Joey Logano is uncertain about the trial run of the new format at the Richmond cup race, as the initial attempt at North Wilkesboro produced mixed results.
NASCAR is preparing for a significant experiment during the upcoming race week at Richmond. They will be introducing the option tier system for the Cook Out 400, allowing teams to choose between hard and soft tiers. If there is sufficient wear on the tiers, teams will have the opportunity to take strategic risks.
When discussing this, the driver from Team Penske Racing, who has won the championship twice, explained the challenges that drivers will face due to this decision. He emphasized that the first challenge would be determining the speed and rate of wear of the soft tiers. If there is more wear, strategic risks will be taken at Richmond.
He then referred to the North Wilkesboro All Star race, which he won, where the system was first tested with limited success due to the limited fall-off of the tiers. However, he does not expect the same outcome at Richmond because historically, it has been a track with significant wear. Therefore, he is eager to see what will happen.
In another conversation, Logano emphasized the importance of playoff points awarded for stage wins and race wins. He pointed out that this gives an advantage to drivers who have performed well throughout the season. It is possible for drivers to advance deep into the playoffs based solely on points, as he cited an example.
Although the 2024 season has not been the best for Logano, as he is in the playoffs with only one race win, he needs to secure at least one more race win before the playoffs conclude in order to progress further.
Photo from Joey Logano Instagram