Joey Logano was essentially done. Eight points below the cutline, 45 races without a win, and a season that had become genuinely hard to watch for a two-time champion. Then North Wilkesboro came into the picture. He led 323 of 450 laps, won by nearly a second, then backed it up with a third-place finish at Indianapolis two weeks later. Just like that, he was ahead of Bubba Wallace in the standings. On Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media podcast, nobody was pretending to have seen it coming.
“Who would have thought a few weeks ago that Joey Logano would be ahead of Bubba Wallace in the standings?” Jeff Gluck posed a question.
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To which Jordan Bianchi said, “Yeah, it’s a reversal of fortunes for sure.”
The even-year Logano thing is not a bit. Championship 4 appearances in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. Three Cup titles, all in even years. Never once in an odd year. The podcast speakers also pointed to it.
“Even-numbered Logano. Here he comes. You can write him off all you want to. You just shouldn’t do it. Do it at your own peril,” Bianchi added.
After Indianapolis, Joey Logano is 13th with 545 points and a win locked in. Wallace is 14th with 540 points and no wins. After Atlanta, Logano was 17th in the points standings.
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Then North Wilkesboro came, and Logano won, and Wallace finished sixth. Logano got 25 points. At Indianapolis, Joey Logano ran third. Wallace got caught in a late wreck and finished 28th. Logano got another 32. Two races, 57 points, and everything Wallace did till that point, not so significant for the Chase anymore.
Now, there are four races left before Daytona. Iowa and Richmond, both of which suit Logano well. Penske’s short-track programme is one of the best in the garage, and it looks like the late-season surge has hit the #22 camp.
Wallace needs to stay out of trouble and avoid DNFs at any cost. Losing points at this stage of the season could be detrimental. Moreover, he can lean into his superspeedway strengths for the Daytona race. But again, the #23 team is inviting a lot of pressure.
The situation inside 23XI makes this harder to ignore. Reddick won three straight races to open the year and has shown all season what the team’s cars can do at their best. Part-timer Corey Heim won the Brickyard 400 this month in a 23XI car.
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Wallace has not been to victory lane once in 2026. Heim is confirmed for the No. 35 full-time next year, taking Herbst’s seat. Wallace is expected back in the No. 23. His spot is not gone.
But having won last year’s Brickyard 400 and now finding himself in a tough spot isn’t a pretty sight for the No. 23 team. Multi-wins for Reddick and Heim also put pressure on Wallace to deliver the goods. Speed isn’t the concern for Bubba, but they need to be consistent for the next four weeks to keep their Chase hopes alive.
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