Toyota sends a warning in the playoff opener that the 2025 NASCAR Cup title is theirs to lose

Toyota wasted no time making a statement in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday (August 31).

With four Toyota-backed drivers claiming the top four positions and their six drivers finishing inside the top 10 at Darlington, the manufacturer didn’t just win at “The Lady in Black”—they sent a clear message to Ford, Chevrolet, and the rest of the playoff field: the road to the championship runs through Toyota.

The spotlight fell on Chase Briscoe, who dominated the long green-flag runs, leading a race-high 309 laps and securing his back-to-back Southern 500 victory at Darlington.

Behind him, Tyler Reddick was in contention as he raced hard in the final 20 laps to beat Briscoe, while two Legacy Motor Club drivers, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, showcased blistering short-run speed that kept the field honest to finish in the top four.

And it was an especially good showing for two playoff drivers, Bubba Wallace and his boss Denny Hamlin, who finished sixth and seventh, respectively. By the end of the 367-lap race, the Japan-based manufacturer had flexed both consistency and versatility in the opening race of the 10-week playoff grind.

Even more telling, Toyota’s balance across driver styles—Hamlin’s patience, Briscoe and Reddick’s aggression, and Bell’s precision—proved they have multiple championship-caliber bullets in the garage in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

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Toyota-backed Chase Briscoe is the first to secure a guaranteed Round of 12 spot

Sixteen drivers are competing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title, and Briscoe is the first driver to lock his spot in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The 16-driver playoff field will be shortened to 12 in the next two weeks after the Round of 12 finale race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Among Chevrolet-backed playoff drivers, Ross Chastain had the highest finish with an 11th-place finish. Austin Cindric’s P12 finish was the highest among Ford playoff drivers.

For Japan manufacturer-based drivers, though, the Southern 500 wasn’t just a race; it was a warning for others. If the playoff opener is any indication, then the playoff battle for the elusive 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship runs straight through Toyota, and unless rivals perform consistently well, the championship may be theirs to lose.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs head to the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Round of 12 event will kick off on Sunday, September 7, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.