With the first race of the Playoffs behind them, Josh Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are looking ahead to World Wide Technology Speedway with a clear goal: climb back into contention and keep their push toward the Round of 12 alive. Berry sits 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, 19 points below the cutoff with two races remaining in the opening round.

The Enjoy Illinois 300 is the second stop in the Round of 16. After this weekend’s race, the series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway, where the bottom four drivers in the standings will be eliminated while the top 12 continue their championship quest.

Berry knows that the 1.25-mile track near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis requires precision from both the driver and team.

“I think that each round presents its own challenges,” he said. “I think you look at Gateway as a short track, but kind of a faster short track. Strategy and fuel mileage can be so important there, so there are things that can definitely go awry.”

The weekend schedule begins with practice on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 5:40 p.m. ET, both airing on truTV.

Sunday’s 240-lap, 300-mile race is scheduled to begin just after 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. Stage breaks will fall at Laps 45 and 140 as Berry and the No. 21 Ford Mustang team look to make up valuable ground in the standings.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.”

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 101 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
WWTR Media Availability
Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano goes into this weekend’s second race in the Round of 16 below the cut line by three points. Logano, who won the debut series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2022, was part of a NASCAR media call this afternoon and talked about his expectations for this weekend and the rest of the season.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – DID YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENED AT DARLINGTON? “There are some theories of things that we probably could have done better or looked at a little differently, just like we do every other race we break it down and try to understand what we did good and where we didn’t. There were a lot of good things from Darlington, most of them from the execution side of the race, but we just missed it on the raw speed side of it. It definitely wasn’t what we were looking for, there’s no doubt about that. We wanted to have a faster car and I really expected to have a faster car in Darlington considering our history there, but unfortunately we didn’t bring enough speed.”

A LOT OF GOOD TEAMS HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. WERE YOU SURPRISED SO MANY MISSED IT IN THE PLAYOFF OPENER? “Whether we missed it or the Toyotas got that much better. It’s kind of hard to answer that at times. You look at the front running cars there and they had one thing in common. There’s probably some work to be done from that standpoint as well, but we definitely weren’t the best Ford either, so we’ve got some work to do.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL THE SPORT HAS LEARNED FROM YOUR EARLIER EXPERIENCES TO CREATE BETTER SUPPORT FOR YOUNG DRIVERS? “I think the sport is different for one. Has the sport learned? I mean, every team is gonna be a little different and I think they saw what happened for me is I jumped in so early and wasn’t quite ready. Every driver is different. Every individual is different and the sport itself has changed a lot. I look at when I started, if you look at the class of drivers that were out there – all of them had been there for a long period of time, and I was pretty much the only rookie and was pretty much the only rookie for the first seven or eight years of my career. I was going up against guys that had been there a long time. There was a big age gap there. That’s one piece of it. The cars back then were, I feel like, harder to get your head wrapped around. They were so unique. When you see today, for example, we didn’t see back then with the old car where whether it’s road courses or someone like Shane can jump right in and take off. You didn’t really see that much with the old car because they were very finicky, they were very unique. There wasn’t another car like it. You had some pretty unique things there as well, so it took a little longer, I feel like, to wrap your head around it to make speed. The sport has changed, yes. I think probably the most similar situation we see right now is probably Connor (Zilisch). He’s an incredible talent. I think he’s gonna be fine, but I also think the world is a lot different than when I got here 16 years ago and whether it’s simulation, there are things you can study now. We didn’t have SMT back then, so your learning curve was just a lot steeper for a lot of different reasons, but these days the kids are starting so young, so fast. There is still gonna be a learning curve when you move up to the top league. Everyone in Cup is really, really good, so there will be a learning curve for him, but he’s gonna adapt, I think, quicker than I did.”

WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK WOULD HAVE SPED UP YOUR PROGRESS? “I feel like probably some of my maturity level held me back a little bit, not that I was out there doing dumb things. I was very focused in on what I was doing, but I didn’t lead my team as good as I felt like I should have. I wasn’t assertive enough. I wasn’t confident enough to do that, and I feel like that over time kind of set me back a little bit to start. A lot of it is you’ve got to have the right people around you at the right times. That team that I started with would have been great at this time of my career, but as a rookie, it was not. You just have to have the right people at the right times around you.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS LOOKING AT BRISTOL WITH IT BEING AN ELIMINATION RACE? “Bristol is something we’ve talked a lot about already. On the concrete with the Next Gen car hasn’t been our wheelhouse. It’s been a good track for me in the past personally with different cars, so we haven’t really got it figured out quite yet. With that said, Goodyear is bringing a different tire and trying to promote more tire wear. All of those type of things could change a lot of things as well, so as we go through our setup and things you want to change, there’s a lot of different variables that are changing on top of that. I don’t want to call it an unknown, but there’s a lot of things that we’re gonna have to figure out when we get there and you guys know how the rules are today, you don’t really have the opportunity to change much, so we’re trying to anticipate some of the things coming our way.”

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT GOING BACK TO NEW HAMPSHIRE IN A FEW WEEKS? “Yeah, I feel really good about the second round, we just have to get through the first round here. I feel great about Gateway coming up this weekend. I feel like that should be a good race for us. It’s important for us to be able to have a solid run up there, score stage points in both stages, run up towards the front and win if we can, but if not, we’ve got to score a lot of points because, to your point, Bristol has been a tough one, so it’s important for us to run good this weekend and I’m looking forward to Loudon for sure.”

HOW ARE YOU WITH DO-OR-DIE SITUATIONS IN THE PLAYOFFS? “You’re never out of these things. You look back at Darlington and, yes, was it frustrating? Sure. It’s over. You’ve got to move on. We’ve got to try to learn from it as quickly as possible, but we’ve got to move forward because the playoffs will continue with or without you, so you better make sure you’re on the boat before it takes off. You just have to write that one off as quick as possible, move on, figure out what you have to do at Gateway and keep going because at some point in the playoffs your back will be up against the wall and it will be do-or-die at some point – 100 percent in the playoffs in these 10 weeks you will have that at least one time. If you make it to the Championship 4, your back is up against the wall. You must win. That can happen in any other round too, so you want to try to keep yourself from being in that position and that’s why Gateway this weekend is an ultra important weekend. The good news is, more times than not, we excel in those types of situations. We usually can rise to the occasion. With that said, we’ve seen the other side before too. We’ve been through it enough, but we know how to handle it.”

DO YOU READ SOCIAL MEDIA DURING THE PLAYOFFS? “To be honest with you, I can’t say I’m on social media that often. Three kids at home. I’ve got a very busy life. I’ve got a lot of different jobs going on. I don’t really mess with it much and there’s a lot of opinions that are uneducated on there a lot of times – not all the time, but a lot of times. I know what I have to focus on because I’m in it, I’m doing it every day, so I make sure I focus on that. I’ve found over the years that social media is a complete waste of time and so I try to not be on it.”

THERE’S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT SHOULD THE RULES CHANGE FOR THE FASTEST LAP? SHOULD YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE LEAD LAP TO WIN THAT? “I can’t say I’ve thought much about that, but yeah. I would say if you’re gonna go behind the wall or you’re gonna have damage repair, there’s the opportunity of making your car better than stock, better than what you originally went through tech with. It probably opens the door for shenanigans. I mean, more power to them if they take the time to do that. I mean, you had nothing else to lose and only something to gain, so you go for it. I get that. I guess maybe to your point maybe you’d have to be on the lead lap at the moment you run the lap, or maybe within one lap of the leader. That’s probably a good idea. That’s just off the top of my head without really thinking about it. It’s your idea, really, but it probably should be something like that because even if it’s Daytona or something like that, I mean, who’s to know that you get in a wreck and you knock the spoiler down a little bit, you know what I mean, when you backed it in or something. That makes the car faster and doesn’t seem quite fair, so I guess there’s probably something they could do there.”

