The checklist of three-time has a brand new title.
Joey Logano.
The Man with a Mulligan used it nicely, profitable Sunday’s at Phoenix to win his third Cup Collection championship and a 3rd straight for staff proprietor Roger Penske.
It is fairly an inventory of three-time champs who got here earlier than Logano: Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart. 4 others have extra: Jeff Gordon with 4, and Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson with seven every.
Let’s evaluation the championship race.
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1. A Workforce Penske pair led the way in which
Joey Logano darted to the entrance after a late-race restart and held on. “Holding on” included holding teammate Ryan Blaney in his mirror, which did not appear like it might be simple, as Blaney gained a number of floor with every lap however could not shut the deal within the closing laps.
“I really like the playoffs,” Logano advised the nationwide TV viewers afterward.
No kidding. Sunday’s win was the third playoff win over the previous 10 weeks for a driver and staff that completed fifteenth within the regular-season factors race.
“What a race. What a Workforce Penske battle there on the finish. It is actually particular,” Logano continued. “I do not know if I am the perfect driver, however I’ve the perfect staff.”
He additionally wanted some luck. Keep in mind, after the sixth race of the playoffs and the tip of the Spherical of 12, Logano was toast. He was sitting ninth whereas the highest eight have been advancing.
Then Alex Bowman’s automotive got here in gentle on the post-race scales, handing him a penalty and advancing Logano into eighth within the present playoff standings and holding his hopes alive. He clearly made probably the most of it.
2. Title contenders end 1, 2, 3
Of the 4 championship finalists, they completed 1, 2, 3 and … sixth.
William Byron completed third, behind Blaney, and Tyler Reddick completed sixth, holding staff co-owner Michael Jordan from including a NASCAR championship to this six NBA titles.
It is the tenth time in 11 years beneath this format that the Cup champ additionally gained the ultimate race.
3. Sounds of silence
The ultimate checkered flag of the NASCAR season at all times alerts the beginning of a pair quiet months.
It will not be too lengthy after the vacations that the ignitions are flipped and all of it begins once more. As typical, it begins at Daytona, and as typical, it would not begin with NASCAR, however IMSA and the Rolex 24.
The three-day pre-Rolex take a look at weekend at Daytona can be Jan. 17-19, with the Jan. 25-26 Rolex 24 highlighting a busy lengthy weekend of IMSA racing.
As for NASCAR, 2025 begins with the Busch Gentle Conflict, Feb. 2, at historic Bowman Grey Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Two weeks later is the 67th operating of the Daytona 500, which can culminate 5 days of NASCAR racing at Daytona to formally open the common season.
(This story was up to date so as to add new data.)
