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CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 05: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 05, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jordan Bank\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s becoming a fall tradition in NASCAR: the Great Joey Logano Escape.<\/p>\n
Last year, he made the playoffs only because Alex Bowman was eliminated after failing post-race inspection<\/a>. Logano then went on to win his third championship. This year? He slipped in again\u2014on the final lap\u2014after Ross Chastain went spinning through the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval like a shopping cart with a broken wheel.<\/p>\n With just over 11 laps left, Chastain was ahead of Logano again. All he had to do was hang on. But Team Penske rolled the dice, bringing Logano in for fresh tires. That gamble left Chastain on worn rubber and praying for divine intervention. Instead, he got Denny Hamlin.<\/p>\n On the final lap, in the final chicane, Hamlin and Chastain tangled. Chastain spun, threw his car into reverse, and barreled backward across the finish line. The crowd roared\u2014until Logano slipped past, stealing the last playoff transfer spot by a single position. One man in, one man out.<\/p>\n Logano, who knew exactly how close it was, could barely contain himself. Chastain\u2019s team owner, Justin Marks, didn\u2019t sugarcoat it either:<\/a><\/p>\n CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 05: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, crosses the finish line ahead of Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Busch Light Chevrolet, who finishes in reverse after an on-track incident after an on-track incident to end the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 05, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a bit self-inflicted on the 1 team,\u201d Marks said. \u201cWe need to be better on pit road. We need to eliminate the mistakes that were made today so we weren\u2019t in that position.\u201d<\/p>\n And Hamlin? He didn\u2019t even realize he was the accidental villain.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t aware,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cI definitely wish I was aware, but nobody told me. Obviously, I was the guy in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n That moment set off a weeklong argument about what exactly counts as \u201cracing\u201d in the playoff era. Hamlin\u2019s pass accidentally helped a Ford driver advance while eliminating a Chevrolet, triggering accusations of race manipulation and questions about whether teams were influencing outcomes to protect manufacturer allies.<\/p>\n NASCAR reviewed radio communications after reports surfaced that several teams were using coded language to manage tire wear and track position. Officials didn\u2019t find enough evidence to penalize anyone, but the message was clear: the sport\u2019s biggest drama is now flirting with its biggest risk.<\/p>\n Logano Shrugs at the Gray Area<\/p>\n Now, the Cup Series has arrived at Las Vegas,<\/a> and Logano isn\u2019t apologizing. In fact, he isn\u2019t even pretending to care.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t care how we move on,\u201d Logano said. \u201cI don\u2019t really care how we win the championship, I just want to win. I don\u2019t care how we get there. I\u2019ve always said it\u2019s about the big trophy at the end of the day. That\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s Logano in a sentence: pragmatic, unapologetic, and totally unfazed by the chaos swirling around him. While others were debating ethics, he was focused on execution.<\/p>\n He also made it clear that he wants as much information as possible inside the car\u2014even if it makes some people uncomfortable.<\/p>\n