WILL POWER WAS ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE AT PENSKE WHEN YOU ARRIVED AND WAS STILL THERE UNTIL THIS WEEK. HOW MUCH INTERACTION DID YOU HAVE WITH HIM AND ARE THERE ANY FEELINGS ABOUT HIM LEAVING? “In a way, it’s nice to be the senior driver of the whole place at this point, but I love Will. He’s a great person. He’s a great human. He did some incredible things over his time at Team Penske. The Indy 500 and championships. I always remember the moment where we both won the championship in the same year and we had a victory party for all of Team Penske. He was up there playing the drums. We were singing We Are The Champions together on stage. That was really one of the coolest memories for me, so he’s been a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot from him. I know he’s gonna end up in a good place, I’m sure, but he’s been a great asset to Team Penske for many, many years and obviously our best wishes are for him and his family moving forward.”

GATEWAY HAS BEEN A GREAT TRACK FOR YOU AND TEAM PENSKE. WHAT MAKES THAT SUCH A GOOD TRACK FOR YOU GUYS? “It just seems like for us right now most of the time our cars are pretty fast at the flat one-mile type racetracks, whether that’s Phoenix, Gateway, Loudon, Richmond kind of falls in there, but it’s quite a bit of a different track as well, but it’s similar speed-wise. It seems like we have a pretty good handle on that type of thing and that type of track, so hopefully that’s the case again. Like I said, a lot of things happen in a year, whether it’s manufacturers or teams. The 20 was really strong there at Gateway last year, so I would expect him to be fast again, and some others. It’s been a good one, but with that said, there are a lot of things that can happen at that racetrack. It doesn’t seem like we’ve had a lot of fall off there in the past. I don’t know what this tire will bring – possibly more – but with the lack of tire fall off that’s been there in the past, the strategy, if you get a caution that falls in the middle of a stage, it really jumbles it up like it did last year and it can happen again.”

DO YOU EXPECT THE TRACK TO BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT’S AT A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE YEAR, WHETHER IT BE TEMPERATURE OR BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS? “I think it’s probably the tire that’s gonna be the bigger difference than the other two.”

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Beef-a-Roo Ford Team
World Wide Technology Raceway Competition Notes
Enjoy Illinois 300

Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025
Event: Race 30 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: World Wide Technology Raceway (1.2-miles)
#of Laps: 240
Time/TV/Radio: 3:00 PM ET on USA/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Noah Gragson Notes

Following a 14th place finish at Darlington Raceway last Sunday, Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team head to the World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Prior to coming to Gateway in the NASCAR Cup Series, Gragson made two NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the track, earning a pair of top-10 finishes – ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2018. It was that 2018 race, however, Gragson feels he should have won. After starting third, Gragson led twice for a race-high 63 laps. In fact, he was cruising to victory, leading the race with less than 10 laps to go. A flat tire seven laps short of the finish prompted an unscheduled pit stop, forcing Gragson out of the lead. He battled back to finish 10th in a race where 17 trucks finished on the lead lap was a testament to Gragson’s strength that day at Gateway.

Beef-a-Roo returns at this weekend’s Gateway/St. Louis event! Don’t miss out on their latest deals and rewards. Download the new Beef-a-Roo app today and automatically receive a free drink. As a loyalty member, you’ll earn two (2) points for every dollar spent at any Beef-a-Roo location—bringing you closer to exclusive rewards, a free shake on your birthday, and tasty treats with every bite. Start earning Roo Rewards today on Google Play or the Apple Store. Plus, for the month of September, take advantage of the 2 for $7 Mix & Match Deal. Choose from favorites like the Beef ‘n Cheddar, Wild West Burger, Loaded Fries, or Large Fry—mix any two for only $7 at participating locations.

“Darlington was a step in the right direction for us — we kept pushing, stayed clean, and came away with a top-15,” said Gragson. “Gateway hasn’t gone our way the last two times, but this will be my third start here and I’m determined to turn that around. If we can build off what we found at Darlington, I think we can put ourselves in a much better position this weekend at Gateway.”

