Joey Logano believes a recent NASCAR rule change has helped close the performance gap between Ford and Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series. The two-time defending champion spoke after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, where Ford led the field, and Toyota’s Chase Briscoe finished second.
Logano said the technical changes have given him more confidence about his team’s speed and its hopes of winning another championship. “Yeah, I feel much better about it. Some of the rules that have been changed recently, I think helped us some, kind of brought some of the guys that were taking advantage of some of that stuff more back towards us. I think that helped.”
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The NASCAR change focused on the front splitter and took effect around North Wilkesboro.
NASCAR Rule Change Targets Front Splitter
The NASCAR rule change required teams to add struts to the front of the splitter. The goal was to stop the part from moving or changing shape under heavy aerodynamic pressure at high speed.
FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass explained the adjustment, writing: “Starting with North Wilkesboro, the teams had to add some struts to the front of the splitter that should keep it from moving/deforming while at speed.”
On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi explained that some front splitters had been shifting slightly in airflow. NASCAR then required teams to brace and stabilize the component so it could not move with the air and create an advantage.
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Bianchi also said no team was found to be breaking the rules. NASCAR introduced the change as part of its effort to control how the cars performed under the new conditions.
NASCAR Cup Series Gap Draws Attention
The NASCAR Cup Series had already seen strong results from Toyota before the rule change took effect. Toyota drivers filled four of the top six places at North Wilkesboro. Toyota also secured several top-five finishes at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, including the race winner.
Toyota again produced the winner and several cars inside the top six at Iowa. The results kept attention on the performance difference between Toyota and Ford.
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At Richmond, however, Logano’s Ford finished first. Briscoe placed second for Toyota, while Denny Hamlin finished fifth and Christopher Bell took seventh.
The previous splitter setup had been closely linked to Toyota teams from Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. However, officials did not report any violations.
Joey Logano Gains Confidence After Richmond
Logano’s NASCAR comments came after his Richmond victory and focused on the effect of the rule changes. He said the changes had brought some teams that had gained an advantage closer to the rest of the field.
The recent schedule has included more shorter tracks, where Ford has traditionally been competitive. The true effect of the splitter struts will become clearer as the NASCAR Cup Series moves through different track types.
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For Logano, the Richmond result provided a positive sign. His victory gave Ford the leading finish at a race where Toyota still placed three drivers inside the top seven.
The NASCAR Cup Series will continue to test whether the technical change creates a more level fight between manufacturers as the regular season moves forward.
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