with the growing dissent. With more than 50 cup series victories in over 600 races, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is yet to win a championship, amassing the most race wins of any driver without a title (54). Admittedly, he too had a gripe with the current ‘win and you’re in’ playoff format, which doesn’t reward consistency. “We’re in a sport where you can get caught up in so many wrecks and different things that can happen. … There are 26 (regular season) races and they are proving to be not that substantial to winning a championship and that’s not something you want,” Hamlin had said after the 2024 season.

The Reddit user’s post also seemed to echo Hamlin’s thoughts. Posting on the social media platform on January 11, the user titled the post, “Do you think the drama of the playoffs would be as bad if there was a separate trophy for the most points over 36 races?” 

“I am late to this I admit, and am more of a casual viewer, but I have been disillusioned by this season and its outcome and I’m not sure if I can bring myself to follow the sport again. That being said, I have wondered if there was a way they could award full season performance while also maintaining the playoffs, and then it hit me.”

“There is no reason NASCAR can’t introduce a separate trophy for the driver with the most total points at the end of the year. They already have the “Regular Season Champion” trophy, so I don’t think it’s that absurd. This feels like such an easy way you can have a playoff format while also respecting the other 26 races, I would prefer not having any playoffs at all but I understand that is unlikely. You can even brand the playoff winner as the true “champion” for all I care, but at least you are still respecting the integrity of the season. The only reason I can think of for this not being a thing is ego, Nascar is afraid of the playoffs being seen as illegitimate,” the post read.

While several fans agreed with the thought, it doesn’t seem Logano will ever take lightly to the criticism thrown his way. Last year, he claimed that every team had a fair shot at the title, knowing how to win it as well. “For someone to say this isn’t real, it’s a bunch of bull—it in my opinion… You can have a great regular season. It seeds you better for the playoffs. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to go all the way… This is something that everyone knows the rules when the season starts,” Logano said. “We figured out how to do it the best and figured out how to win.”

His narrative debunks Kyle Larson sympathizers as Logano feels that regular season dominance can only put you in the playoffs, not win you a championship. To be fair to Logano, he also did win three of his four races in the playoffs, where the pressure should be the highest. However, the debate will rage on, while Logano sits back and enjoys his third title, his Joe Gibbs Racing rival, Denny Hamlin, has a perspective similar to that of Larson.

Even NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty didn’t hold back his words either. But in favor of Logano. “Now, this is something I don’t understand, I don’t understand why, as I see on Twitter and X, whatever you call it now, why so many people are complaining and saying he doesn’t deserve it. It’s America, people! They make it to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. We take a guy, that you guys, or the fans perceive, doesn’t belong there and he wins the championship and we say, ‘He doesn’t deserve it, he doesn’t deserve it,” he said a day after Logano picked up the trophy.

Thankfully—for Logano and Petty—despite the growing concern and demand for change, NASCAR doesn’t seem to have an issue with the system. The organization recently revealed multiple rule changes for the upcoming season but didn’t make any in playoffs or its format.

While NASCAR has shown openness to refining its playoff format, many fans and drivers believe the changes cannot come soon enough.

Fans debunk Joey Logano’s championship claim

NASCAR fans have not held back in voicing their discontent with the current system. The social media have been flooded with calls for reform. One fan even called Kyle Larson the real champion. “The real championship was won by Kyle Larson period. And there’s just no debating it. When you dominate a season statistically, you are the champion. Any format where you aren’t is an invalid format and there’s no point in discussing it. Logano didn’t do jack sh-t to earn that trophy, so it’s not a valid trophy,” a user wrote.

This comment has its backing. Kyle Larson was nothing short of a dominant force throughout the season. He mostly led the points table in the regular season, only to lose it by a point to Tyler Reddick. However, after that setback, at Southern 500, Larson seemed to struggle with two poor performances in playoffs, costing him the championship.

Meanwhile, fans also dropped the idea of awarding two different championships calling it unnecessary. “I feel like awarding two different championships kind of defeats the whole purpose,” a fan argued. However, some came up with the idea of awarding the owner’s trophy based on 36 races rather than playoffs only. “Owner’s points should be season long,” writes one.

Some other NASCAR fans also argued for bringing back the Harrison Burton Rule and not changing the current format. “I like the winner-take-all aspects of the playoffs. I’d tweak the rules for getting in (a Harrison Burton Rule), maybe figure out a way to make the final round a 3-race shootout, but other than that, don’t mess with it,” a user wrote.

Notably, the ‘Harrison Burton rule’ refers to ongoing discussions about reinstating NASCAR’s Top 30 rule. This rule required drivers to finish within the top 30 in the standings at the end of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs. It was in use until the 2023 season. Talks of reviving the rule gained momentum after Harrison Burton’s unexpected win at Daytona International Speedway. Despite being 34th in the points standings at the time, Burton’s victory secured him a spot in the playoffs.

So, what do you think should NASCAR change its playoff system?