[autotag]Joey Logano[/autotag] has gone from being “eliminated” in the Round of 12 to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion. On Sunday evening, Logano held off Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to earn his third Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway. It was an incredible finish for Logano, who was fast throughout the entire race. However, the Team Penske’s driver championship has set a few alarming records.
After the 2024 season finale at Phoenix, Logano has the fewest top-5 finishes, fewest top-10 finishes, and lowest average finishing position of any Cup Series champion in the Modern Era. In the non-playoff standings, the driver of the No. 22 car finished in 12th place behind Chris Buescher, who actually missed the 2024 NASCAR playoffs.
Logano has perfected the strategy of winning a Cup Series championship with the current playoff format. The No. 22 team is fast when it matters, which is the end goal for every team. NASCAR’s playoff format produced the worst statistical champion in Cup Series history, but this isn’t discrediting Logano, as the No. 22 team did exactly what it needed with the current playoff format.
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