👋 Hey, Motorhead!

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are up and running, and the race at Darlington delivered quite a spectacle. While the usual suspects were unable to take charge, the Toyota teams seemed to find an extra gear or two. No one had Chase Briscoe winning back-to-back Southern 500s on their bingo cards.

Martin Truex Jr. would be smiling to see the No. 19 car in victory lane once again, but there were a few upsets as well. The playoff bubble is looking a lot different now, with just one race cutting down the point cushion for top contenders. And even some of the fan favorites are feeling the heat.

Stage 1: Josh Berry sparked the very first caution on Lap 1, triggering a crash. Fellow playoff drivers Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain had narrow misses that could’ve ended their day. Chase Briscoe came out on top as the winner of the first stage.

Stage 2: Pole sitter Denny Hamlin tried to contest his teammate Briscoe for the lead, but he was no match for the No. 19 Toyota Camry as the team snagged back-to-back stage wins.

Final Stage: A three-way Toyota battle between Briscoe, Reddick, and Erik Jones was electric. But in the end, it was Chase Briscoe who came out on top as the rightful winner.

From the chaos of the first lap to the nail-biting finish, the Southern 500 proved to be a blockbuster race. It was Toyota domination across the board, with Ford and Chevy drivers doing their best to keep up.

Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace all experienced issues on pit road that cost them track position. Yet, Reddick and the #45 team seemed unfazed after being involved in an early crash. Unable to bag a win throughout the 26 races in the regular season, Darlington was proving to be his playground until Chase Briscoe decided to take control of the race.

This win by Briscoe was anything but easy, and much of the credit has to go to Tyler Reddick. After the final pit cycle and 36 laps to go, the 23XI Racing driver mounted his charge for the lead. The No. 45 Camry had the speed, and the gap to the leader was eventually cut down to just half a second.

To make a pass on Darlington Raceway requires skill and precision, and Reddick knew he had to make a move with 7 to go, which forced Briscoe to go on the defensive. With more grip and speed, Reddick switched lanes from bottom to top and reached the back bumper of the No. 19 car. As the laps ticked down, the battle became more intense, and then came the last-lap move.

It was almost a déjà vu feeling from last year’s Homestead race. Reddick made a dive-bomb move in Turns 3 and 4, unsettling Briscoe’s car, getting him loose. But that wasn’t enough as the JGR maestro held his own on the high lane and edged out in front coming to the start-finish line. This is arguably one of the best finishes of this season, and in case you missed out on the action, watch the thrilling finish here.

Chase Briscoe led 309 of the 367 laps and sealed his spot in the Round of 12. Apart from making a big leap toward his championship hopes, the driver also created a bit of history. Briscoe became the first driver to win consecutive crown jewel races since Greg Biffle in 2005 and 2006. We all knew that the No. 19 team had the speed, and it looks like they are going all in on making the most of their potential in the knockout rounds.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are not all about the winner, but also about those trying their best to stay in the fight. With the likes of Briscoe, Reddick, and Bubba Wallace making huge gains, it created a ripple effect in the playoff standings.

Shane van Gisbergen had a major falloff. From entering the playoffs sixth with a 16-point buffer, the Kiwi driver now finds himself right on the bubble, and the buffer has now been reduced to just three points. The only positive highlight from his 32nd-place finish was his spirited move in the final laps of Stage 1 that got him back on the lead lap.

Joey Logano, who held this spot, dropped into the danger zone, and he is already in the negative in terms of points. A 20th-place finish isn’t going to cut it for the No. 22 team, and at this rate, Logano would need a couple of lucky breaks to inch closer to Jeff Gordon’s championship tally.

At worst, Logano expected a top-10 finish, and he sounded frustrated in the post-race interview.

Moving on, we have Josh Berry, whose debut playoff race went sideways. From being just a point shy of entering the safe zone, the Wood Brothers Racing driver now finds himself at a deficit of 19 points and a tail-end spot in the standings. Austin Dillon is in a similar position, as a 23rd-place finish makes his position more precarious.

Given the speed and performance Alex Bowman and his team had shown in the regular season, many expected them to turn a corner for good at Darlington. But in reality, they dropped the ball and made a huge fumble. What was supposed to be a routine pit stop under green turned into a nightmare. A whopping 40 seconds is what Bowman had to spend in his pit box as his crew struggled with an equipment malfunction.

Watch the pit road chaos unfold here. All Bowman could do was wait out and sit inside his car while his crew scrambled to get the air guns working. While the driver managed to get back on the track, the damage was already done. Heading into the Gateway race weekend, Bowman will have a mountain to climb to overcome a 19-point gap and make any positive gains.

