Joey Logano hits back at NASCAR playoff haters after Roval lifeline

This could not have been scripted any better (or worse, depending on your POV) - NASCAR playoff king Joey Logano lives again.

The three-time Cup Series champion appeared to be headed for a postseason exit as the final lap got under way in Sunday’s Round of 12 elimination race in Charlotte. He was below the cutline and all set to exit stage left after the Bank of America Roval 400.

But then, incredibly, his title rival Denny Hamlin passed Ross Chastain to send Logano through to the Round of 8, and Chastain crashing out. It was a move that Hamlin later admitted he would not have made had he been aware of the playoff implications.

The end result is that Logano marches on to Las Vegas this weekend (Sunday, 5.30pm ET, USA network) while Chastain suffers an agonizing exit and Hamlin rues what could end up being a very costly decision down the road.

For Logano it was another amazing playoff moment for a man who always seems to come good at the right time. Meanwhile the haters who despise the playoff system claim he is the poster boy for why it is so bad.

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Logano has a message for the haters

After the dust had settled the 35-year-old Team Penske star had a message for those haters, telling Dustin Long of NBC: “The playoffs create drama, 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. So when you hear all that stuff, I preach that all the time, I’m not just saying it because it works for us, I’m saying it because it’s true.

“Everyone likes to look at it another way, but one point was the difference there, real drama. If you don’t have cutoff races and things like that, what are you talking about today? How Shane [van Gisbergen] whacks everyone’s butt. If that’s what you want.

“I’m just saying, I think this playoff format is wicked.”

Chastain's 'desperate' final shot

Even after Hamlin’s pass on Chastain there was still yet more drama as Ross tried to reclaim the position with a desperate lunge at the final chicane. The end result was Hamlin being wrecked and Chastain spinning before reversing over the line. He would lose more positions in the process.

“Desperate people are gonna do desperate things,” said Logano.

"The playoffs make you question your morals plenty of times, it’s hard to do it. It’s kinda what are you willing to do. It was his only shot, to go in there and try to move Denny out of the way, to do something.

“I just seen him [Chastain] sliding sideways and in reverse and at that stage I was just like ‘don’t hit anybody’. Once he was spun around and one car went by him, I knew I was fine, I could finish behind him if I wanted to.”

READ MORE: Team Penske champion set up for playoff elimination after Roval mess

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