On a day filled with technique that included extra pricey errors from playoff drivers, it was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin
standing tall over teammate Chase Briscoe at World Vast Know-how Raceway to advance to the Spherical of 12.
Listed below are three takeaways from the second race within the opening spherical of the NASCAR Cup Sequence playoffs:
Denny Hamlin will get two hundredth win for Toyota
Though he didn’t dominate from the pole place, Hamlin regained the lead within the closing stage and led 75 laps to select up the 59th win of his profession. It’s Hamlin’s series-leading fifth win of 2025, the 200th for Toyota and his first at WWTR after ending runner-up the final two seasons.
It was a pleasant bounce again for the 44-year-old veteran, who continues to be seeking that elusive first title. Regardless of additionally successful the pole for the Southern 500 one week in the past, Hamlin battled by means of points on pit highway and salvaged a seventh-place end to provide himself a stable factors cushion.
Following his win at WWTR on Sunday, Hamlin is assured a spot within the Spherical of 12, together with Briscoe. Apart from these two, the stress is on lots within the championship hunt because the Spherical of 16 elimination race at Bristol looms.
Missed alternatives for a number of playoff drivers
Whereas Hamlin walked away with the trophy, different playoff drivers have been left questioning what might have been. Kyle Larson took the lead from Hamlin on Lap 8 and led 52 laps, however a weird run-in with Ryan Blaney on Lap 134 and diffuser points stemming from contact with Bubba Wallace on a Lap 156 restart dropped him to twelfth.
Blaney recovered to fourth, however had the quickest automotive over 20 laps in apply, whereas Wallace received Stage 2 and led 73 laps earlier than settling for eighth. Previous to his automotive getting caught in gear and stacking up Larson and several other others, Wallace was in charge of the race.
Thankfully, all three are in a superb place on factors with Blaney (+42) the worst of the three. Until they beat themselves at Bristol, all three needs to be able to win there and get again on monitor for the Spherical of 12.
Josh Berry can’t catch a break
No driver has had a extra unlucky begin to the playoffs than Josh Berry. The Las Vegas winner’s playoff debut started with a spin on the opening lap at Darlington final week that resulted in a last-place end in thirty eighth.
It solely acquired worse for Berry on Sunday at WWTR when he spun in Turn 2 from fifteenth after receiving contact from Chase Elliott on Lap 36. In consequence, he finds himself 45 factors beneath the cutline, basically placing him in a win-win state of affairs going to the Bristol Evening Race on Saturday.
Apart from Alex Bowman (-35), who will seemingly should win at Bristol to advance as effectively except chaos ensues forward of him, the remainder of the playoff field is eligible to level their approach into the Spherical of 12. Not Berry, who heads to Bristol in want of a win to flee what has been a gap spherical to neglect.
