GIBBS BATTLES FOR WIN AT BRISTOL
Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell continue to be a part of close championship battle
BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 19, 2026) – Ty Gibbs battled for the win late in a wild finish at Bristol Motor Speedway before finishing fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday evening. Christopher Bell was the top Toyota finisher in fourth.
Bell and Denny Hamlin continue to be a part of a fierce battle with Kyle Larson and Joey Logano for the championship points lead as the four drivers are separated by a total of 17 points with seven races remaining.
TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 29 of 36 – 266.5 miles, 500 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Joey Logano*
2nd, Kyle Larson*
3rd, Carson Hocevar*
4th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
5th, TY GIBBS
7th, BUBBA WALLACE
8th, DENNY HAMLIN
18th, TYLER REDDICK
25th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
27th, CHASE BRISCOE
32nd, ERIK JONES
34th, RILEY HERBST
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
Can you take us through your race tonight?
“Yeah, I don’t know. It was close, but just in the Spring, I was able to pass everybody – tonight I wasn’t. When I had the track position, I could maintain it, but wasn’t good enough to drive up there and take the lead. Overall, it was a good day to keep us in the hunt for our DEWALT Toyota team. Whoever is the champion is going to have to be great. We are very much alive.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 M&M’s Kyle Busch Tribute Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
What happened with the 48 and with the end of the race?
“I don’t know. It just sucks. The M&M’s Camry was a fun time tonight. I just tried to stay up too high in (turns) one and two, and tried to block the 77 (Carson Hocevar) from getting a run – and the 5 (Kyle Larson) snuck in there and got us all bottled up. Just unfortunate, but we will keep going.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 OUTLAW LIGHT Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
Not bad tonight. How was your race?
“Just kind of ran our own race. Had a couple of close calls, but for the most part our OUTLAW LIGHT Toyota team did a good job all night. We were seventh to 10th when we come here and we were on the front side of that tonight, so we are making improvements. I really appreciate the work on the short track program. Just wanted more. I started licking my chops there at the end, but just a little bit too far back. All-in-all, pretty good. Excited for the next three weeks, mile-and-a-halves. Toyotas are super strong, and get some separation and get away from the hornets’ nest that I feel like we’ve been in for the last month or so, and get some Toyotas back on top and back in victory lane.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 8th
You leave Bristol one point out of the championship lead. How would you assess your race?
“We just have to get to running a little bit better. Today, I thought early on – in the first stage – I really liked my National Debt Relief Toyota. I thought we had a car that would contend for the win, and then second stage, when we took the stage points in stage one that put us to the back, and once we lost track position, it just wasn’t quite as good. I think the track changed on us as well. Then we got caught by that caution, so that was unfortunate. It is the way it is, but we move on.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 SiriusXM Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 18th
What was going on with your race car today?
“Yeah, that is a good question. Our SiriusXM Camry didn’t drive bad, we were just one of the slowest cars on the race track. It is unacceptable any time of year, but especially in the Chase and after a tough day in Gateway. Just off where we need to be currently.”
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