How Joey Logano's NASCAR Cup Championship Was Historic First for Roger Penske

• Since 1967, Team Penske has been multiple champions in seven years.
  

• In three of those seasons, Penske won three championships—either an IndyCar championship, NASCAR Xfinity drivers’ and owners’ championships, Australian Supercars championship, or NASCAR Cup Series.

• However, never IndyCar and Cup at the same time, not until this year.

For more than three decades—beginning with Rusty Wallace in 1991—team owner Roger Penske had longed to hold America’s two most treasured motorsports trophies at the same time. During those years, leading into 2022, Team Penske won 16 IndyCar titles and two NASCAR Cup Series titles.

Alas, but never in the same year … until last weekend at Phoenix Raceway. There, in a 312-mile race that was never seriously in doubt, Joey Logano won his second NASCAR Cup Series title and the third for Team Penske.

“I think we’ve tried it for 31 years, so it’s about time,” the multi-series Hall of Fame owner said Sunday night. “Winning a championship, no matter what it’s in (regarding the new Next Gen car), is pretty special. Obviously, to win the first race (with Logano) at the LA Coliseum and then cap it off (in Phoenix) is pretty amazing.”

The Captain’s first NASCAR title came in a Dodge with Brad Keselowski in 2012. Ryan Hunter-Reay won that year’s IndyCar title with Andretti Autosport. When Logano delivered Penske’s second NASCAR title in 2018 in a Ford, Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing was the IndyCar champion.

This year, when Will Power gave Team Penske its 17th IndyCar title, Logano finally gave Penske his third in NASCAR.

Long-time Penske lieutenant Walt Czarnecki did his homework in the days before Championship 4 weekend. He had enough stats to make an accountant swoon.

“Since 1967, we’ve been multiple champions in seven years,” Czarnecki pointed out. “In three of those seasons, we won three championships. It was either an IndyCar championship, NASCAR Xfinity drivers’ and owners’ championships, Australian Supercars championship, or NASCAR Cup Series. But never IndyCar and Cup at the same time, not until this year.”

Cup Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric opened this season giving Team Penske its third Daytona 500 victory on the boss’ 85th birthday. Cindric didn’t win again, but still made a brief appearance in the Playoffs. Teammate Ryan Blaney probably gave Penske plenty of sleepless nights by running well at time, but going an unacceptable 0-for-36.