RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – AUGUST 11: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, reacts after the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 11, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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It’s that time of year again. The days are shorter, the air’s cooler, and most of America is slowing down — trading in shorts for sweaters and pretending to enjoy pumpkin spice.
The leaves are falling, football is everywhere, and holiday lights are just a few weekends away. The rest of the world is winding down.
But not NASCAR.
The engines haven’t stopped since February. Thirty-six races. Ten months. One solitary weekend off. The Cup Series isn’t so much a season as it is an endurance test wrapped in motor oil and exhaust fumes.
For teams, the grind is real — 23 straight weekends since Easter, each one starting with another early-morning flight, another garage call, another race at a different track somewhere in America. For the eight drivers still alive in the Playoffs, though, there’s no time to feel tired. The focus narrows. Not to a vacation, a chance to escape the grind. No, for them it’s one thing: the championship.
Joey Logano, never one to understate things, says the grind only hits when you’ve got nothing left to fight for.
“Given the fact that you’re still in the Playoffs, the grind doesn’t even hit you because you’re still racing for the main prize,” Logano said at Talladega Saturday. “I say all the time that the goal during these ten weeks is to have the pressure on you all the way through, because as soon as you’re knocked out, it sucks. When the dream dies for that year, it’s horrible. But as long as we still have a chance to win, we’re good. And I still feel fresh, which is also good.”
It’s the kind of answer that sounds almost mechanical — a driver built for perpetual motion. But Logano’s point is clear: as long as there’s something left to chase, fatigue doesn’t stand a chance.
William Byron, another Playoff contender, agrees — though his take is a little more reflective.
“Yeah, you’ve got to be mentally strong,” Byron said. “You can look at it one of two ways. You can be like, ‘Oh, I’m so close to the end and I just want to get to the end.’ But we have a great opportunity. It’s very difficult to make the Round of Eight and get to this point. So I look at it like, yeah, my season and my life are going to drastically change in two, three weeks… but right now, the grind is kind of diving into the details.”
For Byron, it’s about perspective — knowing that the exhaustion will fade long before the memory of a championship shot ever does.
Christopher Bell, who’s also in the thick of the title fight, doesn’t bother pretending the fatigue isn’t real.
“That’s a really good question,” he said with a laugh. “And the answer would be yes, absolutely. If it wasn’t for the Playoffs and being in the thick of racing for the championship. This has been a really, really long stretch of races, and I’m sure most of the industry would say that. But with what we’re racing for, and this stage of the championship hunt, you’re as focused and tuned in as ever.”
He admits that the mental toll might hit later — when the helmets are off and the adrenaline fades. But for now, he’s all in. And when asked if shortening the schedule might ease that burnout, Bell didn’t hesitate.
“That’s a slippery slope,” he warned. “It makes me nervous hearing that.”
Kyle Larson, who’s spent the last few years redefining the word “busy” by running extra dirt-track races in his spare time, sees the same divide Logano mentioned — between those still in it and those who’ve already been knocked out.
“Still being in the Playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind,” Larson said. “The guys who didn’t make the Playoffs or got knocked out — they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over.”
Then he gives a nod to the real heroes of the grind — the ones who don’t get to climb into the car.
“It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers,” Larson said. “They live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year.”
For others, like Alex Bowman, who aren’t fighting for a title but still racing for pride, the goal is simply to finish strong.
“I wouldn’t say it’s getting to me and I’m ready to be done,” Bowman said. “Certainly looking forward to some time off like anybody is. But still good opportunities for us to try to end the season strong.”
And then there’s Shane van Gisbergen — the New Zealander who seems immune to the grind altogether.
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s been a grind,” he said with his ever-present grin. “It’s fun doing different stuff every week. Back at home, I’d race all kinds of series, so the travel was probably more hectic when I was racing in Europe. At least the races are pretty close to each other here.”
Different world, different mindset.
For the rest of NASCAR, the year feels endless — a blur of travel, heat, and hotel rooms. But that’s the cost of doing business in a sport built on consistency and exposure. Every week is another chance for sponsors, teams, and drivers to prove their worth.
The rest of us might be settling in for shorter days and cozy weekends. NASCAR’s best? They’re still flat out, chasing glory — and maybe, just maybe, a few days of rest before it all starts again in February.