Joey Logano himself is no believer in luck and fortune. But even he can’t quite explain how it is that he always reaches the Championship 4 in even-numbered years. The Team Penske superstar has done so since the current playoff format was introduced in 2014 and won two championships (2018 and 2022) in the flow. Let’s briefly break down his stats over the past decade and try to understand this trend.
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Between 2018 and 2023, Logano raced in 216 races — equally divided between the even and odd years. His average starting position in the even years falls at 8.88 while it is 10.47 in odd years. His average finishing position in the even years falls at 12.01 while it is 12.78 in the odd years. Even more contrastingly, he has won 10 races in the even years and just four in the odd years during this period.
Is Joey Logano actually better in even years? His stats in even vs. odd years from 2018-2023: pic.twitter.com/vnF8lmmef1
— Daniel Céspedes (@_DanielCespedes) September 9, 2024
Numbers never lie. And one can’t presume that they do now either. Logano is simply better in his even years than in his odd years. He has never reached the Championship 4 in odd-numbered years and he is in the middle of the 2024 season. Already locked in the Round of 12, it is all but certain that he is going to carry himself to Phoenix still in contention for the title.
He said about this notion after winning at Atlanta last Sunday, “I just don’t believe in luck ever or just weird things like that. I think it’s just a coincidence that it’s like that. I hope it’s right this year. We’ll see.” His regular season wasn’t the best of his career with a frail performance saved only by a victory in Nashville. However, he has now bolstered his image as a champion capable of rising to the occasion.
Understanding the reason behind Logano’s even-numbered performance spike
Racing through 35 Cup Series events to reach the Championship 4 finale in Phoenix is no ordinary task. It requires sheer will, focus, and commitment. Whether one wins the title or not, he is bound to face a period of “hangover” after an intense charge. And this is what Team Logano appears to suffer from.
Whenever the No. 22 team gets close to the championship or wins it, it suffers from an emotional toll the following year. The extraction of this toll and lack of pressure could be what leads to the drop in performance. And the possibility of this being true helps one truly appreciate the five consecutive titles of Jimmie Johnson.
Logano still has a long way to go to be a driver competing for the 2024 title in Phoenix. But his success in Atlanta has put him one step closer and given him an edge over the rest of the field. He can now focus on collecting as many points as possible in Watkins Glen and Bristol without sweating himself.
