Boos ring in the grandstands when Joey Logano’s name is called out during the driver introductions. Despite winning three Cup Series championships, the Team Penske driver is far from a popular figure in the NASCAR community. It’s not just his rivalries with Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, but his advocacy for the infamous ‘win-and-in’ playoff structure that has failed to win over fans. Just last year, the Team Penske driver lifted the Bill France Cup once again, leaving many fans with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Because beyond the glory, Logano’s numbers highlighted the playoff format’s flaws. His average finish was 17.1, the lowest for a champion in decades. Many felt that his advancement to the Round of 8 was down to luck, prompting calls for a change in the postseason structure. As NASCAR eyes tweaks to the playoff format in 2026, one voice from the garage is not holding back.

Logano’s Roval luck ignites reform talks

Veteran broadcaster Doug Rice, a NASCAR staple for decades, recently pointed toward the trigger that ignited the playoff change debate. On PRNlive, he pointed to Logano’s controversial 2024 surge as the breaking point. “To me, because of Joey and who he is and how he won the title, that put a sour taste in some of the fan base’s mouth that said, we can’t do this anymore, and that created this sense of urgency,” Rice said.

His words echo the backlash after the Charlotte Roval incident, where Logano was almost eliminated from advancing to the Round of 8. But Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy failed post-race inspection, handing Logano a Round of 8 spot. This twist, amid Logano’s average regular season with just one win, amplified the debate that the elimination-style playoffs reward chaos over consistency. This buzz was similar to 2004, when Matt Kenseth’s single-win crown criticism led to the introduction of the playoff format in 2004.

Rice dug deeper, tying it to Logano’s persona. “The way he was able to advance past the Roval when we thought he was eliminated, and the 48 is DQed, and that allows Joey to advance, and then ultimately he wins the title,” he noted, recalling whispers of change NASCAR aired in late 2023.

Did Joey Logano’s controversial championship win create the urgency for NASCAR to make changes? Some believe it left a sour taste in the fan base’s mouth, leading to talks about a new direction. #NASCAR #JoeyLogano pic.twitter.com/kcPzhYVryN

— PRN (@PRNlive) November 21, 2025

Logano’s fuel-saving masterstroke at Las Vegas and dominant Phoenix finale with 107 laps led sealed the deal, but not without facing fan fury. His average finish ranked lowest among champs since 1972. These things add fuel to the anger, which made fans see this current playoff format as a fluke crowning format where the whole season grind is overseen.

The heat didn’t stop there. The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi nailed it when he said, “I feel like this is a case of Joey Logano winning. If Joey Logano didn’t win the championship last year, if it was Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson who had done what Logano had done, I don’t think we’re having this conversation.”

Bianchi‘s take spotlights Logano’s weekly boos at intros, a repeating story since his 2015 Kenseth feud that led to suspensions and endless debates. In 2024, with Logano thriving under the playoff system, 15 of his 37 career wins came in the playoff system. Yet, because of his inconsistent performances throughout the season and only a handful of wins, fans saw the format as a fluke.

But what if Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson had won the 2024 title? Perhaps the speculation about a change in the playoff format wouldn’t be as strong. But Logano’s triumph changed the tune, prompting many in the NASCAR community to push for a change. The Team Penske driver’s shadow looms large, but how does the man at the center of the debate see this storm?

Logano weighs in on format flux

Logano, ever the pragmatist, shrugged off the drama in a Donut Media chat. He suggested the rivals focus on adaptation rather than complaining about the playoff format. His 2024 title win, which comes with three playoff wins out of four triumphs, proved Logano understood and adapted to the system, but he knows change brews. NASCAR‘s eyeing shifts like a 10-race Chase or full points tally to tackle one-off fluke wins, aiming to reward steady runs without killing the buzz.

“I liked where it was, but I’m going to like where we go to. I’m okay with whatever… It’s not my job to complain about what we have or what we’re gonna have. My job is to say, ‘Okay, these is the rules. Okay, let’s figure out the strategy to win this thing,'” Logano said.

This mindset stems from his six Championship 4 trips since 2014, honing a “test in the regular season, peak in playoffs” approach that netted him three titles in half those finals. Teammate Ryan Blaney‘s near-miss at Phoenix last year underscored the high stakes, yet Logano sees maturity in adapting to the format.

He doubled down on unity: “I don’t really care what it is; just tell me what it is, so we can focus on doing that. The bottom line is, it’ll be the same for everybody. No matter what they come up with, everyone’s gonna have the same opportunity to go out there and win a championship.”

With uncertainty lingering for the 2026 playoff format, Joey Logano’s mindset to prepare for any type of tweaks shows his maturity. The playoff format will be the same for everybody, so he sees everybody getting an equal opportunity to win the title. And teams want clarity for preparation, and Logano’s words rally the field toward whatever format lies ahead.