Road Crew

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Joey Forgette

Hometown: Iron Mountain, Michigan

Engineer: Dillon Silverman

Hometown: Chico, California

Engineer: Scott Bingham

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Tony Infinger

Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia

Tire Specialist: Chris Aunspaw

Hometown: Zelienople, Pennsylvania

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Nick Del Campo

Hometown: Blauvelt, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Nate “Cookie” Eller

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher

Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Adam Riley

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Tire Carrier: Jarren Davis

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Jackman: Nate McBride

Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia

Fueler: Ray Hernandez

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

ABOUT BEEF-A-ROO

Beef-a-Roo is a fast casual restaurant chain known for fresh, made-to-order American faire such as juicy burgers, famous cheddar fries, slow-roasted beef sandwiches, and a variety of hand-made milkshake flavors. Founded in 1967, Beef-a-Roo has 58 years of famously delicious flavor and success. The legacy began in Rockford, Illinois, with 7 locations and has grown to 18 company-owned restaurants and three franchise locations spanning eight states. For a complete menu and to find the location nearest to you please visit: https://beefaroo.com/. Follow Beef-a-Roo on social media: Instagram at @beefaroousa and Facebook at facebook.com/beefaroousa.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

STATS
First Win: March 9, 2008 by Kyle Busch at Atlanta Motor Speedway
100th Win: July 30, 2017 by Kyle Busch at Pocono Raceway

Toyota Cup Series Race Winners (17): Kyle Busch (56), Denny Hamlin (55), Martin Truex Jr. (32), Matt Kenseth (15), Christopher Bell (12), Carl Edwards (5), Tyler Reddick (5), Clint Bowyer (3), Bubba Wallace (3), Chase Briscoe (2), Erik Jones (2), Joey Logano (2), David Reutimann (2), Brian Vickers (2), Kurt Busch (1), Kasey Kahne (1) and Tony Stewart (1).

Toyota Cup Series Team Winners (5): Joe Gibbs Racing (165), Furniture Row Racing (16), 23XI Racing (9), Michael Waltrip Racing (7) and Red Bull Racing (2).

DRIVER QUOTES – What would it mean to you to win the 200th NASCAR Cup Series race for Toyota?

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
“I’ve been part of some great milestones for Toyota. I was part of the 100th that we won at New Hampshire in 2017 and then part of the 600th win for Toyota across the three national series at Pocono in 2023. Milestone wins like that, they’re special because you always have the souvenirs and the hats that are always laying around that reminds you of that day and the significance of it. It’s a big, big deal.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
“It would be super special. To be that close to 200 in honestly such a short amount of time that Toyota’s been in the sport, I think says a lot about just the success that they’ve had. To be the guy that would win the milestone race would be pretty special. I was the 200th different Cup Series winner ever, so it’d be pretty cool to be the 200th Toyota winner as well. Anytime you can be that guy that brings a milestone to manufacturer, it’s a really big deal, and to be able to be the one that wins the 200th race for Toyota would be pretty special.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
“That would be special. I go back to being the first winner for Toyota in a GR Supra in the Xfinity Series and I was fortunate enough to get the 200th Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series win at Martinsville in 2022. Those super-high importance races always mean a lot.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
“Oh, that’d be awesome! I think it’s special that I’ve been able to add three to that number but looking forward to the opportunity. To capture 200 for Toyota, that’s going to be a competition within ourselves.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 35 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
“It’d be really cool. I was fortunate enough to get win number 100 for Stewart-Haas Racing and that was a very cool achievement. To get 200 for Toyota would be pretty neat as well.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
“Getting win number 200 for Toyota in the Cup Series would be huge for me. I think winning any race in the Cup Series is big but being able to win the 200th Xfinity race for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023 and winning quite a few races underneath the Toyota banner and getting another milestone for them would be big.”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
“It would be special for me. I started my career out with Toyota in the Truck Series in 2013 and have been with them for most of my career. To add to that group in the Cup Series would be pretty special. To celebrate any milestone like a 200th win is special for anybody. Would love to share that moment in Victory Lane and see everybody there. That’d be a pretty special one.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
“It would be amazing. When I think about the drivers that have been a part of Toyota’s family, all the way back to the very beginning to where it is now, and to add my name further to that history would just be a huge honor. I think of all the great people at Toyota who have helped me get to this point and it would just be a really special moment to get that win for them.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 SIRIUS XM Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
“Yeah, that’d be really nice. That’s a lot of cup wins and being the 200th winner would be really cool. With what Toyota has meant to Joe Gibbs Racing, it would be awesome if we got number 200. They’ve been such a great partner for so many years. There have been so many great drivers that have won for Toyota, but it would great for me or any of my teammates to get number 200.”