Continue Reading: Jeff Gordon Refuses to Give Up as Struggling HMS Star

Hendrick Motorsports is not firing on all cylinders and has hit a bump at the worst possible time. Drivers piloting HMS Chevys are expected to contend for race wins, but at Darlington, none of the star drivers could make a positive impact.

Well, Bowman’s destiny wasn’t entirely under his control, but for Kyle Larson and William Byron, they just couldn’t muster up enough speed or momentum to challenge the lightning-quick Toyota cars. Finishing 21st in the first race of the playoffs is not what Rudy Fugle and Byron hoped for.

Had it not been for the 15 playoff points they collected from the regular season championship, they would’ve been in a much worse position. The #24 team is arguably the best from the HMS camp, and they can’t afford another off day like they had in Darlington. Rudy Fugle was livid with this performance and didn’t mince words on the radio after the race. Here’s a glimpse of the serious conversation between Byron and his crew chief.

On the flip side, Chase Elliott, who should’ve been competing up front, found himself trading blows with Carson Hocevar in mid-pack. Hocevar wasn’t a fan of NASCAR’s most popular driver, and he made his feelings heard on the radio. When the dust settled, the No. 9 car failed to finish inside the top 15.

Unlucky twice with the caution compounded by trouble on pit road, there was no hiding from the fact that the No. 9 team under-delivered. Here, listen to the honest admission by Elliott post-race, as he admits the lack of confidence within the team.

Not just the #9 team, the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization will need to buckle up, as they cannot afford any more off races in the NASCAR playoffs.

Continue Reading: Denny Hamlin’s Playoff Curse Strikes Early at Darlington

The Southern 500 marks a turning point in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Gone are the long stretches of races; now, the remaining 16 drivers are expected to deliver their best in hopes of a deep run. However, given the design of the playoff format, only four drivers will find themselves racing for the Bill France trophy in Phoenix.

But who makes the cut and who misses out? Well, the Lucky Dog has managed to keep track of the drivers and has mapped out a scenario that could unfold as we head further into the business end of the season. Instead of predicting the best drivers, we will eliminate the bottom four from each stage of the playoffs. This, in turn, will give us our Championship Four contenders.

Starting with the Round of 16, we have a better picture after the conclusion of the Southern 500. With Gateway and Bristol lined up ahead, it is tough to see Josh Berry snag a win to lock himself in the next round. The same can be said for Shane van Gisbergen, whose inexperience on ovals was evident at Darlington.

Now, it might seem optimistic to keep Austin Dillon in for the next round, given a short-oval race is around the corner. But looking at the competition and his inconsistent run, the RCR driver might have to settle for a Round of 16 appearance. Here comes the shocker: the fourth driver who could not make it past the first round is Ross Chastain. The Coca-Cola 600 win has faded off, and the No. 1 team isn’t as strong as it used to be.

Moving on to the Round of 12, we have more surprise picks. Alex Bowman is expected to see out the first round, but the journey up ahead is tough. Although he has a few top 10s at Bristol, given his current situation, he would need more than just points to advance. Add Austin Cindric to this list as well. It is hard to see him bag another lucky win at Gateway, and Talladega isn’t up until the Round of 8.

The remaining two drivers who could suffer a similar fate are Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace. This is an even-numbered year, and without the points buffer and consistent speed, it is tough to see the three-time champ clearing this hurdle. One can make a case for Wallace given his progress this year, but the Round of 12 is where his playoff journey could come to an end.

We are down to eight drivers, and the next round of elimination will give us our final four. Tyler Reddick came out on top of Wallace to clear the Round of 12, but this is where he might have to conclude his title hopes. Elliott, who has been consistent just like Reddick, is also predicted to suffer a similar fate.

And here comes the boldest prediction of all. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell do not make it to the final four in Lucky Dog’s playoff prediction. Larson just hasn’t seemed to bounce back from the Indy double jolt, and for Bell, the No. 20 team has just taken a backseat after three consecutive poor finishes.

If this scenario plays out, we will see Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Briscoe competing for the championship in Phoenix.

Continue Reading: Alan Gustafson Labeled ‘Culprit’ as Chase Elliott Suffers Huge Playoffs Setback

Emotions run high for the race fans during vital playoff races, and that was evident as the HMS driver suffered miserably against their rivals. Below, we have listed some noteworthy comments that are unfiltered and honest, demanding more from their drivers and teams.

Short on speed and ideas, the fingers started to point towards crew cheif, Alan Gustafson

Then came the trolls, who couldn’t get over how Elliott’s performance takes a dip during the playoffs.

Yet beyond the memes and trolls, some raised genuine questions on Hendrick Motorsports and their preparations for the playoffs.