NASCAR WIRE: Joey Logano’s methodical win is a warning flare to NASCAR Cup competitors

Joey Logano’s methodical win is a warning flare to NASCAR Cup competitors

May 5, 2025

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

FORT WORTH, Tex. — Joey Logano’s victory at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday was all the more impressive because of the uncomplicated, straightforward nature of his NASCAR Cup Series win.

There were no frills, no gimmicks, no two-tire calls and no convoluted strategies to get Logano to the front of the field when it counted.

It was a blue-collar effort from start to finish on the part of Logano and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford contingent.

Logano qualified poorly on Saturday—27th among 38 drivers—precluding crew chief Paul Wolfe from selecting a desirable pit box. Instead, Wolfe had to settle for Stall 37, with Daniel Suarez pitting behind him and Riley Herbst in front.

As Logano explained, that negated the option for a two-tire pit stop, a move that helped Michael McDowell get to the front in the late stages of the race.

“We never even swung the bat at two tires because of the stall that we had with the 35 (Herbst) in front of us,” Logano said. “We just felt like putting two tires on was asking for a crash on pit road, because we would be leaving when he is coming in. We just kept putting four on it and trying to methodically pick off a couple here and there.

“So we didn’t really go for the haymaker pit strategy. We just kept it basic, and we felt like our car was fast enough to get up there, and honestly, I thought, race in the top five. I didn’t know we were going to get to the lead. Our lap times were good enough to be in the lead, but we took so long to get there. Yeah, everything ended up working well.”

Logano’s progress through the field was deliberate. He didn’t show up on the box score until the end of Stage 2, when he had climbed to ninth in the running order.

The reigning series champion got some unexpected help when a caution for Jesse Love’s crash on the backstretch on Lap 219 took several contenders, including William Byron, Chase Elliott and Logano’s teammate Austin Cindric out of the mix for the victory.

Those drivers already had come to pit road for service and were trapped a lap down, pending wave-arounds. By waiting to pit, Logano and teammate Ryan Blaney gained positions and lined up fifth and third, respectively, for the subsequent restart.

From that point on, Logano was relentless in his pursuit of the win, doubtless additionally motivated by the disqualification from fifth place a week earlier at Talladega for a rear spoiler infraction.

“Joey did what he typically does at the end of these races when you put him in position,” Wolfe said. “I think (spotter) Coleman (Pressley) said it. There’s nobody better at it than him. He just continues to show us that as we go along here. It’s exciting to be part of, and I’m glad we could get our first win of the season.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle this year to get the results that I feel like we’ve shown the speed, but we haven’t put it all together, and it was nice to just have a nice solid day and be able to find Victory Lane finally.”

Team Penske’s strength on downforce tracks ought to be a red flag to other competitors. Josh Berry, who drives for Penske affiliate Wood Brothers Racing, won the fifth race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Berry led 41 laps at Texas before the pronounced bump in Turn 4 got the better of him on Lap 125.

Cindric led 60 laps, second only to Kyle Larson’s 90, before losing track position during the pit stop cycle and getting collected in a four-car crash on Lap 247.

Blaney finished third after starting 24th in a top-five effort that mirrored Logano’s run to the front.

For the third time in four years, Cindric had broken the ice with the first win of the season for Team Penske, claiming the trophy April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway, a Playoff track.

Team Penske has won the last three NASCAR Cup championships, with Logano prevailing in 2022 and 2024 and Blaney claiming the title in 2023.

The pattern for those championships has been consistent—a sluggish early season followed by a late-season charge.

With Team Penske showing consistent strength this early, it’s hard to imagine the organization won’t be fielding contenders for a fourth straight title.