During their respective NASCAR careers, Joey Logano and Alex Bowman have had a few on-track tangles and some choice words between them. There’s no question that the two are rivals.
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That’s why it’s somewhat surprising — refreshing at the same time — that the Team Hendrick‘s star stood up for his Team Penske counterpart on this week’s episode of SpeedFreaks.
Bowman first gave his take on the current points system and playoff structure, but he quickly pivoted to those who’ve criticized Logano and his three Cup championships as not being legitimate due to the playoff format, where a driver can have a mediocre 26-race regular season, then get hot in the playoffs and ultimately win the championship.
Logano isn’t the only Cup champion criticized by some fans as having an illegitimate title. Others who have faced similar criticism include seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and more.
“As far as what would I change, I’m a 36 week points structure type of guy,” Bowman said. “That’s what I grew up watching. That’s what I like the most. I think that’s what rewards the entire body of work the most.”
Bowman Has No Problem with Logano’s Championship Legitimacy
This was when Bowman stood up for Logano. “But at the same time, I get why we have the playoffs,” he said. “And I don’t think having the playoffs makes the champion any less legitimate than a full season format or a different format. I just think I would rather have the full season format.
“I’ve seen people that try to say that like Joey’s taking advantage of it, right? Because he struggled throughout the year last year, got one win, and then kicked all our asses in the playoffs.
“That doesn’t make him an illegitimate champion. He has the system that we all have to work with, and he worked with it better than the rest of us. I don’t think that makes it illegitimate.”
Logano finds himself in a similar position in this year’s playoffs as he was last season, before he kicked it into high gear and captured his second championship in three years, and third Cup crown overall.
So far this season, Logano has just one win (Texas), three top-five finishes, and seven top-10 finishes. He enters Sunday’s race at Gateway three points below the cutline to advance to the Round of 12.
Things haven’t helped, as Logano ended the regular season with a disappointing 27th-place finish at Daytona and kicked off the playoffs with another letdown, finishing 20th.
Could Logano Kick Off His Bid For A Fourth Cup Crown on Sunday?
Logano has reason to be optimistic for Sunday’s race at Gateway. In three starts this season, he has one win and three top-five finishes. If he’s going to start his comeback to win a fourth title, Sunday is likely his best opportunity.
As for Bristol next Sunday, Logano has two wins, six top fives, and 10 top 10 finishes in 30 starts at the high-banked half-mile oval.
If Logano does go on a run and seals the deal at Phoenix, as he has done for two of his three Cup crowns, statistics are on his side. In 33 starts on the one-mile oval, he has four wins, nine top five, and 17 top 10 finishes.
What’s more, Team Penske is going for its fourth straight Cup title: Logano won in 2022 and 2024, while teammate Blaney earned his first Cup crown in 2023.
So if Logano goes on another hot streak and wins his fourth title, Bowman will likely applaud his rival for a good job.
“I think (Team Penske’s) cars are phenomenal at Phoenix, so they’ve got it worked out pretty well there,” Bowman said. “Obviously, the last couple of years, but yeah, they’ve done a great job at it.”
But then Bowman, who is in the seventh Cup playoff in the last eight seasons — with a career-best finish of sixth in 2o20 — expressed a bit of lament: “I would just like 36 races and call it good.”
