The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has delivered remarkable excitement, highlighted by 11 different winners in the first 17 races. This surge in competition coincides with NASCAR’s recent move to stream races exclusively on Amazon Prime for the final five events, where viewership exceeded expectations. Joey Logano, a three-time NASCAR champion with Team Penske Racing, has publicly stated that these developments make NASCAR the “most exciting motorsports” globally.
Joey Logano Highlights Close Racing and Streaming Success
Logano attributes the increased fan engagement and ratings growth to the close competition fostered by the Next-Gen Cup cars, which have noticeably tightened race finishes. Historically, NASCAR races often ended with winners crossing the line several seconds ahead, but now the gaps have shrunk significantly, creating more thrilling finishes. As Logano expressed,
“I think they’re racing it in all the way across their series and stuff like that. It’s just it’s close right like cars used to win by well this Mexico’s Mexico Go but that was the norm winning by 16 seconds 10 seconds 6 seconds that was like that was normal, right?”
—Joey Logano, Driver, Team Penske Racing
The introduction of stage racing has also heightened competitiveness by encouraging drivers to earn valuable playoff points throughout each race rather than solely focusing on the finish. While some critics call these changes gimmicks, Logano firmly believes they contribute significantly to NASCAR’s heightened excitement level.
Claiming NASCAR as the Premier Global Motorsport
Despite NASCAR’s smaller international footprint compared to other motorsports like Formula 1 or MotoGP, Logano confidently declared NASCAR the most thrilling racing format worldwide. He credited the combination of innovations such as the Next-Gen cars, stage racing, and playoffs as transformative steps that elevate the sport’s intensity and spectacle.
“And now we’ve added things whether it’s a car whether it’s the stage racing whether it’s the playoffs. I think we’ve added ways to make NASCAR racing the most exciting motor sports in the world, hands-down. I’d put that up against anything.”
—Joey Logano, Driver, Team Penske Racing
Ford Dominates Qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway
The current race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 18th event of the NASCAR Cup Series season, showcased Ford’s clear dominance. The top eight qualifiers were all driving Ford Mustangs, reflecting the strength of the manufacturer’s teams. Joey Logano secured the pole position after a tie with Josh Berry in qualifying times; the tiebreaker went in Logano’s favor due to his higher championship standing.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Logano praised the cooperation between Team Penske, Roush Yates Engines, and Ford.
“On the bright side, we controlled what we could today and super proud of Team Penske, Roush Yates and Ford to keep our teams up there. It shows you that it’s repeatable, what we do. We tied, which is hard to do, and I think the other six are all within a hundredth which is remarkable when you think of all the parts and pieces and how they can be assembled.”
—Joey Logano, Driver, Team Penske Racing
Logano Discusses Challenges of Maintaining Race Leadership
Despite earning pole position, Logano emphasized how starting upfront, while beneficial, does not guarantee winning due to the unpredictable nature of NASCAR races. Atlanta’s superspeedway layout often leads to numerous cautions and crashes that can rapidly shuffle the running order. He noted these factors make it difficult for leaders to maintain their advantage through every lap.
“It definitely helps for the start. Being up front definitely helps you control the race…The thing is, I fee like there are a lot of what ifs that play out in this race, a lot of cautions in this race that timed out in a different way can jumble up the field. It’s hard to say you’re going to be leading every lap of the race. It’s hard to do.”
—Joey Logano, Driver, Team Penske Racing
Logano’s comments underscore the intense battle ahead for victory in Atlanta, where strategy and a bit of luck will likely influence the outcome. Fans can expect a fiercely competitive event, reflecting the overall thrilling nature of the 2025 NASCAR season.
What This Means for NASCAR’s Future
The 2025 season’s mix of technological enhancements, strategic adjustments, and media innovations appears to be driving renewed enthusiasm among fans and participants alike. With Joey Logano’s high praise and confidence in NASCAR’s global appeal, the sport is positioned to continue growing its audience and reputation. As the sport embraces streaming partnerships like Amazon Prime and maintains close, unpredictable racing, it sets a new standard in motorsports entertainment. Observers will be keen to see how these factors shape NASCAR’s trajectory in the coming years, especially with rising stars and veteran drivers competing fiercely on the track.
