“There will be a big change to the playoff format. What that change looks like? Still a mystery.” NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi recently confirmed what everyone in the garage is talking about. The current playoff format is expected to change from the upcoming season. And with the sport buzzing about what the next era of championship racing might look like, every driver has an opinion. Or at least, a reaction.

However, one voice sticks out in the middle of the argument. Joey Logano.

While others question the fairness of the current system, Logano admits something most drivers would never say out loud: he loves the playoffs (and the chaos that comes with it). He thrives on the pressure. He wants the desperation. And recently, he shared his thoughts on the current playoff system in an unfiltered manner.

Why Joey Logano loves the current playoff format

Joey Logano didn’t hesitate when asked about the pressure-cooker playoff system. While fans debate fairness and drivers grumble about unpredictability, Logano leans straight into it. “I love playoff sports. It’s really the only time I watch other sports is when they’re in the playoffs. I like seeing people with their back up against the wall. I want to see desperate, desperate people doing desperate things. I wanna see that,” he said.

If NASCAR wanted an example of exactly what Logano means, look no further than the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship race. With the championship slipping away and Denny Hamlin dominating, Larson’s No. 5 team made a move out of sheer desperation.

Larson was significantly behind Hamlin before the last caution, so the team decided to use only right-side tires as opposed to Hamlin’s four. It was the kind of call that can either end a season or crown a winner. Larson was propelled from midfield to the center of the battle because of that desperation, which changed the course of the race and ultimately ended Hamlin’s title challenge.

It was messy, risky, and dramatic. Everything the current playoff format encourages. And Joey Logano absolutely loved it. That’s exactly the kind of chaos he wants to see. For him, it’s not a bug in the system. It’s the feature. “I’m sure they’re not complaining about it now – The format – as they sit there and celebrate,” Logano said after the end of the race back then.

Logano has always been open about his support for the elimination-style format, even as others push back. He thrives within its pressure windows, securing clutch results when others would wilt under the pressure. The Penske star stacks stage points, snatches playoff points when it matters, and executes surgically timed late-season surges, which may go on to explain his three championships in the last seven years.

“It seems like a lot of people don’t like the format we have. I’m the minority of saying I love it because I love the pressure part fits, and it fits like the kind of person I am,” Logano said. And that’s why he isn’t sweating whatever NASCAR announces next. As he sees it, any format that rewards nerves of steel is one he’s already built to win.

Logano is already planning for what’s next

For all the uncertainty swirling around NASCAR’s looming playoff overhaul, Joey Logano remains the calmest voice in the room. While fans debate formats and insiders leak possibilities, Logano shrugs with the confidence of someone who’s more than ready for the next era of stock-car reinvention.

“I guess I liked where it was. But I’m gonna like where we go too. I’m okay with whatever they do… My job is to say, ‘Okay, these are the rules. Now how do we win with them?’” That’s classic Logano. And there’s plenty to strategize about. One of the strongest proposals on the table is a full 36-race season-long championship, a throwback to the pre-2004 era.

This format would reward week-to-week consistency rather than late-season heroics. Every race, from Daytona to Phoenix, would carry equal weight. Another option being floated is the 10-race Chase revival, a format that mirrors the early playoff years. In this version, the field resets with a set number of contenders after 26 races, and the final 10 events determine the champion through points, not eliminations.

Then there’s the much-discussed 3-3-4 elimination model, which would restructure the playoffs into shorter, more intense rounds. Drivers would face two three-race rounds followed by a four-race final stretch, with elimination at each stage. Instead of a single race deciding everything, the champion would be determined by performance across multiple events, reducing randomness while keeping the stakes razor-sharp.

Joey Logano’s stance through all of this remains rock solid. “The bottom line will be the same for everybody, no matter what they come up with.” For him, the format doesn’t shape the champion. It’s how well teams adapt, strategize, and execute that does. And as for Logano, whatever NASCAR chooses, he’ll adapt perfectly. Because that’s what winners do.