Denny Hamlin advances in NASCAR
playoffs at Gateway with 200th Cup win for Toyota
[September 08, 2025]
MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Nothing seems to distract Denny Hamlin,
and the NASCAR star proved it again with a laser-focused victory at
World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday to advance in the Cup Series
playoffs.
After a week in which his father was ailing and his 23XI Racing team
lost a decision in its court battle with NASCAR, Hamlin
compartmentalized his concerns and stayed on task for a virtually
flawless weekend — starting from the pole position and leading a
race-high 75 of 240 laps.
“I just step up,” Hamlin said after his series-high fifth victory
this season. “All I can do is just keep being a student of the game,
keep trying to get better, and every week is a chance to get a
little better.”
With his 59th career win, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the
playoffs and joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who
finished second after winning last week’s opener at Darlington
Raceway. Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and
Joey Logano as playoff drivers swept the top five spots at the
1.25-mile oval.
The No. 11 Toyota team called Hamlin to the pits for his final stop
with 44 laps remaining, and he cycled to the front on a caution 15
laps later. The Virginia native seized the lead from Brad Keselowski
on the restart, delivering the 200th win in NASCAR’s premier series
for Toyota.
The Joe Gibbs Racing star celebrated with a long burnout down the
front stretch of the track outside St. Louis that is commonly
referred to as Gateway, bringing boos raining down from a sellout
crowd to Hamlin’s delight.
“You all can boo me, but you can either get on the bandwagon or get
run over by it,” he said. “I want all the noise and all the heat.”
Relishing life as a NASCAR villain is one of many roles being filled
by the multitasking Hamlin, who also co-hosts a podcast while
running 23XI Racing, the three-car team that he co-owns with NBA
legend Michael Jordan.
It’s had little impact on the on-track performance for Hamlin, who
is in his 20th Cup season driving for team owner Joe Gibbs. At
Gateway, he became the seventh driver in NASCAR history with
multiple victories after his 700th start.
Team owner Joe Gibbs marvels at how Hamlin, who turns 45 in November
and welcomed his third child in June, is able to juggle so much.
“He’s in one meeting after another,” Gibbs said with a laugh. “The
more stuff he does, the better off he is. He’s got a real drive to
succeed."
The ultimate prize would be a first Cup championship, and Hamlin
took another step toward that goal by locking into the next round
ahead of the Sept. 13 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The
first-round cutoff race will trim the playoff field from 16 to 12
drivers.
After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and
Josh Berry are outside the top 12.
After a 12th-place finish at Gateway, Kyle Larson can clinch a spot
in the next round by simply starting at Bristol. Bubba Wallace, who
finished eighth after leading 73 of 240 laps and winning the second
stage, also is in a strong position to advance.
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Denny Hamlin, second from left, celebrates after winning a NASCAR
Cup Series auto race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Sunday, Sept.
7, 2025, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)
Rough start
Berry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round after
opening his Cup playoff debut with consecutive last-place finishes.
The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped in the left rear by
Elliott, sending Berry’s No. 21 Ford spinning into the Turn 2 wall
on the 36th lap.
“Chase and that team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that
was on purpose,” said Berry, who crashed on the first lap of the
playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. “Just wrong place, wrong time
for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just go to Bristol
and try to do the best we can and put ourselves in position to race
for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.”
Elliott apologized for the incident after the race.
“I had no intention of getting into him,” Elliott said. “I’ve known
those guys my whole life, so I just hope that they know it wasn’t
anything intentional. I felt terrible about it right when it
happened, and I wish I could take it back."
Former team owner dies
NASCAR announced the death of Bill Davis, whose teams won 40 races
in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series from 1993-2008. Davis had all
five of his Cup victories with driver Ward Burton, including the
2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500. The Arkansas native, who was
74, also fielded cars for Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte before they
won Cup championships with other teams.
“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting
mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the
people around him,” NASCAR said in a statement. “Bill was more than
a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for
his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing."
Up next
The first round of the Cup playoffs will conclude next Saturday at
Bristol Motor Speedway. Larson has won consecutive races at Bristol,
leading 872 of the past 1,000 laps on the 0.533-mile oval in
Tennessee.
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