"Hope you don't feel the same at season's end" - Roger Penske shares playful dig to Rick Hendrick as Joey Logano wins 2024 NASCAR title
Roger Penske and Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR team have a long-standing competitive rivalry in the sport, and moments like these bring out some lighthearted banter between them. Following Joey Logano clinching his third NASCAR title, his boss Penske revealed his chilling warning to Hendrick after Alex Bowman’s Charlotte disqualification.
Logano’s path to finale made possible by disqualification of Bowman at the Charlotte Roval that opened a gate for #22 Ford driver to progress into the Round of 8 by default.
In the Phoenix post-race interview, Roger Penske revealed that he had a conversation with Hendrick, who underestimated Logano’s inclusion in the Round of 8. Penske had a humorous response for Hendrick. Recalling their conversation to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Penske said:
“Yeah, when we got in because the #48 (Alex Bowman) was disqualified, I talked to Rick (Hendrick), and he said, ‘I'm glad it was you that got in’. And I said to him, ‘I hope you don't feel the same at season's end.' So anyhow, it's great, and it's just another opportunity for us, and we were able to conquer it.”
Alex Bowman was one of eight drivers to advance to the Round of 8, and Joey Logano was the first to get eliminated from the playoffs. However, everything changed when Bowman’s #48 Chevrolet failed the post-race tech inspection and was disqualified, which put Penske’s star driver back in the playoffs.
Logano took the opportunity with both hands, winning the next race on fuel mileage at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to secure a berth in the Championship 4.
Roger Penske’s success continues in Next Gen era
It was Roger Penske team's third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship in the Next Gen era, as Logano had won the Cup title in 2022 and Ryan Blaney won in 2023.
Logano was the toughest driver to beat on Sunday. He captured his third NASCAR Cup title after holding off the massive charge from his teammate and defending champion Ryan Blaney in the final laps.
After the race, expressing his joy over securing another title, Roger Penske said (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):
"It's amazing when you think about, you know, the Pettys and the Hendricks and people like that; just to get close to their club is amazing. But our team today and all season, we just got better and better. And as I said, my name's on the door, but it's, you know, all the people that make a difference."
Logano's teammate Blaney finished the season in second place in the championship standings.