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

This Week in Motorsports: Sept. 1-7, 2025

NCS/NXS: World Wide Technology Raceway – Sept. 5-7
GR CUP: Barber Motorsports Park – Sept. 4-7

PLANO, Texas (Sept. 3, 2025) – NASCAR brings the Cup and Xfinity Series to World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis this weekend, with race two of the Playoffs for the Cup Series and the regular season finale for the Xfinity Series. The Xfinity Series will return to World Wide Technology Raceway for the first time since 2010, as well as the fourth time the Cup Series takes to the 1.25-mile oval. The GR Cup Series heads to Barber Motorsports Park outside Birmingham, Alabama, for its penultimate race weekend of 2025.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS

Toyota seeks 200th Cup Series win … After Chase Briscoe’s dominating Southern 500 win last Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, Toyota now sits one win away from 200 in its NASCAR Cup Series history. Former Toyota driver Kyle Busch captured the first Cup win for Toyota in March 2008 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) and captured the 100th win at Pocono Raceway in July 2017.

Team Toyota in solid position after Playoffs race one … After the Southern 500, the Toyota Camry XSE Playoff drivers sit in favorable spots entering the second race of the Round of 16. Briscoe’s win at Darlington secured him a spot in the Round of 12, while Hamlin (+43 points), Tyler Reddick (+35 points), Bubba Wallace (+25 points) and Christopher Bell (+11 points) all sit above the cutline with just two races left in the opening round.

LEAGCY MOTOR CLUB coming off dynamic weekend … The Southern 500 was also an incredible race for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, with both of its Toyota Camry XSEs finishing inside the top-five. Erik Jones came home third in last weekend’s race, marking his best finish of the season and best since the 2023 fall Kansas race. His teammate, John Hunter Nemechek, recorded a fourth-place finish which was his best career result in the Cup Series to-date.

Hamlin, Bell look to continue Gateway success … Hamlin and Bell have garnered success at World Wide Technology Raceway in the three previous Cup Series races at the Illinois track. Hamlin looks for his third straight top-five at the 1.25-mile oval, coming off two consecutive second-place finishes. Bell has finished inside the top-11 in those three previous races at World Wide Technology Raceway. A win by either Joe Gibbs Racing driver this Sunday would lock them into the Round of 12 of the Playoffs.

Sawalich coming off career-best finish … Last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway marked the best result in the young career of William Sawalich with a second-place finish. The Toyota Development Driver has now finished inside the top-10 in four of the last seven Xfinity Series races, seeking to continue his strong run of late in his debut at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday night.

GR Cup

Workman holds points lead entering Barber … After third and fifth-place finishes at Road America three weeks ago, Westin Workman maintained his healthy points lead in the GR Cup Series points standings. The Toyota Development Driver currently holds a 41-point advantage over Jaxon Bell heading to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. Workman has finished inside the top four in all but one race this season.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

WWT Raceway
Sunday, Sept. 7
1.25-Mile Oval
3 PM ET
Location: Madison, Illinois
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 28 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 33 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 19th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 3rd

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

• Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team enters the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16 in third place, 38 points above the cutline.
• The Elk Grove, California, native is two top-10 finishes away from 200 for his career and is three away from his 100th with Hendrick Motorsports.
• Larson has the third-best average finish at WWT Raceway (8.67). He’s finished better than he started in all three races at the 1.25-mile oval.
• A fourth-place finish in 2023 by Larson is the best finish by any Hendrick Motorsports driver in three previous events at the track in Madison, Illinois.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 17th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 11th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet

