Once again, Charlotte Roval turned into Joey Logano’s lucky charm. Much like last season, the Team Penske driver slipped through the cracks and bagged his ticket to the next round, this time by stepping over the wreck that ended Ross Chastain’s day.
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A year ago, Logano had bowed out after the Round of 12, only to be reinstated following Alex Bowman’s post-race disqualification for car-weight violations. That lifeline carried him all the way to his third Cup title.
This time around, Logano clawed his way back into the Round of 8 by the skin of his teeth. He crossed the line 20th on the final lap, locked in a dead heat with Chastain for the last transfer spot. As the three-time champion navigated the front-stretch chicane, chaos erupted ahead. Denny Hamlin and Chastain spun out just before the checkered flag, handing Logano a lifeline once more.
Grinning in disbelief afterward while he could hear the boos from the fans present on the track, Logano said, “Everyone was telling me how close it was going to be there, and gosh, we’re still alive, baby. We’re still going. I’m so excited. Such a close finish there… It’s the drama of the playoffs. If you want drama, the playoffs bring it every time. What an entertaining finish there to come down to, like I said, a tie there basically at the end before the wreck.”
He added, “Made some really hard calls today. Three stop in the end there, kind of an audible there at the end. Just our fall-off was a little too much. So making that call there at the end was ultimately what kept us there in the game. A championship performance from the team. Wish I was a little faster, but overall, I couldn’t be more proud of the team. We still got a shot.”
“A championship performance from the team.”
Time and again, @joeylogano finds a way. pic.twitter.com/6RjeFqsuv1
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 5, 2025
For 109 laps around the 17-turn Roval, Logano and Chastain traded blows lap after lap, swapping the cutline spot. With tire wear playing a climactic role, strategy evolved into a chess match.
A slow right-front change by Logano’s crew opened the door for Chastain to gain ground, but the tables turned after Chastain earned a speeding penalty on pit road with 20 laps to go. That misstep proved to be the nail in his playoff coffin.
#22 Team Penske crew chief Paul Wolfe doubled down with a bold call, bringing Logano in for fresh tires with 10 laps remaining. It was a gamble, either force Chastain’s hand or have the grip advantage to make up time. Chastain stayed out, banking on track position.
But as the laps ticked down, his tires gave up the ghost. Hamlin passed Chastain on the final lap, and in a desperate bid through the chicane, Chastain tangled with Hamlin, sending both spinning as Logano slipped through to safety.
Eventually, the #22 driver edged Chastain by 0.167 seconds as the No. 1 Chevrolet slid backward across the line. Hamlin, though caught in the melee, still advanced to the Round of 8 by a comfortable 33-point margin. Logano’s finish secured the final semifinal berth by four points, a narrow escape that kept his championship hopes alive for another day.
