'The points are where they are,' Joey Logano regrets poor start to 2026 NASCAR Cup series season

There is a specific kind of danger that comes with a pissed-off champion. When a driver who already has three NASCAR Cup Series titles sitting on his mantle suddenly finds himself buried in the middle of the pack, the resulting frustration usually translates to fireworks on the racetrack.

Right now, Joey Logano is furious. And frankly, if you are a fan of stock car racing, that is exactly what you want to hear.

The 2026 season has not been kind to the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Currently sitting 12th in the championship standings, Logano is staring down the barrel of an uncharacteristically sluggish spring.

With just two top-five finishes and a deeply mediocre average finishing position of 16.8 across his first seven starts, the veteran recently took to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to air his grievances. His assessment of the situation is “No, I’m not okay.”

1. The Brutal Reality of the 2026 NASCAR Season for Logano

Joey Logano is not built for moral victories. He is hard-nosed, aggressively competitive, and completely unapologetic about his desire to win. So when he publicly admits that things are not okay inside the Team Penske camp, it’s a massive wake-up call. “We shouldn’t be okay with it either. But, you know, I mean, the points are where they are, right? Like, there’s not what you can do about it right now, about the past, you just got to keep grinding and moving forward, and a long way to go in the season,” Logano added during his radio hit, effectively throwing down the gauntlet for his crew and himself. “Obviously, you know, I think everyone knows Reddick is a long ways out there, but to get back up in the top five is not something that’s not achievable, like it’s right there in front of us. It’s still pretty good and close. So, uh, you know, you string together, I mean, you string together a couple strong races and you can you’re right back in the top five before you know it, because it is close right now.”

2. Why a Frustrated Joey Logano is a Dangerous Driver

You don’t win three championships by packing it in when the spring weather gets a little cloudy. Logano pointed out that the garage is a rollercoaster right now. Just look at Bubba Wallace. A mere two weeks ago, Wallace was sitting pretty in second place overall. Today, he has completely tumbled out of the top five. That massive swing proves exactly what Logano is banking on: the points battle is still incredibly tight. A couple of dominant runs, the kind where the No. 22 is leading laps, winning stages, and taking checkered flags, would instantly catapult him right back into the championship conversation. Logano knows that the math is on his side, provided he and his team can find the speed they’ve been desperately lacking.

3. Can Team Penske Turn the Ship Around?

The pressure isn’t just on the driver; it’s resting squarely on the shoulders of the entire Team Penske organization. A 16.8 average finish suggests the setups are missing the mark, the race-day execution is flawed, or both. Fans appreciate the honesty Logano showed on the radio. It takes guts to admit you are getting thoroughly beaten on the track. But accountability only goes so far without results. The brain trust at Penske needs to figure out why its flagship Ford Mustang Dark Horse is struggling to find the front of the field. If you need to work out some frustration, there is no better venue on the NASCAR schedule than Bristol Motor Speedway. On April 12, Logano will strap into his car at the legendary half-mile bullring. Bristol is a chaotic, fender-bending arena where tempers flare, and track position is everything. It is the absolute perfect place for an aggressive driver who is tired of running 16th to assert his dominance. If Logano wants to flip the script on his 2026 season, a statement run at Bristol is exactly what the doctor ordered. Don’t count the No. 22 out just yet. He might be down, he might be miserable, and he might be completely out of patience. But a hungry Logano is usually victorious.

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