NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Joey Logano reacts to NASCAR's playoff format change

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 2:34 PM ET

The sentiment surrounding NASCAR's decision to move back to a 10-race Chase championship format in 2026 and abandon the playoffs has largely been positive, but at least one current driver will be sad to see the elimination-style postseason go.

"Personally, I liked - I was one of the rare people apparently that liked the old [format]," Logano said during a Tuesday news conference at North Wilkesboro Speedway. "Just from a fan perspective, I enjoyed it."

That's an understandable opinion for Logano, who won three Cup Series championships (2018, 2022, 2024) under the playoff format.

“Personally, I liked the old [format].”

3x Champ @joeylogano was a fan of the old format, but is alright with NASCAR moving back to The Chase pic.twitter.com/PL9VV2Hx7X
— PRN (@PRNlive) January 13, 2026

Drivers will have to change the way they win titles

But the 35-year-old from Middleton, Conn., also understands that the sport has to change. As a competitor, he'll do what he's always done: show up to the racetrack every week in an effort to stand in victory lane at weekend's end.

"Honestly, I'm okay with whatever they tell us," Logano said. "Because the rules are the same for everybody just like they were before. Everyone started with the same set of rules, we all knew what we had to do to try to win a championship. Now we have a different set of rules, but it all starts at zero again and we have to change the way we go win a championship."

Logano is coming off a 2025 season in which he won one race and scored 13 top-10 finishes in 36 races. He made the Cup Series playoffs 11 times in 12 seasons (2014-25) and during his five seasons as a driver when the Chase format was used (2009-13), he made the 12-driver field only once: 2013, his first season with Team Penske. The new Chase field will keep the postseason field at 16 drivers, the same as it's been since the playoff format was instituted in 2014.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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