Joey Logano is an enigma. If you want to know how Logano will perform in a given year, just take a quick glance at your calendar. No one understands it, nor does Joey himself. But the Legend of Even Year Joey Logano continues to grow. To the point where Logano even acknowledged the phenomenon in his post-race interview, after winning at Las Vegas in improbable fashion. By not pitting during the final stage, and saving enough fuel to make it to the end and barely hold off Christopher Bell (the dominant car of the day, by far).

2016

According to my research, this bizarre trend first began to show itself in 2016. Specifically following the Playoff Race at Kansas Speedway. Kansas was the middle race of the Round of 12 that year. Logano finished 3rd in the Heartland that day, a solid day for someone who needed it. Heading to Talladega the next week, Logano entered the cutoff race tied for the final transfer spot with Austin Dillon.

Logano would be a non-factor for the first half of the race, but made his way towards the front as they approached the final 1/4 of the race. He would take the lead on Lap 148 and would lead all the way to the end, even through an Overtime restart, and win to lock himself into the Round of 8.

A couple of weeks later Logano entered Phoenix, the cutoff race to decide the Final 4, in a tight points situation. Albeit a much less perilous one than at Talladega. He sat above the cut line this time, 3rd place in points, but only 2 points ahead of 5th place Denny Hamlin.

On a Fall day in Arizona, typically remembered as Alex Bowman’s breakout performance, the one that effectively cemented Bowman as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement in 2018, Even Year Joey Logano began to show himself for the first time and survived multiple Overtime restarts to win.

Now, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of how the Season Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway went that year. But here is a short refresher, just in case. On a restart with 10 Laps To Go, Logano made an aggressive but clean and fair move to get to the inside of Carl Edwards, who was on the front row. Edwards blocked aggressively, but Logano, rightfully, never wavered and held his line, and Edwards spun himself across Logano’s nose. Sending him into the inside wall and ricocheting back into traffic, causing a massive pileup in Turn 1. Jimmie Johnson went on to win his record-tying 7th NASCAR Cup Series Championship that night, and Carl Edwards would abruptly retire that offseason and disappear from the public eye until last year, when he was invited to Darlington Raceway as a part of “NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers”.

2018

The 2018 Season will likely always be remembered for the failure of the “Big 3”, the obnoxious storyline that you definitely did not want to be reminded of. I apologize, but I have a story to tell. The “Big 3” was comprised of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. The three of them combined to win 20 races that year. Logano on the other hand was overlooked all year.

Logano won at Talladega in the Spring, but didn’t come alive until the Playoffs began. In a now iconic moment, Logano moved Truex Jr. out of the way in the final corner at Martinsville and they slammed fenders all the way to the line in a photo finish. Leading to the iconic line from Truex, “He may of won the battle, but he ain’t winning the damn war”.

Update: He won the war. Joey Logano pulled off a remarkable upset at Homestead, smashing a figurative pie in the face of everyone who fed fans the “Big 3” storyline all year. Logano dominated the second half of the race, leading 80 laps en route to the win and his maiden Cup Series title. Even Year Joey Logano had struck…for real this time.

2020

After Logano won 2 of the first 4 races of the 2020 Season. The sport shut down for until May due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. NASCAR returned in May and Logano wouldn’t win again until the Playoffs.

Logano advanced to the Round of 8 with a 2nd place finish at the Charlotte Roval. But he entered the following race at Kansas, the first of the Round of 8, below the cut line to advance to the Final 4.

Logano held off the dominant Kevin Harvick for the final run of the race to win and advance to the Championship Race. But Even Year Joey Logano didn’t show up when it mattered this time around. Even Year Joey Logano got out Even Year Joey Logano’d by Chase Elliott.

Elliott pulled out the same tricks that Logano used in 2018. With a clutch win at the aforementioned Charlotte Roval, and another such win at Martinsville (with a little help from a pit crew member). Elliott had survived to compete for a title at Phoenix. That day was dominated by Logano and Elliott. Logano dominated the first half of the race, and Elliott the second. Elliott stole Even Year Joey Logano’s thunder.

2022

After coming up short in 2020, Even Year Joey Logano responded in the most Even Year Joey Logano fashion. Logano won 2 races early in the Summer to lock himself into the Playoffs at Darlington and in St. Louis. He was relatively quiet throughout the rest of Summer and the early Fall, however.

After simply surviving the Round of 16 and the Round of 12, Logano entered the Round of 8 quietly even though he sat 2nd in points, and above the cut line. Then, to begin the Round of 8, at Las Vegas, Logano out dueled a dominant Ross Chastain and won, seemingly out of nowhere, to advance and compete for a Championship.

Chastain would make his way into the Final 4 with one of the most shocking and gutsy moves in NASCAR history, at Martinsville…The Hail Melon. Chastain would come up just short in his Championship effort though as Logano and Team Penske could not have showed up any better. Logano Qualified on the Pole, led 187 Laps, and won the race, and the Cup Series Title for the 2nd time, with a little help from teammate Ryan Blaney.

2024

Blaney would have his crowning moment in 2023 after another run in with Chastain. But 2024 has not been as good to Team Penske, or Ford for that matter. Ford as a whole won just 4 of the first 24 races. One of which was a dramatic five overtime win from Logano, in which he saved a seemingly insurmountable amount of fuel in Nashville. That was all Logano needed to make the Playoffs.

Aside from that Nashville win, it has been a very underwhelming season for Logano. The perfect time for Even Year Joey Logano to strike. And, well…he did!

Logano would come out of nowhere to win the first race of the Round of 16 at Atlanta, and at a time when many thought Logano would be ousted in the First Round, no less. It should have been a win that sent a message, but it wasn’t. Logano continued to be underwhelming, even though he survived the Round of 12. Logano was seen as an easy out for those trying to predict the outcome of the Round of 8.

But then Even Year Joey Logano struck again.

In Las Vegas, Logano entered the Round of 8 the furthest below the cut line Even Year Joey Logano had ever been. -11. After Stage 1 Winner, Tyler Reddick’s day was flipped on its head when he was caught up in an incident, the day was then dominated by Christopher Bell, who led 155 Laps. But in the final green flag run, a run that began with 69 Laps To Go, Paul Wolfe (Logano’s Crew Chief) would perform his master stroke. The boldest of bold strategies. Most of the field would pit midway through the final stage, after opting to not pit under what wound up being the final caution flag. Wolfe and a few other Crew Chiefs brought their drivers down Pit Road under said Caution period, allowing for the race to be in their drivers hands.

Saving fuel became the name of the game. Logano, notoriously one of the best at saving fuel, had saved enough fuel to survive, all he had to do was dispose of Daniel Suarez (Suarez was on the same strategy as Logano) and try to put as much lapped traffic between himself and Christopher Bell, who had plenty of fuel after pitting and had far fresher tires.

When all was said and done, Bell likely came just one lap short, losing by .662 seconds, a bold call on the part of Paul Wolfe and perfect execution on that of Logano.

A Lesson to be Learned

Let this be a lesson to those reading this. Even Year Joey Logano has become so undeniable, even the man himself can’t deny it any longer. It is simply not wise to overlook Joey Logano in an even year.

There are still 3 races remaining this season, and Joey Logano will be competing to earn his 3rd Cup Series Championship come Phoenix next month. It remains to be seen what the Legend of Even Year Joey Logano has in store.