Joey Logano is not showing the form of a 3-time Cup Series champion, and there are a lot of questions surrounding his run up to the Chase. At the end of 12-point races, Logano has a below-average finish of around 22.4.

While people are looking at Logano’s form and whether he can get the #22 Penske car, Denny Hamlin has come out in support of the 2024 champion. Logano won all three of his titles in the win-and-you’re-in era, which makes several voices in the sport question his ability to show long-term consistency. 

But Hamlin feels he can still make it to the Chase. “I think he’s got enough dog in him. I do. I think it wouldn’t be a big surprise. Would it be a bit out of character? Yes, but not a big surprise for him to go and qualify inside the top four at a track a few weeks from now, get about a 55 point day, and next thing, he’s right back there, right where he was,” he said on his Actions Detrimental podcast.

Hamlin was referring to Logano’s position in the standings when he was 12th for a bit. 

The 23XI co-owner believes all Logano needs is a good weekend to get some momentum, and if he can get a couple of races where he finishes high in stage finishes and race finishes, he would be in the mix for the Chase. 

Hamlin noted, “They’ve had poor finishes and poor luck to go with it. And that’s why they're at where they’re at…as a champion, you shouldn’t be that far down the list.”

Logano’s topsy turvy season so far

Even in the All-Star Race, which wasn’t about points, Logano DNFed. He lost the right rear tire and ended up with his car against the wall. While Hamlin believes Logano has enough in the tank to pull out a few miracle results, the talk of his dip in form is factual. 

Logano’s season started on a solid note with a 3rd place finish at Daytona. It was in Martinsville where he managed to match his best finish of 3rd, and the only other noteworthy result was his 7th-place finish at Bristol.

The #22 Ford driver did not finish at Phoenix, Talladega, and Texas. In the remaining 6 points races, Logano finished 18th at EchoPark, 15th at COTA, and 15th at Las Vegas. 

Amongst the other races he’s finished, it hasn’t looked too good. 33rd at Darlington, 30th in Kansas and 38th at The Glen. Right now, Logano currently sits 18th in the standings with 245 points. He has only picked up 3 top ten finishes.

While Logano has been looking for form, it was his teammate Ryan Blaney who had the form and pace in the early parts of the season. Blaney now sits 4th in the Championship with 405 points. While the #12 driver has faced issues in the pits, he looks like a sure shot for the Chase. 

Logano and Penske, in the meantime, need to find the pace that Blaney has if they want to make the cut for the Chase.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason