All Logano needed to do to win the title was finish better than fellow playoff finalists Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday.
But he left no doubt as to who this year's champion was by placing first at Phoenix Raceway to cement his second-ever Cup Series title and fourth victory this season.
Ryan Blaney took second in the race, one spot ahead of Chastain in third. Bell finished 10th, and Elliott took 28th after spinning out early in Stage 3.
It was an emotional day in Phoenix after news emerged that Coy Gibbs, the co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, died overnight at the age of 49. A pre-race moment of silence honored his memory.
Hard to blame Ross Chastain for that incident. Looking at the replay it appears Chastain was already to Chase Elliott's inside when Elliott turned down.
With that, Logano and Team Penske emerged victorious. This also marked the second Cup Series title for crew chief Paul Wolfe, who won with Keselowski in 2012.
Closing Notes on Playoff Participants
Logano previously won in 2018, when he earned three race victories and 26 top-10 finishes.
Bell came in as a big underdog in just his third NASCAR Cup Series season, but he's steadily risen from 20th in 2020 to 12th in 2021 before the top-four finish this year.
Chastain arguably came in as the biggest longshot of them all having never finished higher than 20th in four full-time NASCAR Cup Series seasons.
But he forced his way into the championship conversation thanks to a pair of wins and one of the most incredible maneuvers in NASCAR history.
Elliott, the regular-season champion, was looking for his second title in three years.
In the end, it was Logano who emerged as this year's champion.
Fans won't have to wait too long for the beginning of the 2023 season, which will start February 5 with the Daytona 500.
NASCAR Monster Cup Winner 2022: Joey Logano Tops Final Chase Standings and Grid
Nov 6, 2022
Joey Logano during the NASCAR Series auto race Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
For the second time since 2018, Joey Logano is the king of NASCAR.
Logano finished first at the Phoenix Raceway's NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday, besting the Championship 4 field of Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott and winning the title in style.
Chastain finished third, Bell 10th and Elliott 28th on the afternoon.
It was a fantastic season for Logano, who finished with four overall wins, including two in the playoffs. He was one of 19 different race winners in what was a dramatic, parity-filled NASCAR season.
Despite that parity, however, Logano came into the day with the utmost confidence.
"I knew going into this thing that we were going to win the championship," he said in his post-race interview. "I told the guys we were the favorite from Daytona, and we truly believed it, and that's the difference. Man, it's like I said, I had a good team with a bunch of confidence, and we had all the reason in the world to be confident."
"Man, this is what it's all about," Logano added. "When you're a kid ... my dream was to win Cup championships. Here we are with two of them. It just means so much, it's so special."
Kyle Busch is the only other active multi-championship driver in the Cup Series.
Joey Logano's path to Cup Series success certainly wasn't linear, but it's indisputable that he's living up to the phenom billing he had as a teenager.
In 2005 I interviewed a 16-year-old Joey Logano for a piece on SpeedChannel. It was about “future stars of @NASCAR ”…I would say I nailed it! Congrats champ! @joeylogano 🍻
Team Penske completed its first-ever season with both IndyCar and NASCAR champions after Will Power won the former in September. It's Team Penske's third-ever NASCAR title.
Logano finished the year on a dominant note, leading 186 of 312 laps.
It was a tougher day for Elliott, who was spun out by Chastain in the final stage and fell out of contention.
Only Chastain among the title contenders truly challenged Logano on the day, but Sunday belonged to Logano. He was more than ready to meet the moment.
"I don't want to be comfortable," he told ESPN's Ryan McGee last week when asked if he would try to treat this final race like any other Sunday on the track. "The added pressure and intensity, that's how you find a different level out of yourself. Winning championships is why I do this. It's why I've always done it. So, none of this should feel normal because you're living that dream."
Four NASCAR Cup Series drivers will battle it out for a championship on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Only one will emerge from the desert with a title....
Jimmie Johnson to Return to NASCAR as Driver, Part Owner at Petty GMS in 2023
Nov 4, 2022
Jimmie Johnson
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie
Johnson announced Friday he's returning to NASCAR in 2023 as a
minority owner and part-time driver for Petty GMS Motorsports.
