CONCORD, N.C. — As Joey Logano navigated through the final turns at the Charlotte Roval, he saw something truly unexpected, something that only solidified his love for the current playoff format.
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"What did I see? Cars in reverse wide open," Logano said while laughing after he finished 20th and took the final spot in the Round of 8.
The two cars in reverse belonged to Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin. Chastain, needing to gain one point to advance in the playoffs and eliminate Logano, had made an aggressive move entering the frontstretch chicane. He clipped Hamlin as they both spun.
Chastain put his No. 1 Chevrolet in reverse and gunned it, but he could not back across the finish line fast enough to prevent multiple cars from passing him. This includes Logano, who ended the race one spot ahead of Chastain and four points ahead in the playoff standings.
Another look at the finish at the @CLTMotorSpdwy ROVAL. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1unkICDFvk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 5, 2025
This wild sequence of events ended what had been a fairly nerve-wracking afternoon for Logano. It was pure drama, and he loved it. Granted, it likely helped that he advanced while Chastain saw his championship dreams end.
"The playoffs create drama," Logano said about the format with a smile. "It creates storylines. It creates awesome moments like that. I don't understand what people don't like about it. I really don't get it.
"And if you're one of those people that say the regular season doesn't matter and playoff points don't matter, one point would have been the difference there."
Logano entered the elimination race above the cutline. He had a 13-point advantage, but this did not provide a comfortable cushion. The stress only increased as he only scored three stage points to Chastain's 13.
The No. 22 Ford didn't have the overall speed of the No. 1 Chevrolet, but it had fresher tires after a pit stop gamble by crew chief Paul Wolfe. Logano gained the few spots he could while racing essentially all alone. He just needed to hope that Chastain would fade on older tires and lose the necessary positions to put Logano back above the cutline.
This happened as multiple drivers navigated past Chastain, including Bubba Wallace, Todd Gilliland, and Josh Berry. Hamlin then moved past Chastain and shifted the playoff picture. This position put the two bubble drivers into a tie, but Logano had the tiebreaker for the best finish in the round.
The battle did not end at that point. Chastain still had an opportunity to pass Hamlin back and leapfrog Logano in the standings. He gave it his best shot on older tires, but he ultimately failed to advance after spinning.
Once the race ended, the two drivers met on pit road and shook hands while discussing the finish.
Ross Chastain made the long walk down pit road for a friendly conversation with Joey Logano.
Joey said Ross’ move in the final chicane was the result of a “wicked” playoff system. pic.twitter.com/QyxqaYFJAK— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) October 5, 2025
This moment only served as the latest example of wild moves in cutoff races, a list that also includes Chastain riding the wall at Martinsville Speedway in 2022.
Many people remain vocal about their contempt for this playoff format. They see these late moves as a smear on the sport's reputation. Logano clearly disagrees, something he has reiterated while piling up wins and championships.
"Everyone likes to look at it in other ways, but like I said, one point was the difference there," Logano said. "It was just real drama.
"If you don't have cutoff races and things like that, what are you talking about today? How Shane (van Gisbergen) waxed everyone's butt? That's what you want? I'm just saying, I think this playoff format is just wicked."
