NASCAR received 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 Sequence 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 onerous to name Group Penske an underdog, particularly once they get caught with cheaty webbed gloves, however isn’t that the sort of factor you hope to see? What extra might 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 look at, and I feel you’re only a whiner should you disagree. I want to difficulty 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 battle y’all wish to have proper now.
“To your level about championships and what it’s, the one cause 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 shouldn’t be a lot completely different than what that is. You’ll be able to have a fantastic 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’d assist you. It’s the identical method in NASCAR, the way in which we’ve got the principles now, is that you just set your self up significantly better.”
NASCAR has been making an attempt to get late-season warmth baked into its championships for 20 years, kind of copying what stick and ball sports activities have finished. The common season doesn’t actually matter when you enter the playoffs, as your in-season factors reset, although you get bonuses and automated entries for race wins, sort of like how a successful soccer crew would get a greater championship seed. Logano’s win at Nashville in June received him into the Spherical of 16, his Las Vegas and Atlanta wins through the playoffs received 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 following spherical,” continued the champ. “So for somebody to say this isn’t actual, it’s a bunch of bullshit for my part. That’s improper. That is one thing that everybody is aware of the principles when the season begins. We found out find out how to do it the very best and found out find out how to win. It’s what our crew has been capable of do for the final three years.”
The championship went right down to the wire, and successful 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 high six at Phoenix, and the championship would have gone to whichever of them completed on high.
“…Those who simply received to simply accept what the occasions are,” concluded Logano. “Occasions change, proper? And I don’t know if in case you have quite a lot of the moments that we’ve got immediately 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 received do-or-die moments. You’ve received the stress. You’ve received all these items happening the final 10 weeks. You’ve guys making an attempt to get into the playoffs.
“You’ve that storyline. What number of storylines might 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 Sequence and Truck Sequence, and it’s onerous for me to speak concerning the Cup Sequence 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 improper with that? Golly, man. I don’t know. Makes me mad, sorry. I’m not sorry.”
“I’ve received a reasonably candy trophy proper now. I’ll be laughing all the way in which to the financial institution.”
NASCAR followers, are you not entertained?
