The 2026 season started brightly for Joey Logano. He won the first Duel at Daytona and finished third in the 500. “Let the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begin!” the Team Penske driver said after sliding sideways across the finish line in a rather chaotic finish to the race. But that early optimism soon turned into a nightmare stretch for the No. 22 team.
Logano entered arguably the worst stretch of his career, struggling with pace and dropping to 20th in the Standings, well below the Chase cutline. And the three-time Cup Series champion’s crew chief was filled with self-doubt.
“Well sure, when you don’t run bad, you start to question or wonder when you will again. I think the way our company is structured, the way all our teams work so closely together. I think that’s an advantage for us. Even if one team is off a little bit, another team is running well,” Paul Wolfe told journalist Tim Moore during a presser in Richmond.
Out of the first 12 races, Logano finished 30th or worse six times. This number is hardly reflective of a team with championship aspirations. At the Darlington 400 in May, Logano was so frustrated with his car that he went on to radio to call his car “junk”, citing lack of grip and balance. Few in the garage thought at that point that he would be part of championship discussions again in 2026.
Ryan Blaney in the #12 Penske, however, always held the belief that Wolf and Logano would bounce back. And in his press conference, Wolfe credited the collaboration within Team Penske, particularly with Blaney’s crew, as one of the reasons they were able to bounce back.
For Logano, the defining race came at North Wilkesboro, where he ended a 45-race winless drought by leading 323 laps and taking the checkered flag. Then, last weekend, he made his second trip to Victory Lane, winning in Richmond. He’s now ninth in the standings, sending a message to his rivals in the garage that his poor start to the campaign was in no way an indication that he would struggle all year.
Wolfe has been through it before. He’s been a crew chief since 2006 and has witnessed some legendary comebacks, especially with Logano as his driver. In 2022, Logano finished eighth in the standings and wasn’t considered a favorite for the championship. But he hit his stride when the playoffs arrived, winning at Las Vegas in the Round of 8. That gave Wolfe three weeks to focus on the finale at Phoenix, where Logano went on to win after leading 188 laps.
Even luck has favored the duo. In 2024, with just one regular-season win at Nashville, Logano entered the playoffs 15th in the standings and was officially eliminated from the Round of 12. But after Alex Bowman’s car was disqualified for a weight discrepancy at the Roval, Logano was reinstated with just a four-point margin. He went on to win the championship once again.
Wolfe has admitted that his longevity has helped him stay level-headed through the highs and the lows. He knows that when things get challenging, it is his job to keep the team focused. At the same time, he has to assure them that they can turn any rough patch around.
The mission for Wolfe and Logano is to win a fourth championship. And to do that, they’re refusing to let the outside noise dictate their approach.
Logano looking to silence the haters
“He’s just a lucky champion.” “He’s just a Mickey Mouse Champion”.
Logano has heard that several times throughout his career, especially after winning the 2024 championship. With an average finishing position of just 17.1, it was the worst mark ever recorded by a Cup Series champion.
The fact that Logano simply capitalized on others’ mistakes and misfortunes while delivering when it mattered most did little to change the minds of those who had already made up their minds about him. Now, as he’s showing signs of life toward the end of the regular season once again, those criticisms are resurfacing. But Logano isn’t letting them deter him, as he made clear after his win at Richmond.
“Do I have a little chip on my shoulder? Yes. That’s a clear yes. So much that our little team slogan in our hauler, our scoreboard, is, 4 the Haters. That’s where we’re at. That’s a little good extra motivation. Either way, the Mickey Mouse ears look good on the trophies either way, and the check was pretty cool to go with it,” the Penske driver said.
There is also the infamous odd-even theory surrounding Logano. All three of his championships have come in even-numbered years: 2018, 2022, and 2024. Now it’s 2026, another even-numbered year, and the hope is building again.
With the focus now on consistency rather than simply winning when it matters, Logano is on a mission. His hashtag is a clear sign that he’s serious about chasing a fourth Cup title. If he pulls it off, it would silence many of his critics. Of course, winning the 2026 Cup Series championship is easier said than done, with plenty of strong drivers standing in his way.