Joey Logano expressed his gratitude toward Denny Hamlin after Hamlin’s intense fight with Bubba Wallace at Kansas Speedway helped keep Logano above the NASCAR playoff cutline. If Wallace had won the race, Logano would have faced a must-win situation at the Charlotte Roval to stay in the postseason hunt.
Logano’s day at the Hollywood Casino 400 did not start well, as he qualified 35th and was penalized for making unapproved adjustments, which sent him to the back of the field. His struggles continued with an additional penalty for pitting while pit road was closed, followed by a speeding penalty on pit road. Despite all these setbacks, Logano managed to collect valuable points during the race stages, maintaining his position within playoff contention until he was caught up in a significant multi-car wreck in the final stage.
After recovering from the wreck, Logano finished 21st in the race, but Hamlin’s battle for the lead against Wallace ensured Logano avoided dropping below the playoff cutoff. Reflecting on the situation, Logano acknowledged the importance of Hamlin’s role in his playoff survival.
“You know the back half of that race couldn’t have gone much worse after the wreck but we’re also sitting in a lot of different spot if Bubble won that race. So, thanks Denny,” Logano said in an interview with NASCAR’s Inside the Race (via X/Steve Letarte)
Currently, Joey Logano sits eighth in the playoff standings, holding a 13-point cushion above the cutoff line. To advance into the final eight, he needs to earn more than 50 points at the Charlotte Roval. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin requires only 22 points to qualify for the next playoff round without securing a race win.
Joey Logano Reflects on His Difficult Weekend at Kansas Speedway
After the race, Logano detailed his challenging day at Kansas Speedway during a post-race interview with NBC Sports. He described how the late-stage wreck affected his No. 22 Ford, damaging the car and hampering its handling for the remainder of the race.
“It was a hard weekend. I thought we were recovering pretty well scoring stage points in both stages after starting in the back. I’m like, ‘All right, we’re OK here. We can kind of roll through here and we’ll be all right,’ and I just got caught up in that wreck on the restart and tore something up. I don’t know, but it wouldn’t turn after that,” he said.
“We tried to throw a ‘Hail Mary’ with two tires, but there were too many restarts, and you can’t hold them off. I kept getting used up, so it sucks. We’re plus-13. It is what it is. We’ve got to go race, but it’s going to be close,” he added.
The wreck occurred during a restart in Stage 3, when the field compressed, and Noah Gragson made contact with Logano, causing a chain reaction involving Austin Cindric. The impact caused Logano to lose control, sliding his car through the track, though it did not suffer further damage.
Understanding the Stakes Heading Into the Charlotte Roval
Joey Logano’s current position in the playoff standings leaves his fate hanging by a thread. Being 13 points ahead of the cutoff means every point earned at the upcoming Charlotte Roval race will be crucial. Logano must outperform the competition on a challenging road course, an environment that often tests driver skill and team strategy to the fullest.
Denny Hamlin’s performance continues to shape the playoff landscape as well, with his abilities to gather points without winning ensuring he remains a tough contender. The interplay between these drivers highlights the unpredictability and intensity of this NASCAR playoff season.
What happens next at Charlotte could determine Logano’s continuation in the chase for the championship, with both momentum and pressure building as the field narrows toward the final contenders.
“Thanks Denny.” – Joey Logano on Inside The Race after the last lap contact between Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin…
FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/eCSQsJf6th pic.twitter.com/TUu9dBicpS
— Steve Letarte (@SteveLetarte) September 29, 2025
