NASCAR obtained the season-ending “Recreation 7 Second” it has been chasing since instituting the Playoffs factors system in 2004 final weekend, and followers are fairly pissed off about it. The 2024 Cup Collection champion, Joey Logano, secured his third title with the worst common season-long ending place in NASCAR historical past. Throughout the complete season Logano completed in a median place of 17.1, securing simply 4 race victories (plus an All-Star Race win). It was a come-from-behind victory that noticed him win when it really mattered, and that’s precisely the sort of story NASCAR values in its champions.
It’s exhausting to name Crew Penske an underdog, particularly after they get caught with cheaty webbed gloves, however isn’t that the sort of factor you hope to see? What extra may you need from a racing collection than a champion who discovered his footing because the season went on after which all however swept the post-season championship video games? This was cool to observe, and I feel you’re only a whiner for those who disagree. I want to problem an unequivocal congratulations to three-time champ Joey Logano, he deserved it. He’d have had the next ending common if he hadn’t been dumped by dickhead Austin Dillon at Richmond, too, however that’s not a struggle y’all wish to have proper now.
“To your level about championships and what it’s, the one purpose why they don’t say this about different sports activities is as a result of they didn’t change the playoff system,” mentioned Logano. “However the playoff system in different sports activities isn’t a lot totally different than what that is. You possibly can have an important common season. It seeds you higher for the playoffs. That doesn’t imply you’re assured to go all the way in which to the Tremendous Bowl or the Stanley Cup Finals or the NBA Finals. It doesn’t matter. It would aid you. It’s the identical method in NASCAR, the way in which we’ve got the foundations now, is that you simply set your self up significantly better.”
NASCAR has been attempting to get late-season warmth baked into its championships for 20 years, kind of copying what stick and ball sports activities have achieved. The common season doesn’t actually matter when you enter the playoffs, as your in-season factors reset, although you get bonuses and computerized entries for race wins, sort of like how a profitable soccer group would get a greater championship seed. Logano’s win at Nashville in June obtained him into the Spherical of 16, his Las Vegas and Atlanta wins through the playoffs obtained him sufficient factors to enter the championship 4.
“They’ve the identical alternative to go on the market and win and transfer on to the subsequent spherical,” continued the champ. “So for somebody to say this isn’t actual, it’s a bunch of bullshit in my view. That’s mistaken. That is one thing that everybody is aware of the foundations when the season begins. We found out methods to do it the perfect and found out methods to win. It’s what our group has been capable of do for the final three years.”
The championship went all the way down to the wire, and profitable the Championship Race at Phoenix final weekend was precisely what Logano wanted to do to get his trophy. Championship contenders William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Tyler Reddick all completed within the prime six at Phoenix, and the championship would have gone to whichever of them completed on prime.
“…People who simply obtained to just accept what the instances are,” concluded Logano. “Instances change, proper? And I don’t know in case you have a number of the moments that we’ve got right now with out the playoff system that we’ve got. Do you wish to see the championship crown with three races to go? As a result of that’s what used to occur. That’s fairly boring. You’ve obtained do-or-die moments. You’ve obtained the stress. You’ve obtained all this stuff occurring the final 10 weeks. You’ve gotten guys attempting to get into the playoffs.
“You’ve gotten that storyline. What number of storylines may we make? It’s wonderful. For individuals to complain, it makes me mad. It makes me annoyed to listen to that. Gosh, it’s superior. I watch the Xfinity Collection and Truck Collection, and it’s exhausting for me to speak concerning the Cup Collection as a result of I’m in it, however I watch these as a fan, whether or not it’s from the sales space or simply on TV, like I did final evening. That’s entertaining stuff. I’m glued to my TV, particularly much more through the playoffs than I’m through the common season. What’s mistaken with that? Golly, man. I don’t know. Makes me mad, sorry. I’m not sorry.”
“I’ve obtained a fairly candy trophy proper now. I’ll be laughing all the way in which to the financial institution.”
NASCAR followers, are you not entertained?
