For decades, NASCAR’s championship was decided on a season-long competition: Whoever earned the most points won. But NASCAR knew that, as sometimes happened, a driver would do so well that he’d be declared the champ with two races left to go,

In three years together, Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker have won one race, three poles, recorded 16 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes and advanced into the Round of 12 in the 2023 playoffs.

Credit should be given to Logano and the No. 22 team, but his third title could become a watershed moment for NASCAR — and not a good one.