Johnson told Jenna Fryer of the
Associated Press he'll compete in about five Cup Series races next
year, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500, an event he's
won twice (2006 and 2013).
"I've had a watchful eye on the
ownership part and what's happening with NASCAR, and the opportunity
that I have here, the business structure and the model with NASCAR
charters is just so different from than anything else in
motorsports," Johnson said. "I want to be part of it. We
certainly watched Michael Jordan join, what the Trackhouse Racing
folks have done, and there's all these rumors of people who want to
get into the sport. I'm honored and thankful that I'm going to be
part of it."
The 47-year-old California native spent
two decades with Hendrick Motorsports before leaving the Cup Series
after the 2020 season.
He recorded 83 wins and 374 top-10
finishes in 686 starts during that 20-year tenure. He won NASCAR's
top title in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2016.
Johnson spent the past two years in the
IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. He finished 21st in the 2022
standings before he announced in September he'd step away from a
full-time racing schedule.
"This was a difficult choice for me,
but in my heart I know it's the right one," he said in a statement
at the time. "I'm not exactly sure what the next chapter holds, but
if an opportunity comes along that makes sense I will consider it. I
still have a bucket list of racing events I would like to take part
in."
Petty GMS Motorsports features two
full-time cars in the Cup Series: the No. 42, which will switch
drivers from Ty Dillon to Noah Gragson in 2023, and the No. 43 driven
by Erik Jones.
Details for Johnson's car and sponsors
for his limited schedule remain a work in progress, per Fryer.
This year's Cup Series schedule will
wrap up Sunday when Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and
Chase Elliott compete for the championship.
The 2023 Daytona 500 is scheduled for Feb. 19.
NASCAR at Martinsville 2022 Results: Christopher Bell Wins; Championship 4 Field Set
Oct 30, 2022
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - OCTOBER 30: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DeWalt Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2022 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell qualified for the Championship 4 of the NASCAR Cup Series with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in the Xfinity 500.
Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain will join him in battling for the points title.
Chastain narrowly qualified after edging out Denny Hamlin to the last championship berth, and he left fans at a loss for words because of the tactic he deployed to secure a fifth-place finish.
The 29-year-old put his foot on the gas and used the outer wall to guide him around the track.
Entering Sunday, three of the four championship round spots remained up for grabs. Joey Logano guaranteed himself a place in the next round with a win in the South Point 400 on Oct. 16. Kyle Larson's victory the following week meant nothing else was settled.
Hamlin and Elliott banked valuable points by placing first and second, respectively, in the first two stages of the race. Heading into the final stage, they were both on pace to qualify for the Championship 4.
after stage 2, unofficial points, not including projected points based on where they are currently running: Logano-in, Elliott +24, Chastain +18, Hamlin +15, Byron -15, Blaney -25, Bell-must win, Briscoe-must win
Neither could afford to rest on his laurels, though, especially with Bell making his way to the top of the field. Ryan Blaney was looking to play the role of spoiler as well. In need of a win to advance, he was running behind Bell deep into the final stage.
Whether Bell or Blaney led the field, Chastain found himself as the odd man out in both scenarios.
Ross Chastain has his work cut out for him. Right now the lowest-running playoff driver after such a great season. Looked like he was sailing toward a final four berth. Needs to make something happen with 40 to go and the top two cars both with the ability to knock him out.
Many of the top contenders used a caution in the late stages as an opportunity to head to pit road. When the race resumed with 23 laps remaining, Chase Briscoe had climbed into first place, and Chastain overtook Hamlin.
It didn't take long for Hamlin to not only pass Chastain but also open a wide enough gap for him to reclaim fourth place in the playoff standings.
As that was unfolding, Briscoe was in a tense battle with Bell and Brad Keselowski to hold on to first. The pit stops proved pivotal as Bell had the better car and fresher tires down the stretch. With four laps remaining, he passed Briscoe and surged ahead to remove any drama in the final outcome.
