Over the last couple of years, the sport has undergone significant changes such as the introduction of Next Gen cars and rule changes like the “Hail Melon” wall ride being banned from the sport. International tracks have also been added to the schedule, along with stringent penalties, and polarizing opinions on the Playoffs format.
Advertisement
Aiming for his third Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway this weekend, Joey Logano shared his thoughts on NASCAR’s recent updates. While a few drivers are thriving under these new conditions, others such as Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott find themselves battling to adapt.
Logano, however, believes that both competitors and fans ought to approach these changes with an open mind and embrace them wholeheartedly while ensuring that the sport retains its core essence.
Emphasizing adaptability, he said, “I think staying open-minded to those things is so important not only as a competitor but as a race fan um that we need to be open-minded about changing things and doing different things, whether it’s a fan the drivers the teams NASCAR themselves have to be open to making changes too.”
The two-time champion further elaborated, “At the same time we want to stay true to our roots; what makes NASCAR ‘NASCAR’ — full contact heavy hard racing. That’s what we are, the Grassroots racing; we don’t want to lose that either.”
“F1 is a completely different thing than what NASCAR is. We don’t need to be them by no means. But we want to stay true to who we are but we also have to keep up with the times a little bit too,” he added.
Formula 1 has seen a rapid expansion over the last decade with four American races on the calendar. They have also surpassed viewership numbers on some occasions compared to the homegrown sport of NASCAR, which isn’t something the promotion is too fond of. Hence,
The 2-time champion touched on how the sport needs to implement fresh ideas to keep the sport interesting for the fans while striking the correct balance of entertainment and grassroots racing along the way.
Logano defends his Championship 4 berth against ‘Lucky’ label
Logano has been thrust into the spotlight not just for his performance, but for the controversy surrounding his advancement to the Championship 4, following Alex Bowman’s disqualification due to his car’s weight discrepancies after the Charlotte Roval race.
Critics have been vocal, pointing fingers at Logano for what they deem an underserved spot in the final rounds, ignited by his victory at Las Vegas and Bowman’s penalty.
Standing firm against the backlash, Logano clarified his position, emphasizing the legitimacy of his progression. “They [Alex Bowman’s team] went too far and NASCAR put the foot down. And we were next in line. Does that make us lucky?”
“No, we were next in line for a reason! We had to race against a car that wasn’t legal. We had the spot the whole time in my opinion.” Logano asserted.
The Team Penske man’s journey to the final 4 this season is emblematic of the current format’s unpredictable nature, hinting that fans should brace for more surprises. If Logano can win his third title this Sunday, it could redefine expectations and acceptance of the unpredictable dynamics inherent in NASCAR’s playoff system.
