Joey Logano won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday in Phoenix.
Logano held off Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to claim victory in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Logano joins Lee Petty, David Pearson, Tony Stewart, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough as three-time NASCAR Cup Series champions.
Logano attempted to cross the dogleg at Phoenix with just over 50 laps remaining to move from fifth to first, passing William Byron, and held off a hard-charging Blaney to take the victory.
The race also included Martin Truex Jr.’s final race as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Here are the winners and losers from Sunday’s NASCAR Phoenix race.
STEWART-HAAS RACING SAYS GOODBYE: Stewart-Haas Racing wraps up final NASCAR season
SUNDAY RESULTS: Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix? The winner and champion is Joey Logano, plus full results
HOW IT HAPPENED: Recap: Joey Logano wins NASCAR Cup Series championship race, third title at Phoenix Raceway
PACE CAR HITS BARRELS: Race car hits barrels during NASCAR Cup Series championship race, brings out red flag
Winners
Joey Logano
The winner goes to the spoils, and Logano deserved it. Logano struggled to get eliminated when the checkered flag flew to end the round of 16 in Charlotte, then return to the playoffs when Alex Bowman was disqualified for not making the minimum weight in the post-race inspection. Logano led 107 laps in the championship race to take the victory.
Team Penske
Team Penske has won three straight NASCAR Cup Series championships, including two for Joey Logano in the last three years. Penske finished 1-2 in the championship race, with Ryan Blaney nearly beating Logano in the closing laps on Sunday. Add in Hendersonville’s Josef Newgarden’s back-to-back wins at the Indianapolis 500 and it makes for a racing season to remember.
Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. finished 19th in his final race as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Truex’s full-time career began in 2006. He made 716 starts and won 36 races in the NASCAR Cup Series during his decorated Hall of Fame career.
Losers
Tyler Reddick
During his first appearance in Championship 4, Tyler Reddick did not seem to be able to get his No. 45 Toyota 23XI Racing going. Although he ran in the top 10 most of the day and finished sixth, he never seriously contended for victory.
William Byron
William Byron appeared to have a perfect tire strategy as he pitted a lap before a late caution was issued with 59 laps to go. However, Logano passed Byron in the dogleg to take the lead. Byron finished third in the race and in the Championship 4 standings in his second consecutive appearance.
NASCAR Cup Series playoff format
Logano got the job done when he had the chance, give him and his team all the credit. However, Logano won the championship with the fewest top 5s (7), fewest top 10s (13), and lowest average finishing position (17.11) of a NASCAR Cup Series champion.
NASCAR needs to tweak the playoff format to find a better balance with drivers winning races and still finishing well. Something between the current format and the “Kenseth Rule” when Matt Kenseth won his 2003 championship with a win, 11 top 5s and 25 top 10s and a 10.25 ERA that gave rise to the “Chase for the Cup” in 2004.
Follow sports writer Austin Chastain on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ or contact him by email at [email protected].
This article was originally published on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Cup Series: Phoenix winners and losers, Joey Logano takes the title
