Dale Jr. reacts to Joey Logano NASCAR playoff defense

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants to have a nuanced conversation about the ongoing NASCAR Cup Series championship format debate.

On one hand, Earnhardt is a traditionalist but on the other, he also wants to give credit to three-time and defending champion Joey Logano for his accomplishments in this era while also wanting something a little different in the future.

This was the theme of a conversation the two-time Daytona 500 winner had with best friend and longtime spotter TJ Majors this week on an episode of the Dale Jr Download in response to the following Playoff Media Day quote from Logano himself.

“As a fan, I want to see (drivers) scared, and our playoff system now does that,” Logano said. “I’ve always been the person to say, ‘If you’re complaining about it, then just do better.’ If you scored a bunch of points during a regular season and you didn’t make it to the Championship 4, then shame on you. You had a head start, and you still couldn’t do it.

“But don’t say it’s not legit. You could have gone out there and won to get in. You didn’t. Just because it didn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean change the rules.”

So then came the nuance from Earnhardt in response.

“You can believe that Joey Logano is a legitimate champion and still believe that the playoffs should be different,” Earnhardt said. “I think that Joey is a legitimate champion. I think that Joey’s trophies that he has in his possession are as cool and real and as historic as any other champion in our series ever, right? All through the history of NASCAR, every championship has been won under a different set of circumstances, whether it be how the playoff points are tallied, whether it be the competition level.”

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Earnhardt pointed to the lack of parity in the 70s compared to today as an example of how this conversation is way deeper than just the playoff format.

“My point being not just the playoffs and how you score points has changed. The sport has evolved. Every championship is unique. So is Joey’s. But I don’t think the single-race format is the best way to decide the champion. It doesn’t mean Joey doesn’t deserve to be celebrated. And it doesn’t mean if they were to change it, it wouldn’t dilute or take away from what he did. What’s done is done.”

However, Earnhardt also said it’s true that last year he went from being well outside the top-10 in the championship standings to within points of the leader thanks to winning just a single race.

That is what this format is.

“He went from how many races out of the points lead to like one and then they get erased after each round,” Earnhardt said. “That’s the way I see it. This system definitely benefits (him because he) went from eight races behind the leader in points to one race. I mean, that’s nice. Then you end the season with some strong races for your company or your team and he is arguably the best at this system. He knows how to grind out every single point and take those …”

But he also points out that Logano only even advanced to the Round of 8 after he had been eliminated but then reinstated due to Alex Bowman failing post-race inspection. Earnhardt called it a ‘weird set of circumstances.’

Earnhardt said that NASCAR seems to be coming around that some kind of change needs to happen. It will not happen in 2026 by every account but Earnhardt thinks there will eventually be a three or four race championship deciding round. But again, it doesn’t take away from what Logano has done three times in seven years and counting.

“Joey can go to bed feeling comfortable and confident,” Earnhardt said. “I know people use him as an example as to why we need change. It’s a good example to use but he did win it. He does have the trophy.”

Earnhardt also concede that Benny Parsons won the 1973 Winston Cup with just one lead lap finish and Matt Kenseth won it in 2003 with only a single win but he still enjoys looking at assumed full season points every year, even recognizing that drivers run it different with stage points in mind.

He also just misses the consequence of a single DNF or win occurring in the same race and what that meant for a season long championship campaign. He even recognized some of that is simply nostalgia.

“There never will be a perfect playoff format, never,” Earnhardt said. “But we all do seem to think that there needs to be a little bit bigger of a sample size of final races for that final round, and I think that’s probably what we’re gonna get.”