Your 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion: Joey Logano

Written by Sean McKean

Credit - Patrick Vallely / NASCAR Digital Media

Against all odds throughout the playoffs, it was Joey Logano who won the finale and subsequently the NASCAR Cup Series championship. It was Logano’s third title.

As it unfolded

In his final full-time start, Martin Truex Jr. led the first lap from pole, but the field never took the second after the caution flew.

Off of Turn 4 on the first lap, Ty Gibbs lightly tapped the wall, which flattened the right-rear. Subsequently, his car went straight into the outside wall in the dog-leg hard. He walked away uninjured but had to retire from the race.

On the Lap 10 restart, championship contender Joey Logano assumed the lead. William Byron settled into fifth, Tyler Reddick in seventh, and Ryan Blaney in tenth. 

Despite Truex’s best efforts to reel him in, Joey Logano went on to win the first stage. Christopher Bell followed distantly in third.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano [Playoffs]

2. No. 19 - Martin Truex Jr.

3. No. 20 - Christopher Bell

4. No. 24 - William Byron [Playoffs]

5. No. 9 - Chase Elliott

6. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney [Playoffs]

7. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick [Playoffs]

8. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin

9. No. 5 - Kyle Larson

10. No. 2 - Austin Cindric

Everyone took to the pits under caution. Having lost his pit stall selection due to pre-race penalties, Logano lost four spots – two of which to fellow contenders Byron and Blaney.

Just before the planned Lap 67 restart, the pace car turned into the pits too early and hit the pit-entry barrels. With the scattering of the barrels and sand, race control flew the red flag.

The field finally restarted on Lap 72. Christopher Bell decisively took the race lead from Chase Elliott, but Blaney and Byron continued to battle it out for the championship lead. Blaney eventually came out on top three laps later.

Green flag pit stops started on Lap 116. Little changed in the running order: Bell still led followed by Blaney in second.

As the run progressed, Joey Logano’s car came alive – making the move for fourth on Elliott and eventually taking third from Byron on Lap 153. 

On Lap 179, Ryan Blaney made the pass on Bell to lead his first laps of the day. But, Bell fought back as they caught two-wide lapped traffic. 

Blaney managed to hold on, however, as Bell and Logano followed closely behind.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney [Playoffs]

2. No. 20 - Christopher Bell

3. No. 22 - Joey Logano [Playoffs]

4. No. 24 - William Byron [Playoffs]

5. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin

6. No. 17 - Chris Buescher

7. No. 5 - Kyle Larson

8. No. 9 - Chase Elliott

9. No. 19 - Martin Truex Jr.

10. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick [Playoffs]

Bell led the first restart of the final stage on Lap 195.

Four laps later, Logano took the championship lead from teammate Blaney. 

With 70 laps remaining, Logano became the sole title contender to pit early in an attempt to undercut teammate Blaney and Byron. 

After everything cycled out, the caution came out with 63 laps to go. Zane Smith suffered a tyre failure going into Turn 1 – sending him hard into the outside wall. He retired from the race.

Byron restarted as leader with 54 to go, but a massive three-wide move by Joey Logano saw the two-time champion take the lead back.

Despite pressure from Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano kept the lead and won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship – adding to his previous of 2018 and 2022.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

2. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

3. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

5. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

6. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

7. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

8. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

9. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

10. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)

11. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

12. No. 10 - Noah Gragson (Stewart-Haas Racing)

13. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

14. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

15. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

16. No. 21 - Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing)

17. No. 19 - Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

18. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

19. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

20. No. 38 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports) -1 lap

21. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing) -1 lap

22. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club) -1 lap

23. No. 31 - Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing) -1 lap

24. No. 4 - Josh Berry (Stewart-Haas Racing) -1 lap

25. No. 16 - Derek Kraus (Kaulig Racing) -1 lap

26. No. 84 - Jimmie Johnson (Legacy Motor Club) -2 laps

27. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) -2 laps

28. No. 7 - Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports) -2 laps

29. No. 14 - Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing) -2 laps

30. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club) -2 laps

31. No. 34 - Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports) -3 laps

32. No. 51 - Corey Lajoie (Rick Ware Racing) -3 laps

33. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG-Daugherty Racing) -3 laps

34. No. 15 - Kaz Grala (Rick Ware Racing) -4 laps

35. No. 44 - JJ Yeley (NY Racing) -6 laps

36. No. 66 - Chad Finchum (MBM Motorsports) -10 laps

37. No. 41 - Ryan Preece (Stewart-Haas Racing) -10 laps

38. No. 50 - Jeb Burton (Team AmeriVet) -18 laps

39. No. 71 - Zane Smith (Spire Motorsports) [DNF]

40. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing) [DNF]