Joey Logano’s 2025 NASCAR season has been a brutal ride. A disqualification at Talladega crushed his spirit, with fans and baseball icon Chipper Jones piling on. The criticism burned, and with a season of struggles, Logano’s title defense looked doomed—until Texas Motor Speedway flipped the script. However, his triumph was not the most well-received.
We’ve seen this before from Joey Logano, just last season, after struggling for most of the first half, it was an overtime win at Nashville that got him a playoff berth. This time, it was another overtime restart in Texas where Logano made the most of his track position and zoomed to victory lane. However, the Penske #22 entered this race facing criticism for his antics toward his teammate Austin Cindric last week, resulting in a chorus of boos when he made his entry ahead of the race. But for anyone who knows Logano, that would have only fueled his confidence.
Joey Logano’s patience paid off
Starting 27th at Texas, Logano dealt with a nightmarish track for passing. The Würth 400 was crazy, with 15 lead changes by 11 drivers and 10 cautions for 65 laps. Carson Hocevar led from pole early on, Kyle Larson dominated Stage 2, and Josh Berry stormed to the lead by lap 100. However, Logano hung back, systematically taking out cars. By lap 191, he was in the top 10 behind Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet. And when the race went into overtime, Logano took advantage of a late caution, edging out Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain to steal the victory.
This victory was pure redemption. After Talladega’s post-race inspection failure, Logano was a punching bag. Against the odds, he turned a season of pain into a defining moment. The overtime finish is a testament to Logano’s grit. His No. 22 Ford, dialed in by crew chief Paul Wolfe, sliced through the field. By lap 251, he was third, 2.143 seconds behind McDowell before the latter caused the final caution after Logano overtook him. When the final restart hit, Logano pounced. Logano’s smile said it all in Victory Lane—relief, joy, defiance.
Joey Logano’s post-race words captured his grit. Speaking to Jamie Little, he said, “The sport changes so quickly. It’s crazy how you can just ride these roller coasters, and I’m just proud of the team. Finally, get AAA insurance into Victory Lane. They’ve been a partner of mine since I’ve been at Penske. So, 13, 14 years, and we’ve yet to win with them. So it’s awesome to get that done here… My family there at home. But hey, Brittany and the kids, love you guys. It’s going to be a fun night.”
The Penske man was as happy as can be in victory lane. However, it didn’t seem like the Texas crowd was into his celebrations. Jeff Gluck posted on X about the pre race reception Logano got, and wrote, “Loudest cheers/boos noise in driver intros (scale of 1-10):… Logano: 6 (boos).” Well, he silenced the crowd for sure after his win, and it was not an easy win to come by, as he went on to detail.
Loudest cheers/boos noise in driver intros (scale of 1-10):
Hamlin: 8 (boos)
Larson: 7 (cheers)
Elliott: 7 (cheers)
Logano: 6 (boos)
Busch: 5 (cheers)
Wallace: 4 (boos)
Blaney: 3.5 (cheers)
Chastain: 3 (cheers)
Byron: 3 (cheers)
Suarez: 2.5 (cheers)
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 4, 2025
Joey Logano added, “I just slowly, methodically, a couple at a time. We had a really tough pit stall situation. The pit crew did a good job of managing that. I just grabbed a couple here and there. The car was fast. I knew that yesterday. I just did a poor job of qualifying. I just keep grinding a couple here and a couple there and eventually get a win here, so it’s nice to get one, real nice.” Logano led just 7 laps, finished 9th in stage 2 with no points in stage 1. This was not a dominating drive to victory lane, it was a grind to the checkered flag. One that came after a week of scrutiny and angered fans.
This win hit deep. Chipper Jones posted on X, eating his words, “Congratulations to @joeylogano. A HOF driver with a masterful win. This is what NASCAR fans expect from you. Hard charging wins and gracious top 5s and 10s. Well done!” His 34th career win carried the weight of every doubter he proved wrong.
Texas was Logano’s turning point. Fueled by hatred, doubt, and sheer will, he reminded everyone why he’s a two-time champion. The season’s not over, but Logano’s back, and he’s not slowing down.
Stay tuned for more updates!
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