Phoenix International Raceway continues to deliver quality racing for sure. And like it or not, the Cup playoffs usually produce a quality winner.
This year, one could argue that NASCAR and its playoff system did Phoenix wrong.
(Featured Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Had several things not aligned, Joey Logano wouldn’t even be racing for a third title. In addition to how he got there this year, Logano had the fewest Top 5 and Top 10 finishes of any Cup champion and the lowest average finish of any Cup champion, according to journalist Austin Kenenski and others.
Wow, that’s pretty damning.
But if stats determined the Cup champ, Kyle Larson would have won by a landslide. He bested Logano in all areas except one – luck.
Among the Top 10 drivers, Logano’s 2024 campaign included being tied for the second most DNFs, second fewest Top 5s and Top 10s but was second in total wins, including Phoenix. Without the Phoenix win, his numbers drop to being the lowest scorer in the Top 10.
Is that what NASCAR wants in a championship race?
There was no “game 7” moment this year. In pro ball sports, the other 6 games of the title run matter, which was not the case in NASCAR when Logano lucked out in Las Vegas. His teams battle began with that piece of luck because of how poorly they had run prior to that. Then he went on to finish 28th, 10th, and then won the title race. Not really a championship cruise fans are looking to join.
But you can’t blame Joey. He played the hand he was dealt. You have to blame NASCAR who has allowed this terrible playoff system to clunk along in spite of cracks appearing and with the special allowances, weird penalties and in race manipulation that have occurred.
Again, none of that is Logano’s fault.
NASCAR has a lot of introspective time coming up – probably more issues that actual time. I think it is safe to say conversations about all of this have already started but NASCAR has other things on its plate as well, most importantly the charter lawsuit. Losing that lawsuit will undeniably change NASCAR. Winning the lawsuit will do the same, just not in the same ways. In a loss, NASCAR has to go back to every other team and pay them. It will be a tremendous loss of face, which NASCAR hates. Probably more than they hate losing money. With a win, future challenges to the system will be squashed for years to come.
To top it all off, the 2024 campaign also brings the end of SHR racing. To see a former Cup champion shutter his team speaks volumes about the state of NASCAR, in my opinion. Sure, teams come and go and team finances are more critical to survival than ever, but good teams generally find a way. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas have other racing interests that meet their need without all the shenanigans that come with owning a NASCAR Cup team.
While NASCAR and the teams all pretend to get along between now and the awards banquet, just know there is a lot of whispering going on in the background.
And in more important news, we say goodbye to one of the greatest Cup champions of all time, Bobby Allison. The founder of the Alabama Gang, he won the 1983 title, three Daytona 500s and is 4th on the all-time win list, as well as holding the 1980 IROC championship and two-time Modified National championships. Rest in peace.
And lastly, this year will mark the end of my regular season NASCAR writing career, such as it has been. Being nothing more than a fan of racing, Mike Irwin of the MotorSportsNews Stock Car Gazette has allowed me to continue my takes on racing over the last several years. I started writing for my own website, TurnLeftRacing in 2004 and then ventured into other racing sites a few years later and was even a regular on Jayski.
I can’t thank Mike and Heather enough for supporting me with a place to call home. They are two of God’s wonderful people.
And thanks to anyone out there who has read my humble mutterings and taken the time to engage with me. I truly appreciate it.
I hope to follow up with my final takes on NASCAR and this crazy lawsuit, if it gets done before the end of the year. Still dealing with this by the Daytona 500 is…well… ridiculous. But NASCAR has deeper pockets and can drag this thing out to the point it is not reasonable or feasible to continue the fight for the team owners.
Keep the shiny side up, y’all.
Editor’s note: Thank you, Chuck, for all of your contributions to the Stock Car Gazette and the MotorSportsNews.Net(work). You will be deeply missed.
