Joey Logano thought NASCAR Sprint Cup win streak was impossible

Ford driver Logano completed a hat-trick at Talladega last Sunday, ensuring he was undefeated in the Contender round following victories at Charlotte and Kansas.

It was more than enough to advance to the next phase as he seeks a maiden Cup title.

"I think if we sat down prior to this round and said somebody would win all three, they would have said you were crazy," Penske said

Logano agreed with his boss.

"I didn't think it was possible, I can tell you that much," he said.

"Come to Chase time, everyone is bringing their A-game, everything they got, the best they can, not only with their racecars, but every driver is trying to find that extra little bit.

"Seeing what this team has done coming into the Chase, being able to have some very good finishes in the first round, click off three finishes here in the Contender round, that's a statement.

"That's what we tried to do.

"We were in situations throughout this Chase maybe we didn't have to win, but our job is to win.

"That's what Roger Penske expects from us. He expects us to win a lot of races.

"If there's a trophy, we're supposed to get it."

Eight drivers remain in the Chase, with four more to be cut after races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix.

Four will then head to Homestead on November 22 in contention, with the title going to the highest-placed finisher of the quartet.

Logano was in that group last year, but finished 16th, and last out of the group, to be a career-best fourth in the standings.

While he acknowledges he starts the next phase with momentum, he knows his last three wins count for little.

"We want the big trophy at the end of the year," he said.

"We want to win every trophy in between, but we want the big one at the end of the season.

"What we've shown here this last round is a big deal, but the fact of the matter is we're back to zero again.

"What we do have going for us that other teams don't have is a lot of confidence, we got momentum and we're relaxed.

"We've shown that we know how to do it. We just got to keep going out there and do what we know how to do."

STILL IN CHASE CONTENTION

Joey Logano (six wins this year)
Carl Edwards (two wins this year)
Jeff Gordon (no wins this year)
Kurt Busch (two wins this year)
Brad Keselowski (one win this year)
Martin Truex Jr (one win this year)
Kevin Harvick (three wins this year)
Kyle Busch (four wins this year)