Joey Logano entered the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase as the ninth seed, a position that reflects a dramatic climb from 20th place earlier in the regular season after securing two victories at North Wilkesboro and Richmond.
A Turnaround on the Track
His résumé includes nine straight postseason appearances and a second consecutive Chase, having finished ninth in 2024, while the early part of the year saw his team struggle, missing the qualifying field in six of 11 races and posting results outside the top 30.
Although an even‑year advantage usually benefits Logano, this season the benefit arrived late in the summer, after a stretch of poor qualifying that left his average starting position at 14.6—the worst since 2011—yet his average finishing position of 17.2 remained close to the level he posted during his 2024 championship campaign.
Team Penske, his organization, turned the tide in the final seven races, dominating short flat tracks and helping Logano lead 536 laps, the fifth‑most of the season, while his driver rating of 82.1 placed him 12th in the series rankings.
With a strong record at Darlington, Las Vegas and Phoenix and a momentum built on recent wins, Logano now looks to convert his ninth‑seed standing into a top‑five playoff finish, a feat that would underscore his consistency and the impact of his late‑season surge.