Denny Hamlin joined teammate Chase Briscoe in securing advancement to the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series championship playoffs with a win at World Wide Technology Raceway Sunday afternoon from pole position. It was Hamlin's fifth victory of the season and it should give him a boost as he seeks his first series championship. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran led 75 of 240 laps and captured stage points in both segments to start the afternoon. Teammate Briscoe also had a great day with a win in the first stage and a runner-up finish, and Bubba Wallace helped his playoff hopes with a stage win, too. Arguably the biggest heartbreak of the day came from Josh Berry, who crashed early for the second race in a row and now faces near certain playoff elimination if he cannot drive to Victory Lane next week at Bristol.
In all, playoff contenders took seven of the top 10 finishing spots Sunday, setting the stage for the first four-driver elimination race next week at Bristol Motor Speedway. While Hamlin and Briscoe are guaranteed to advance, the four drivers below the cut line heading into this make-or-break weekend are Josh Berry (-45), Alex Bowman (-35), Shane van Gisbergen (-15), and Austin Dillon (-11). While those drivers all have work to do, Austin Cindric (+11) and Ross Chastain (+19) won't be sleeping easy either. Kyle Larson (+60) won the last two Bristol races but will be facing stiff competition this week with the 16-driver playoff
Denny Hamlin joined teammate Chase Briscoe in securing advancement to the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series championship playoffs with a win at World Wide Technology Raceway Sunday afternoon from pole position. It was Hamlin's fifth victory of the season and it should give him a boost as he seeks his first series championship. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran led 75 of 240 laps and captured stage points in both segments to start the afternoon. Teammate Briscoe also had a great day with a win in the first stage and a runner-up finish, and Bubba Wallace helped his playoff hopes with a stage win, too. Arguably the biggest heartbreak of the day came from Josh Berry, who crashed early for the second race in a row and now faces near certain playoff elimination if he cannot drive to Victory Lane next week at Bristol.
In all, playoff contenders took seven of the top 10 finishing spots Sunday, setting the stage for the first four-driver elimination race next week at Bristol Motor Speedway. While Hamlin and Briscoe are guaranteed to advance, the four drivers below the cut line heading into this make-or-break weekend are Josh Berry (-45), Alex Bowman (-35), Shane van Gisbergen (-15), and Austin Dillon (-11). While those drivers all have work to do, Austin Cindric (+11) and Ross Chastain (+19) won't be sleeping easy either. Kyle Larson (+60) won the last two Bristol races but will be facing stiff competition this week with the 16-driver playoff field set to be reduced to 12 at the end of the night.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the race weekend, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Gateway
1. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 2
Blaney made a quick return to the top finishing positions Sunday at Gateway after an 18th-place finish to start the playoffs at Darlington. Sunday's fourth-place finish wasn't without drama, though. While racing Kyle Larson at the end of the second stage, Larson washed up the track and made contact with Blaney, spinning the No. 12. While the spin meant a loss of stage points, Blaney and team rallied through the final stage to get back on the lead lap and claw their way into a top-five finish. That grit and determination can make all the difference in the world when margins are tight in the playoff battle, and the No. 12 team has shown plenty of it. Sitting fifth in the standings with one race remaining until the first round of eliminations occur, Blaney is in a very comfortable position with confidence and momentum behind him as he faces the last eight races chasing another series championship.
2. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: 1
Four straight finishes outside of the top 10 have cost Byron momentum just when he needs to be building it. The Hendrick Motorsports driver entered the playoffs tied for the lead with the reset standings but slipped to sixth after another 11th-place finish Sunday at St. Louis despite a sixth-place qualifying effort. Byron did well to avoid trouble throughout the day, with several close calls and even some contact, but the edge he started the season with seems to be elusive as the playoffs get underway. He will be fine to advance to the next round given his playoff points total, but the level of difficulty increases each round. The No. 24 team needs to find a step forward within the next few weeks to contend with their Joe Gibbs Racing rivals.
3. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 4
Hamlin started the Gateway weekend by scooping up his second pole position qualifying effort in as many races. While the first one didn't go to plan with a seventh-place finish at Darlington, the Gateway effort did. Hamlin was quick from the start, scoring stage points in both segments before getting back to the lead to finish the last 25 laps of the race out front. The victory assured him of a spot in the next round of playoff eliminations and continues to build the confidence of Joe Gibbs Racing after teammate Chase Briscoe won to advance the week before. A Cup Series championship is about the only remaining box to check in Hamlin's career, and after signing a multi-year extension to stay with JGR in the future, Hamlin could be on his way to securing his first in 2025 with continued performances like he and the team delivered Sunday.
4. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 3
A front-row start and 52 laps led were not enough to earn Larson better than a 12th-place finish Sunday afternoon. To make things worse, contact while racing with Ryan Blaney late in the second stage brought unnecessary distraction to the No. 5. That 12th-place finish was the second in a row outside of the top 10 to start the playoffs, too. While Larson remains in fine position early in the elimination races, outings like Sunday's will need to be few and far between as the season draws to a close. Making enemies on track, like he did with the contact with Blaney, will make that work even more difficult. However, Larson has typically been a hit or miss driver, winning nearly as frequently as he stumbles, and he heads to Bristol this week with back-to-back track wins in his pocket. The No. 5 car will be one everyone has their eyes on next week because of his recent Bristol success. Larson just needs to take advantage of that confidence.
5. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: 5
Briscoe and his No. 19 team continued to execute like a championship-caliber team Sunday at Gateway. One week after securing his spot in the next round of the playoffs by winning at Darlington, Briscoe drove his No. 10 Toyota to the front to win the first stage in St. Louis. Three-wide racing and contact with Daniel Suarez after the stage win gave Briscoe a heart-stopping moment and a hole to dig out of, though. Dig out he did. By the end of the race, Briscoe worked his way back into the top five and claimed a runner-up finish to teammate Denny Hamlin. It was Briscoe's 12th top-five finish of the season, which ties him with Hamlin as well. Despite the mid-race drama, Briscoe and team continued to execute and make the most of the equipment at their disposal. Briscoe is looking like a championship contender, and if he can keep it together, it would not be a surprise to see him make a final-four appearance at Phoenix.
6. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: 7
Wallace and his No. 23 team continued their impressive run of form at Gateway, winning the opening stage and delivering a confident top-10 race finish in the end. Prior to Sunday, Wallace had never even scored a top-20 at Gateway, but he bucked that trend Sunday with his impressive eighth-place run. That type of fortune has been what this team has been producing since Dover, and it now pushed Wallace to fourth in the playoff standings heading to the end of the first round. A nearly 50-point margin to the cutline has Wallace feeling very comfortable heading into this week's race where his best prior finish is third from last fall. Confidence is high in the No. 23 camp and as long as they continue to execute as they have been for the past few months, Wallace could advance deep into the playoffs and may even have a shot at being among the final contenders at Phoenix.
7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 8
After a rough Darlington race to start the playoffs, Elliott rebounded with a confident third-place finish at Gateway. The top-five result is even more important considering five of Elliott's prior six races resulted in finishes worse than 12th. The consistency that carried Elliott though most of the season abandoned him just as the playoffs approached, but Sunday's top finish may be a signal that it has returned just in time. With one race to go in the round, Elliott must navigate a slim 28-point margin to the elimination zone, though. At Bristol, the former series champion five top-fives and nine top-10s from 16 career starts. If he and the team can avoid trouble and maintain that level of performance, that slim margin should be enough to see him advance. It won't be as relaxed of a weekend as he and the team would have hoped for just a few weeks ago, though.
8. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 6
Everything looked rosy for Reddick exiting Darlington, but his demeanor following Sunday's race at Gateway painted a very different picture. After qualifying in the top 10 for the race, a mistake on pit road coupled with tire and brake problems hampered his ability to move forward in the field. After looking confident of advancing among the final 12 playoff contenders just a week ago, Reddick now sits 32 points ahead of safety with Bristol left to run. The short track hasn't exactly been one of his best either. From eight series races, Reddick has just one top-five and an average finish of 20th. With his playoff situation taking a turn for the worse, the coming week's race at Bristol could be make or break for the No. 45 squad. If they have enough speed for a respectable finish, things should be fine, but the margin remaining after Gateway is not as much cushion as Reddick would have hoped for just seven days ago.
9. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 9
With teammates finishing first and second, Bell lamented his underperformance at Gateway. His seventh-place finish with stage points in both opening segments have him in a comfortable position in the playoffs, but having not visited Victory Lane since March, Bell is feeling the frustration. Bell sits eighth in the standings with only Bristol left to go in the first elimination round, but Sunday's top-10 was his first after a three-race run of finishes 13th or lower. Watching teammates win each week while you are not cracking the top five is adding to Bell's concern. His three race wins and 15 top-10 finishes have earned the team a little more time to make the improvements, and with five consecutive top-10 finishes at Bristol heading into next week's race, that race could be a measuring stick for their championship hopes. The No. 20 team just needs a few improvements to make that step forward.
10. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 10
Last week's trip to Gateway was a confidence booster for Logano and the No. 22 crew. He qualified a quiet 13th but surged forward once racing got underway. By the end of the second stage, Logano was making appearances in the top five, and he held that form all the way through to a fifth-place finish. It was a nice recovery from a forgettable 20th-place finish at Darlington the week prior. However, Logano must still manage a fine line next week at Bristol to keep his championship defense alive. He sits 21 points ahead of the drop zone, which doesn't leave room for error at Bristol. Logano hasn't finished in the top 10 at that track since 2019, too. However, he is a two-time winner at the circuit. Simply avoiding early mistakes or incidents and scoring some stage points early in the race will help him build his tally to advance to the next elimination round.
Knocking on the Door
Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2
Last Week: N/A
Despite a 19th-place finish on Sunday, Cindric remains among the top 12 in the playoff standings with one race remaining in the round. Heading into that elimination race, Cindric holds an 11-point gap to safety. Sunday was also his fourth top-20 finish from the last five. While the difficulty of advancing increases each round, Cindric may be doing just enough to advance from round 1. He and the team will have to be flawless at Bristol to keep that dream alive, though. Stage points and getting to the finish without incident will be top priorities at a place the Team Penske driver has not finished better than 13th at. Cindric finished 17th there earlier this season but will likely need to aim for the top 15, with some stage points, this week to stay alive in the playoffs.
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing No. 21
Last Week: N/A
Two crashes in as many weeks puts Berry in the worst possible position for the first elimination race of his first playoff appearance. After crashing on the first lap at Darlington two weeks ago, traffic in an early restart claimed the No. 21 again at Gateway just a week later. With the car unable to continue after the contact, Berry finished the race last and now faces a must-win scenario at Bristol to remain in the playoff battle. While advancing through the knockout races was always going to be a challenge for Berry and the team, they can still count 2025 as a positive. They won a race and added four other top-10 finishes to their tally so far. While remaining among the championship contenders is a longshot, Berry and the No. 21 group should still feel great about what they've accomplished together this season.
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48
Last Week: N/A
Gateway was another rough weekend for Bowman and the No. 48 team. Qualifying was disappointing and the 25th starting spot proved to be too much to overcome in the race, too. Bowman failed to score stage points and finished a lackluster 27th in the race to record his third consecutive finish outside of the top 25. In order to stay alive in the playoff battle, Bowman will need to overcome a 35-point deficit at Bristol. While that is unlikely, it isn't impossible. Bowman started on pole in the last two Bristol races and led a combined 73 laps with finishes of ninth and 37th. Converting that qualifying speed into stage wins and a potential race win is what he'll need to do next week to get the job done. Many things will have to go right, along with a healthy dose of good luck, for Bowman to not wave goodbye to his 2025 championship chances next Saturday night.
