NASCAR podcast: Chase Briscoe starts playoffs with Darlington win
The guys review Chase Briscoe’s Darlington win that kicked off the NASCAR playoffs. Then, they look ahead to the second race in the Round of 16.
- Denny Hamlin won the Enjoy Illinois 300, securing his spot in the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
- Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Dillon are below the playoff cutline with one race left in the first round.
Denny Hamlin is one step closer to an ever-elusive NASCAR championship.
The 44-year-old ensured his spot in the second round of the Cup Series playoffs, the Round of 12, with a victory in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 7. He led an event-best 75 laps and finished a second and a half in front of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe.
Briscoe won last week at Darlington.
“All I can do is keep being a student of the game, keep trying to get better,” Hamlin said of his still ongoing prime on the USA Network broadcast. “Every week is a chance to get a little better.”
A few moments later, he delivered the money line.
“Y’all can boo me,” Hamlin said, “but you can either get on the bandwagon or you can get run over by it.”
Here are three takeaways.
1. Denny Hamlin keeps stacking wins
Hamlin’s victory was the 59th of his career, slotting him 11th all time.
It also served as the 200th for Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series. The manufacturer debuted at the sport’s highest level in 2007.
“It’s so big for everyone at Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “The Progressive Toyota was just great there at the end.”
Hamlin now holds five victories this season, snapping a tie with Shane van Gisbergen for the most in the Cup Series. It’s the most Hamlin has piled up in single campaign since 2020, when he made seven trips to Victory Lane.
His career high of eight came in 2010 when, as the circuit runner-up, he fell just shy of a title.
2. How is NASCAR playoff bubble shaping up?
From sunshine and rainbows with Hamlin and Briscoe to doom and gloom. Which playoff drivers are in trouble with one race left in the first round?
Josh Berry certainly is. He ranked dead last (36th) after a crash for the second race in a row. He’ll need a miracle (or a win) to advance.
After Gateway, Alex Bowman (-35), van Gisbergen (-15) and Austin Dillon (-11) join him beneath the cutline.
The last four currently in are Chase Elliott (+28), Joey Logano (+21), Ross Chastain (+19) and Austin Cindric (+11).
Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace are two others who should feel confident. Larson sits in third place, 60 points to the good, while Wallace is fourth, 50 points ahead of 13th.
3. NASCAR schedule update: Playoffs will close Round of 16 with full weekend at Bristol
The first round of the 2025 playoffs will end under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. It will include 500 laps — spanning 266½ miles — and four eliminations. It’ll air on the USA Network.
Last season, Larson won the Bristol Night Race.
NASCAR will kick off the fun with two races Thursday evening. ARCA will put on the Bush’s Beans 200 at 5:30 p.m., and the Truck Series will follow with the UNOH 200 at 8. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Xfinity Series will ignite its 12-team playoffs with the Food City 300.
