Joey Logano, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, entered the 2025 season with high expectations. As a three-time titleholder, with championships in 2018, 2022, and 2024, Logano has proven himself a force to be reckoned with on the track. His No. 22 Team Penske Ford has consistently displayed the ability to compete at the front, and his skill behind the wheel is undeniable. Yet, as the 2025 season unfolds, Logano finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Through the first five races, he has failed to secure a single top-10 finish, a statistic that marks him as the first defending champion in NASCAR history to stumble so significantly out of the gate. Despite this frustrating start, the root of his struggles does not lie in a lack of speed but rather in a series of unfortunate circumstances and execution missteps.
From the outset, Logano’s 2025 campaign showed promise. At the season-opening Daytona 500, he led 43 laps, showcasing the raw pace that has carried him to multiple titles. However, a late-race crash triggered by a dispute over track position with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. relegated him to a disappointing 35th-place finish. The following week at Atlanta, Logano again demonstrated his speed, leading 83 laps, only to fade late and settle for 12th. At Phoenix, starting from the front row, he led 81 laps but was derailed by a restart violation and differing strategies, finishing 13th. The pattern continued at COTA and beyond, with Logano leading a staggering 207 laps across the first four races—more than any other driver—yet having nothing to show for it in the final standings.
The numbers tell a tale of potential unfulfilled. Logano’s ability to lead laps highlights the competitiveness of his car and his driving prowess. Tied for seventh in points after several races, he has also accumulated valuable stage points, keeping him in contention despite the lack of strong finishes. However, each race has brought its own unique setback. Crashes, strategic miscues, and even a poor final pit stop at Bristol—where he finished 15th—have plagued his efforts. Logano himself has acknowledged the frustration, noting that he’s left every race weekend “mad at something.” Yet, he remains optimistic, pointing to the team’s strengths: “We’ve been towards the front, we’re scoring stage points. It’s not like we’re just slow.”
This juxtaposition of speed and failure raises questions about what’s gone wrong for the champion. Unlike his championship-winning 2024 season, where Logano thrived in the playoffs despite a mediocre regular season, 2025 has flipped the script. Last year, he turned modest speed into clutch victories, including three in the postseason. This year, the speed is there, but the results are not. Some point to bad luck—incidents like the Daytona crash or being “punted” by Todd Gilliland at COTA. Others suggest execution errors, such as the pit stop at Bristol or the restart violation at Phoenix, have cost him dearly. Logano’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe, and the No. 22 team have a reputation for precision, but these early races have exposed cracks in their typically flawless operation.
For Logano, the road ahead offers hope. Tracks like Bristol, where he has won twice, and Talladega, where he has triumphed three times, loom on the schedule. His experience as a two-time champion—soon to be three—equips him to weather this storm. The defending champion isn’t panicking, and neither should his fans. Speed isn’t the issue; it’s about converting that pace into finishes. As Logano put it, “Sometimes that’s just how racing goes—you learn from your lessons and keep going.” With 33 races left, there’s ample time for redemption. The top racer’s failure thus far is real, but it’s not the end of his story in 2025.
