For the second time since 2018, Joey Logano is the king of NASCAR.
Logano finished first at the Phoenix Raceway's NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday, besting the Championship 4 field of Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott and winning the title in style.
FOX: NASCAR @NASCARONFOXRetweet to congratulate <a href="">@joeylogano</a> on his win at Phoenix Raceway and his 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship!<a href="">@Team_Penske</a> | <a href=""> <a href="">
NASCAR @NASCARThe 22 in ’22 comes true!<a href="">@joeylogano</a> wins his second NASCAR Cup Series title! <a href="">
FOX: NASCAR @NASCARONFOXWhat a year for <a href="">@Team_Penske</a>. 🏆🏁<a href="">@joeylogano</a> | <a href=""> <a href=""> <a href="">
Chastain finished third, Bell 10th and Elliott 28th on the afternoon.
It was a fantastic season for Logano, who finished with four overall wins, including two in the playoffs. He was one of 19 different race winners in what was a dramatic, parity-filled NASCAR season.
Despite that parity, however, Logano came into the day with the utmost confidence.
"I knew going into this thing that we were going to win the championship," he said in his post-race interview. "I told the guys we were the favorite from Daytona, and we truly believed it, and that's the difference. Man, it's like I said, I had a good team with a bunch of confidence, and we had all the reason in the world to be confident."
NASCAR on NBC @NASCARonNBC"I never been truly this ready for a championship race and we did it."<a href="">@joeylogano</a> was all smiles after winning the <a href="">@NASCAR</a> Cup Series Championship. <a href="">
"Man, this is what it's all about," Logano added. "When you're a kid ... my dream was to win Cup championships. Here we are with two of them. It just means so much, it's so special."
Kyle Busch is the only other active multi-championship driver in the Cup Series.
Nick Bromberg @NickBrombergJoey Logano's path to Cup Series success certainly wasn't linear, but it's indisputable that he's living up to the phenom billing he had as a teenager.
Shannon Spake @ShannonSpakeIn 2005 I interviewed a 16-year-old Joey Logano for a piece on SpeedChannel. It was about “future stars of <a href="">@NASCAR</a> ”…I would say I nailed it! Congrats champ! <a href="">@joeylogano</a> 🍻
Team Penske completed its first-ever season with both IndyCar and NASCAR champions after Will Power won the former in September. It's Team Penske's third-ever NASCAR title.
Logano finished the year on a dominant note, leading 186 of 312 laps.
It was a tougher day for Elliott, who was spun out by Chastain in the final stage and fell out of contention.
NASCAR @NASCARElliott spins on the restart! <a href="">#Championship4</a> <a href="">
NASCAR @NASCAR.<a href="">@RossChastain</a> explains what happened with the No. 9 car earlier in today's race. <a href="">
Only Chastain among the title contenders truly challenged Logano on the day, but Sunday belonged to Logano. He was more than ready to meet the moment.
"I don't want to be comfortable," he told ESPN's Ryan McGee last week when asked if he would try to treat this final race like any other Sunday on the track. "The added pressure and intensity, that's how you find a different level out of yourself. Winning championships is why I do this. It's why I've always done it. So, none of this should feel normal because you're living that dream."
Dream achieved, for a second time.
