The NASCAR playoffs were exciting right to the end, as Joey Logano joined elite company in winning his third Cup Series title.
Despite struggling for pace throughout much of the season, the champ delivered when it mattered to beat his three Championship 4 rivals.
A terrific battle with Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney in the closing stages had Roger Penske on the edge of his seat, with such a big accolade on the line.
But, to get to that position, they had executed their strategies and timed their pit road appearances very well compared to William Byron and Tyler Reddick.
How ‘insurmountable pressure’ built on William Byron and Tyler Reddick
The four championship contenders spent the majority of the race inside the top 10, with Reddick being the one who struggled most.
He never really looked like threatening for the honours, although Byron appeared to be in the same position too.
He got lucky towards the end with a well-timed caution before all his rivals stopped too and pulled away after the pace car peeled in.
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Speaking during the NBC Sports broadcast, team owner Brad Daugherty mentioned that things had built up too much for Reddick particularly, and Byron too to challenge late on.
“I think that pressure becomes almost insurmountable for a couple of these guys, they’re struggling a little bit.
“They cannot sniff that front, that has them upset. They’re going to have to go. Everybody has to go.”
NASCAR schedule causes fan uproar
After the race, fans were upset that Logano was the champion-elect, despite struggling for the majority of the season.
The statistics back that up too, with an average finish of 17.1 (yes, 17th!?) good enough for him to claim his third major silverware.
Maybe things need to be changed, to reward consistency and those that perform across the course of an entire season.
READ MORE: How Joey Logano forced Martin Truex Jr to ‘breaking point’ in NASCAR playoffs finale
What is wrong with a normal points format? You know, like the one that IndyCar or Formula 1 uses and has proven to be quite popular.
After Phoenix, it looks like it might be time for a change and one that would be welcomed by very many people.