Hamlin might have thought he was coasting to the result he required, too, only to see his title hopes evaporate in a matter of moments.
In the end, it was a straightforward win for Bell, and Chastain delivered the moment that's likely to be remembered the most.
The NASCAR Cup Series will end its 2022 season at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on Nov. 6.
Three spots in the NASCAR Cup Series' Championship 4 will be up for grabs Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. A wide range of outcomes are possible,...
Last week, Joey Logano became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to secure his spot in this year's Championship 4. The 32-year-old former champion raced his...
NASCAR at Las Vegas 2022 Results: Joey Logano Wins, Clinches Spot in Championship 4
Oct 16, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 16: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Welcome to the Championship 4, Joey Logano.
The veteran driver clinched his spot Sunday, winning the South Point 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway after holding off Ross Chastain.
Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.
Chase Elliott, who came into the day atop the playoff standings, finished 21st. Here's where the rest of the playoff contenders not previously mentioned finished on Sunday:
Christopher Bell: Did Not Finish
William Byron: 13th
Ryan Blaney: 28th
Chastain, Elliott and Hamlin are currently in position to qualify for the Championship 4, though much could change over the next two races.
Bell's day ended in tough fashion, as he was collateral damage in a mid-race spat between Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace—who won the first stage—that led to a crash, ended the day for all three drivers and led to a bit of a shoving match off the track:
Bell told reporters he and his team "got the short end of the stick" in the altercation between Larson and Wallace.
"It's disappointing because our performance is capable of racing for the championship, and it doesn't appear that we're going to get to," he added, as he now sits in eighth place in the playoff standings.
Blaney, meanwhile, was in second place Sunday and had already won the second stage when he lost control of his vehicle and hit the wall.
There was no such gaffe for Logano, however, who methodically tracked down Chastain over the final 10 laps and outmaneuvered him for the win. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Logano would find himself in contention—it's just what he does.
That's five years of nine that Joey Logano has advanced to the Final Four under this playoff format.
The second of three Round of 8 races will take place next Sunday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the Dixie Vodka 400 set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
NASCAR at Charlotte 2022 Results: Christopher Bell Wins in OT; Round of 8 Field Set
Oct 9, 2022
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 09: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DeWalt Toyota, walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 09, 2022 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Christopher Bell is headed to the round of eight in the NASCAR playoffs.
Bell secured his spot with a dramatic victory in Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race went to overtime following a lengthy red flag near the end, and he outmaneuvered the field and earned the win he needed to advance.
The biggest storyline heading into Sunday's race at the twisty course was whether Chase Elliott would maintain his momentum after clinching his spot in the round of eight with last week's win at Talladega Superspeedway.
He also won two of the previous four races at the Charlotte road course and was the driver to beat heading into the final event of the round of 12.
Yet it was Joey Logano and Ross Chastain who made headlines in the first two stages.
Logano led all 25 laps in dominant fashion in the opening stage, clinching the playoff point that comes with it. And Chastain was forced to go to the rear before the race began because of unapproved adjustments for repairs but rallied back to win the second stage and the corresponding playoff point.
First, Corey LaJoie made contact with Chase Briscoe, and then Daniel Suárez tumbled down the standings as he battled on the fringe of the cut line as he experienced power steering problems.
It was a difficult break for Suárez at a key moment, bringing the pressure of the elimination race into focus, and he pitted in an effort to fix the issue before the final push. He also ended up making contact with LaJoie, underscoring the steering issues.
Chastain also went to the garage for repair work at a critical time as he attempted to remain ahead of the cut line, while Larson pitted in need of repairs.
As if that wasn't enough chaos, Elliott spun out in the final stretch after a restart and opened the door for Harvick to seize the lead in dramatic fashion.
AJ Allmendinger muscled Chase Elliott out of the lead. Kevin Harvick moved Allmendinger out of the lead. Tyler Reddick hit Elliott and sent 9 spinning. Chase Briscoe got spun in the chicane. Erik Jones, William Byron, Joey Logano also had issues back there.
