1. Does Joey Logano have an advantage by clinching a Championship 4 spot this early?
Joey Logano winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend was the most chaotic outcome that could’ve happened, as the driver that was initially eliminated from the Round of 8 instead became the first driver to lock in a spot for the Championship 4.
Unlike the rest of his Round of 8 peers, Logano and the No. 22 team now have three full weeks to focus on preparing their car for the finale at Phoenix Raceway. It’s a luxury only available to them, as the remaining three drivers will find out either this week or next if they have advanced. Less time to prepare, coupled with more stress and sleepless nights to conquer the same hurdle.
It shows in the list of champions. Of the 10 NASCAR Cup Series champions crowned in this format since 2014, four of them punched their ticket into the Championship 4 by winning the Round of 8 opener: Jimmie Johnson in 2016, Logano in 2018, Kyle Larson in 2021 and Logano again in 2022.
Of the remaining six champions in this format, three went on to win the title after winning the Round of 8 finale: Kevin Harvick in 2014, Chase Elliott in 2020 and Ryan Blaney 2023. The remaining three (Kyle Busch in 2015, Martin Truex Jr. in 2017 and Busch in 2019) won the title after clinching a spot in the Championship 4 on points.
The breakdown makes sense. The champions either had the most time to prepare for the finale, had the hot hand by winning the week before the finale or showed consistent excellence in the weeks leading up to the finale by clinching a spot on points.
The odds say that Logano has a slight advantage over the rest of his competition, and winning the Round of 8 opener is exactly how he went on the win both of his titles. But 2024 is the weakest the No. 22 team has looked in quite time, so it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll find that extra gear in the finale as he has in years past.
2. Ryan Blaney, the perfect teammate?
Speaking of Logano, he owes both his teammates extravagant Christmas gifts this offseason. Austin Cindric’s spin with two to go at Nashville Superspeedway in June was the catalyst for a five-overtime finish that saw Logano punch his playoff ticket after pulling off an immaculate fuel save, and it’s a playoff spot he wouldn’t have earned without the win.
But he owes a bigger gift to Blaney, who pushed him to victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September to clinch a spot…
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