Joey Logano won all three of his Cup Series championships in NASCAR’s playoff era. Yet, he seems to be extracting the positive from the return of the Chase format from the 2026 season onwards. The old format was on since 2014, with stage racing introduced in 2017. Since this format prioritized winning over consistency, many drivers turned aggressive on the track, attempting to win races by any means. But with the Chase returning, Ryan Blaney and Logano share common views about how the racing etiquette’s going to change on track.
Logano expects not to see any more “desperate” moves on the track
One of the major reasons why drivers had become more aggressive in the recent era was that the playoff format prioritized winning. The rule broken down was simply this: no matter how a driver performed throughout the season, if they managed to clinch one race win within the first 26 races, they qualified for the playoffs. The win-and-get-in nature of the championship format severed the driver etiquette.
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In certain races, the drivers who had been struggling all season would find themselves running within the top, and if they could, they would sometimes wreck the leader (unintentionally or not). They would win the race and qualify for championship contention. But the Chase format is quite different.
It focuses on driver consistency throughout the year, and only the top 16 in the standings are eligible to get into the playoffs.
Blaney feels that drivers wouldn’t be making desperate moves on the track to win races by any chance, even if that meant wrecking into someone. Logano recently resonated with his comments, as he found a positive note out of the new system. When asked if the racing etiquette would change under the Chase format, he said:
“Yeah, 100%. I mean, desperate people do desperate things, right? We see that in life, no matter where you are, when your back’s up against the wall, what are you willing to do? This kind of clears a little bit of that up. For good or bad, it probably depends on who you are,” he said.
It’s clear that Logano’s implying that the desperation on the track will reduce a lot with the new format. There will be fewer “do-or-die” situations like before, and the overall racing etiquette should improve for the better. However, he also adds that it depends a lot on the driver’s intent.
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Kyle Busch had also been outspoken about the aggressiveness in the upcoming generation’s driving, as he warned Tony Stewart on his return. There have been many instances of intentional wrecks. In fact, Joey Logano was once on the receiving side of it.
When Joey Logano was on the receiving end of “desperate” moves
As the Cup Series made its way to Richmond Raceway back in 2024, Joey Logano found himself in a strong position to win the race. He had performed well throughout the weekend. Although he qualified in ninth place, Logano found himself in race-winning contention. However, he wasn’t the only one hungry for a race win.
While Logano had locked himself into the playoffs with an earlier win at Nashville, Austin Dillon had struggled with his car throughout the season. His inconsistent performances did not get him any closer to a race win, but the overtime at Richmond saw him run in second place.
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Closely following the #22 Ford, Dillon soon realized that he wouldn’t have another chance at overtaking, so he crashed into Logano, sending him into the wall. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin took the lead, but Dillon was quick enough to wreck him as well.
Dillon didn’t qualify for the playoff berth despite his race win owing to the intentional wrecks. Although this seemed to be a fair judgment, it reflected just how desperate the drivers could get to win races and get into the playoffs.
Scrapping off this championship format is also sure to reward the more deserving drivers, as it will allow only the most consistent ones to get into the Chase for the championship. With no eliminations in the final races as well, the racing etiquette will change, as Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney expect.
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The post Joey Logano Echoes Ryan Blaney’s “Desperate” Comments as NASCAR’s Championship Reset Quietly Rewires Driver Mindsets appeared first on EssentiallySports.
