Joey Logano’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Championship victory has sparked intense debate within the racing community, leading to a backlash that questions the validity of his success.
Despite facing plenty of challenges and criticisms, Logano managed to secure his third Cup title, placing him among an elite group of only six drivers in NASCAR history with three or more championships. Some critics argue that Logano’s championship was facilitated by NASCAR’s current playoff format, which they claim unfairly favors less consistent drivers.
Former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty has come to Logano’s defense amidst the criticism. Petty argues that the backlash against Logano is unwarranted, suggesting that fans are focusing on minor issues to undermine Logano’s significant accomplishments. Petty is adamant that the focus should be on Logano’s impressive achievement of winning a third Cup Championship, rather than fixating on perceived shortcomings. He explained:
“You take Joey Logano, and all we want to do with Joey is tear down and pick out the parts that we don’t like, that we don’t agree with as fans and you pick the little pieces out. You say, does he deserve it? Or not. He got the trophy dude. He’s the three-time… He’s moving on. He doesn’t care what you think.”
Logano responded to the critics after his win with succinct message, stating:
“I’ve got a pretty sweet trophy right now. I’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.
“The only reason why they don’t say this about other sports is because they didn’t change the playoff system.
“It might help you. It’s the same way in NASCAR, the way we have the rules now, is that you set yourself up much better.”
The Team Penske driver also commented on the possibility of retirement, explained, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:
“Retirement’s a real thing, right? An afterlife of the sport is something that will hit me at some point.
“That’s why I think there’s a few things to this. That’s why I think your family is so important because when we’re done with this sport within three years you’re forgotten about, maybe even quicker.
“I like trying to prove to myself that I’m not just a one-trick pony.
“I feel like I hit the cheat code in life being a professional athlete. Like, you know, I didn’t make it in business, I’m a race car driver, I drive in freaking circles all day long.
“I feel like I hit the cheat code in life being a professional athlete.”
“What that is, I don’t know, right? Is that in a race team? Maybe. Is it in NASCAR? Maybe. Is it in TV? Maybe. Is it something completely out of the sport, I don’t know.”
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