Ridiculously early 2019 NASCAR power rankings: Who’s the favorite for next season?
By Nick Tylwalk
3. Joey Logano
The champ is … here? Maybe it’s a tad disrespectful, especially since Logano told us he was the favorite before Homestead, but this feels right.
Team Penske is really good, but still a tad behind Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing overall. Logano proved that didn’t really matter in the end, but that’s still true until it’s proven otherwise. So the early edge figures to go to two of his rivals, or technically all three since Martin Truex Jr. is moving to JGR as well.
What’s impossible to quantify is confidence. Logano clearly had it even before he went out and did exactly what he said he would do. His team probably always believed in themselves, but now they absolutely do.
It’s going to be interesting to see if there’s any kind of championship hangover, or if the 22 can nab an early win that sets the tone for a title defense. It would be foolish to bet against it given what we’ve all just seen.