Joey Logano optimistic about NASCAR Cup Series chances after playoff twist

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano is riding a wave of confidence after an unexpected twist propelled him into the Round of 8 in the 2024 Playoffs.

Despite finishing eighth at Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 and missing the cut by four points, Logano advanced due to Alex Bowman's disqualification for his car being underweight , which relegated Bowman to 38th place at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, expressed his embarrassment over the incident and the team did not contest the ruling. Now sitting just 11 points shy of the provisional elimination line as he heads into the upcoming Las Vegas playoff race, Logano is feeling upbeat about his chances.

"You go out there and you attack," Logano said on Tuesday. "The stats may not look like it. It may look like we're underdogs from the outset looking in, but internally we feel very confident in our race team that we can make a run at this thing and get ourselves into the Championship 4.

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"We've seen it in the past where you get in there and anything can happen at Phoenix. The goal right now is to look at the next three races and how do we maximize that. We can point our way in. We're only 11 out, so it's not a lot of points by no means. We may be the underdog by the stats but I still feel pretty good about it right now."

Joey Logano expressed his rollercoaster of emotions since the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but remains excited for the Round of 8. "It can happen very quickly, so one race at a time," he added. "Right now, the focus is Vegas and we'll try to maximize the day there."

Logano also revealed his thoughts after being informed he could progress to the next stage despite initially believing he was eliminated. "I was starting to move forward," Logano said. "You get there literally the moment we get out of the race car.

"It takes a little bit to get your thoughts collected, and honestly, by the time I was driving home, my wife and I were talking about something far more important than what we were doing at the race track. My mind was already starting to shift on what were the next moves and kind of getting over the race. Then I started hearing the rumors from there, and the phone started to ring shortly after."

Logano was aware of the rumors surrounding Bowman's car being inspected but initially dismissed them. "Usually, nothing happens," he said. However, when his phone started ringing nonstop, he realized something was amiss. "I was like, 'Something's up here,'" Logano revealed on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "Wait a minute, something's going on. I need to get to the bottom of this because I'm getting a lot of calls all at once."

Looking ahead to the South Point 400 on Sunday, Logano remains optimistic. "We're still alive. We're still going and that's the name of the game in these playoffs," he concluded.