Joey Logano’s Las Vegas win might be best-case scenario for NASCAR fans

As a seasoned gamer with decades worth of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of deja vu when it comes to this year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The twists and turns, the ups and downs – it’s like playing a game of NASCAR Simulator on the highest difficulty setting!

7 days prior to clinching his sixth NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, I, a devoted fan, found myself rooting for Team Penske’s Joey Logano. However, my hopes were dashed when Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing staged a late comeback at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, snatching away the eighth and final round of 8 spot from Logano, thus eliminating him from championship contention.

Or so he – and everyone else – thought.

Following the Charlotte race, the driver of the No. 22 Ford ended up claiming a spot in the Round of 8, which had originally been secured by Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports. This was because it was discovered that Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet was underweight, leading to the forfeiture of his earned position.

Due to NASCAR’s ruling, Bowman was disqualified, causing him to lose points and drop behind Logano in the rankings.

So the two-time series champion advanced after all.

This season, Logano ranks 15th in terms of total points earned, whereas the other drivers in the Round of 8 are all within the top seven positions. Conversely, if Bowman had advanced, it would have placed all eight drivers within the top eight.

As a gamer navigating through the playoffs, I found myself starting the round of 8 in eighth place, thanks to my low remaining playoff points. However, it was that nail-biting five-overtime victory at the Nashville Superspeedway back in June that earned me a spot in this thrilling race.

If he hadn’t emerged victorious in the race, he wouldn’t have made it into the playoffs based on points. Remarkably, three drivers who had not won a race prior and ranked higher than him in the standings did not secure a spot for the playoffs.

Since the advent of the contemporary playoff system in 2014, I’ve managed to qualify for every Championship 4 event that falls on even-numbered years. Remarkably, in 2018, 2020, and now in 2022, I achieved this feat by triumphing in the opening round of 8 races.

So of course he won the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

By taking this action, he secured another spot in the Championship 4 once again, making it four consecutive times he’s been the first driver to accomplish this feat in an even-numbered year.

Despite clinching his 400th victory at South Point, Logano remains ranked 15th overall in accumulated points this season, marking what seems to be, statistically speaking and aside from his win count, his most challenging year with Team Penske since 2013.

It’s common knowledge that the playoff format has been a subject of ongoing discussion for quite some time. Ever since its introduction in 2004, fans have voiced discontent about it, and this dissatisfaction intensified in 2014 when the current system featuring round-by-round eliminations was implemented.

For a while now, I’ve maintained that the playoff system isn’t fundamentally unjust. Teams don’t get what they deserve in these playoffs; they earn their spots. The rules are consistent for everyone, and Logano has rightfully secured his spot in the Championship 4, just as before.

Despite having significantly fewer points compared to the other seven competitors, he managed to reach the semifinals. Once there, he accomplished what was necessary to progress even further.

It can’t be justified to strip anyone of their playoff spot due to a rule change, even if some people think the adjustment should have happened earlier.

However, the surprising advancement of Logano, a driver least expected, to the Championship 4, just a week after his elimination, will undeniably cast the playoff system in an increasingly unfavorable perspective as time progresses.

The storm was brewing, and it hit almost exactly as many expected.

Some supporters expressed hopes, be it jest, irony, or genuine sentiment, that Logano might triumph at Las Vegas, with the intention of portraying the playoff structure in a more unfavorable manner.

If Logano had been disqualified instead, and Bowman advanced instead, the reaction would have been notably distinct, not only due to their personalities but also due to their accumulated points over the season.

However, despite the straightforward nature of the disqualification for an uncontentious offense, it provided an opportunity for a driver initially eliminated in 15th place to make history as the first to secure a spot in the championship round.

And now that 15th place driver is indeed locked into the Championship 4.

Is there a method to enhance the current playoff system, making it more favorable towards teams with strong season-long performance? While I’m certain that many approaches exist to improve it, each one is likely to draw criticism from a substantial segment of the fanbase.

There is no perfect way to do it. Even a season-long points format would undoubtedly generate gripes these days, specifically since stage racing enables drivers other than race winners to score the most points any given weekend.

NASCAR designed its current format with the aim of having a thrilling, climactic race every season, and in this regard, it can undoubtedly be considered a triumph.

The point is that Logano’s latest Hail Mary is only going to bring that discussion to the forefront: is that really how a championship should be decided across a 36-race season?

For individuals who disapprove of the contemporary playoff system, it’s quite possible that Logano’s victory on Sunday was the most desirable result.

Only two races are left on the schedule for the round of 8 to determine which three drivers will join Joey Logano in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway three weeks from now. Catch all the action live this Sunday, October 27th at 2:30 PM ET on NBC from Homestead-Miami Speedway. Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss it!

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2024-10-22 16:02