No one has been more successful in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs than Joey Logano, who has won three championships since the introduction of three-race elimination rounds in 2014.

But it’s rarely been easy for the Team Penske star, who knows the pressure that many title contenders will be feeling at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis.

“At some point in the playoffs, your back will be up against the wall, and it will be do or die,” Logano said.

That moment could arrive for many at the 1.25-mile oval commonly known as Gateway (a reference to its moniker before corporate naming rights). Sunday’s race will be the second of a first round that started with the Southern 500 battering the championship hopes of several drivers.

A record-low four championship-eligible drivers f

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