NASCAR Playoffs: Where Drivers Finished in the 2022 Championship
It was a near-perfect weekend for Logano and Team Penske as they qualified on pole position, led the most laps in the race, and captured the checkered flag to end the 2022 season with authority. Although it was his fourth win of the season in terms of points-paying events, Logano actually began the year by winning the Clash at the LA Coliseum exhibition race in February.
Now it has come full circle for the No. 22 team in 2022. Logano joins Kyle Busch as the only active drivers with multiple Cup Series championships, and he is the first multiple-time champion for Ford since David Pearson in 1969. Logano was able to stay ahead of teammate Ryan Blaney for the race win, finishing ahead of Ross Chastain in 3rd position.
| 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings (After Race 10 of 10) | |||
| Pos | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
| 1 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 2 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 6 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford |
| 9 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart Haas Racing | Ford |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford |
| 13 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 14 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart Haas Racing | Ford |
| 16 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
Chastain's dream season came up just two spots short, as he was unable to reel in the Penske duo in the closing laps despite being the fastest car on the track. Without a wall to slingshot, the Trackhouse Racing driver was out of options as the laps clicked away. A late-race caution flag was his only hope, but it never happened. Despite not coming away with the trophy, a second-place finish in the championship was more than Trackhouse could have imagined coming into this year.
Christopher Bell was battling Logano for the lead late in the race, but when cars hit pit road for their final pit stops, it all came apart for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. The rear tire changer got his hand caught in the wheel and the No. 20 Toyota lost 11 positions as a result. They were unable to recover, finishing 10th in what was a miserable day all around for the team.
Chase Elliott came into the weekend as the betting favorite, but he had the least momentum of the four championship drivers. On a restart midway through the race, Elliott tried to move down to block Chastain but it was too late. The No. 9 car spun off the nose of Chastain's Chevrolet and Chase's day was ruined after hitting the wall. He went multiple laps down to the leader and finished in 28th position.
Three of the four drivers simply made too many mistakes to win the title today. That doesn't take anything away from Logano though, as the Penske team delivered in every facet of the race. Their execution was flawless, and they were rewarded with the 2022 championship trophy.
