NASCAR Cup Series star claims million-dollar win ahead of In-Season Challenge

NASCAR Cup Series News Friday, June 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM ET •By Chris Deeley

Joey Logano has won $1 million from a NASCAR initiative, ahead of this week's new competition.

NASCAR introduced a new scheme this year in which drivers would be ranked based on their 'Driver Ambassador Program' participation through the first half and then second half of 2025.

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NASCAR started a program with INFLCR this year which gives point rewards to Cup Series drivers for how well they promote the sport, through the likes of media interviews and in-person appearances.

The points system also takes into account the 'quality' of those appearances, and scores based on the profile of the driver – for example, past and current champions will earn more points on that scale than those who have not visited victory road.

Logano open to media appearances

Logano, who has never won the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award for a season, led the sport in the mysterious and presumably complex algorithm for the first half of this year to take the big cash prize for media engagement.

It would make sense that Logano, as reigning Cup Series champ and a three-time winner, would be boosted by whatever metrics the league uses to judge the value of each driver's media appearances.

Logano recently spoke about an appearance on ESPN's First Take with Stephen A. Smith, saying: "I mean, if they invited me on again, I would do it again. That would be fine with me. I don't think [Smith and I] were ever not buddies, but it was cool."

He added: "The media tour stuff we did this week and other drivers have been doing lately, it's all good stuff reaching out to areas we typically wouldn't be, so it's all good."