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By Saajan Jogia
Sports Contributing Writer
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spoken about his growing dislike for Joey Logano after the Team Penske driver revealed his liking for the current NASCAR playoff format. The topic surrounding the playoff format has been gaining traction as several drivers have revealed their preference for reverting to the old format.
Newsweek Sports reported Logano's comments about the current playoff format, which he believes helps "create drama." Dale Jr. understands Logano's position, given his three championship wins that he secured under the current playoff format. However, he still revealed his dislike for the existing format and for Logano. Speaking on his Dale Jr. Download, he said:
“You know, yeah. I mean, and I’ll tell you this, too. The more Joey Logano gets out of his car and talks about the playoffs, the more I don’t like the playoffs. Oh, my gosh. The more he talks about it, and I know he’s defending it, and I know he believes what he believes, and I’m good with that for him, but the more he tells me why I should like the playoffs, the less I like him.”
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That said, Dale Jr. clarified he wasn't discrediting Logano's racing abilities, acknowledging his achievements in the sport that set him apart from other drivers. He added:
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"Do I prefer another way? Yes. But it doesn't mean that this championship that they've got and that trophy they got in their house isn't as valuable or as neat or as cool or as appreciated as any trophy or championship that was won in the first 50 years of the sport.
"And so I can appreciate Joey Logano. He is a Hall of Famer, a multi-time champion, a true badass, clutch driver. Give him the car, he gets the job done. I've seen him do things that just really set him apart from most of the race car drivers on the racetrack. But yeah, I'm having a hard time watching this year's playoff play out. I don't know why."
There has been much talk around NASCAR bringing back the old full-season playoff format, which Dale Jr. has been a fan of. The sport even set up a playoff committee consisting of drivers, team owners, manufacturers, track representatives, media partners, and independent media to decide whether the sport needs a new format in 2026. However, Dale Jr. believes NASCAR will not go back to the full season format next year. He said:
“I’m not going to be, oh, darn it, pounding the table if the full season thing don’t come back, ’cause I really don’t think that they’re that that’s where NASCAR is going to go. But, so I’m ready for that mentally, but man, I am exhausted. Uh, something about something about this particular year’s playoff is just not—it’s just not doing it for me.”
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