"It would be horrible to not use that" - Joey Logano ready to trade next races for title edge, locks in on Phoenix strategy
Joey Logano, Team Penske's No. 22 Ford driver, had a tough start in the Round of 8. He turned things around by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is now preparing for the next month's championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
In the latest episode of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Logano talked about how important it is to prepare for Phoenix. After he earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, he stressed that his team's main focus would be to improve their performance for Phoenix.
“Don't get me wrong, like we're not going to lay up. But the focus has to be on Phoenix. If we earned that right to to be able to do that, it would be a total waste if we did not take advantage of that, right? I mean, it would be, it would be horrible to think to not use that. So that's going to come at a price of something and go be at a price of, you know, maybe these next few races," Logano said.
Logano also shared that the team is already planning their practice and setup for the final race on November 11.
Joey Logano was eliminated from the playoffs after the Round of 12 but got back in when Alex Bowman was disqualified.
Logano's crew chief Paul Wolfe used a smart fuel-saving strategy that helped him win his third race at the South Point 400 race last Sunday, October 20. He then moved directly to the Championship 4.
"They all are capable of winning the championship" - Joey Logano on fellow drivers in the playoff
Joey Logano is currently in fourth place in the point standings. However, all drivers begin with 5,000 points and cannot earn extra points in the Championship 4 round. The highest finisher in the final race will win the title.
When asked if he pays attention to his competitors or just focuses on his own car, Logano said he is focused only on his performance, like a horse with blinders on. He also pointed out that the current group of drivers is strong and it is hard to pick a weak opponent.
"I think we're on blinders...I don't see where there's certain teams or cars that are stronger than the other. Like, they all are capable of winning the championship this year and so, like I said, we need to focus on us and figure out how we gain that advantage when we get there," Joey Logano said.
The next race in the Round of 8 is the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday, October 27.