“Expect the unexpected” after surprise return to Round of 8 playoffs

Joey Logano went through a roller coaster of emotions during last weekend’s Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Roval. He watched helplessly as Tyler Reddick charged through the field on fresh tires, slashing away at the points deficit while Logano could not move forward. At the checkered flag, Reddick was ahead by just four points.

However, about 2.5 hours later, everything changed. When Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet failed to meet minimum weight requirements in post-race tech, his disqualification and subsequent loss of points pushed him out of the playoffs. Logano’s title hopes were instantly revived, taking Bowman’s place in the Round of 8.

“I was obviously surprised,” said Logano in a Tuesday media availability. “I heard rumors before that of a delay in tech and some of those things going on. Usually, nothing happens. It was kind of a surprise to hear that. Typically, by the time you roll the car off the scales, they give them the opportunity to put weight in the cars and you’re usually fine, but in this case that wasn’t the case and I was like, ‘Well, would we be in?’ That’s the first question you have to ask and obviously the answer was yes, and then you’re still kind of cautiously optimistic because you’re thinking, ‘Well, there probably will be an appeal if there is and we may not know until later,’ so you kind of keep going on with your life and preparing for the next race.”

“I was starting to move forward,” further explained the Team Penske driver. “You get there literally the moment we get out of the race car. It takes a little bit to get your thoughts collected and, honestly, by the time I was driving home, my wife and I were talking about something far more important than what we were doing at the racetrack. My mind was already starting to shift on what were the next moves and kind of getting over the race. Then I started hearing the rumors from there and the phone started to ring shortly after.”

Although this year been a bit of an ‘off’ year for Logano compared to previous seasons, he still appears to be in a very strong position. Penske has won back-to-back championships in the Next Gen era, and he has won races at every single track in the penultimate round of the playoffs. 

“Trends are trends for a reason,” noted Logano, agreeing that Penske has a knack for rising to the occasion when the championship trophy is in sight.

His…