• Chase Elliott enters the second race of NASCAR Cup Series playoffs 11th in the standings. He’s nine points above the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 12.
• This weekend marks the 29-year-old driver’s 350th NASCAR premier series start, all with Hendrick Motorsports. He has made the fourth-most starts for the organization behind Jeff Gordon (805), Jimmie Johnson (686) and Terry Labonte (387).
• Three drivers have previously won in their 350th start, one of them being the 2020 Cup Series champion’s father Bill Elliott in 1992.
• Elliott’s average finish of 12.15 leads all Cup Series drivers in 2025.
• This season on tracks measuring 1 to 1.366 miles in length, Elliott has three top-10 finishes and 246 laps led, with a best result of sixth at Dover Motor Speedway.
• Last year at WWT Raceway, Elliott earned points in each of the first two stages en route to a 13th-place finish, his best effort at the track.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 21st (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: t-5th

No. 24 Z by HP Chevrolet

• After the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16, William Byron is tied for fifth, 25 points above the cutline. He could lock into the next round with a win this weekend at WWT Raceway or by finishing the race 57 points above the 12th-place driver.
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, native continues to have a stellar 2025, leading in most statistical categories including laps led (915), laps run in the top five (2,896) and in the top 10 (4,225).
• In three Cup Series starts at WWT Raceway, Byron has a track-best finish of eighth after leading 30 laps in 2023.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 32 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 31st (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: t-15th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

• Alex Bowman enters WWT Raceway sitting in a tie for 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 19 points below the cutline. This playoff appearance marks the seventh of his career, with his best run coming in 2020 when he reached the Round of 8, finishing sixth.
• Through 27 races in 2025, Bowman has earned 14 top-10 finishes, tied for the second most in the Cup Series and his career best through this point in a season. He has collected six top-five finishes this year, including runner-up results at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Richmond Raceway.
• For this weekend’s race at St. Louis, the featured Best Friends Animal Society partner is the St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines in Wheaton, Illinois.
• Ally and HENDRICKCARS.COM are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

Hendrick Motorsports

*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

• The Hendrick Motorsports engine shop reached 550 national series victories at Daytona International Speedway. The organization’s engines have won 19 poles (seven in the NASCAR Cup Series, 12 in the Xfinity Series) and 24 races (six in Cup, 17 in Xfinity and one in the preseason Clash) in 2025 and have powered teams to 40 points paying Cup Series victories in the Next Gen era, the most of any organization.
• Hendrick Motorsports has led 2,355 laps through 27 events this year, accounting for 34% of all circuits completed in the Cup Series and 835 more than any other team.
• With 17, the organization leads the series in stage wins. That total is the second most through a season’s first 27 races all time.
• All four of Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers qualified for the Cup Series playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years and the seventh time overall.

 QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on heading to WWT Raceway: “We had a great test at Gateway earlier this year that led us down a different path with our short-track program. We feel we have learned some things that have made that program a little bit better since then. We should be more competitive and at least start the weekend better than we have. If we can be good at Gateway, that will give us some confidence going to Phoenix.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on heading to WWT Raceway: “I haven’t really jived great with Gateway. There’s not many tracks that as a company I feel like we’ve struggled at, but I do think that’s been one of them. Why that is I don’t really know. But I do think that we’ve put a lot of emphasis as a company on trying to get better at those style of race tracks. We have a good opportunity to do that, so hopefully it’s another step in the right direction for us.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on strengths, weaknesses in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs: “I think our strength is just that we’re fast at all the different tracks. So, I think at the same time, though, you never know what everyone else is going to bring and how fast they’re going to be. So, we’ve just got to keep working. We can keep getting better, but that’s our strength. And then I guess the area we can improve is… I don’t know. There’s not a huge glaring area. We could always be faster on pit road. We could always be faster, have a better-balanced car. But I think the underlying theme of the playoffs is just you’ve got to get to the Round of 8, and then you’ve got to start peaking as that round goes. October is the most important time of the year.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on going to WWT Raceway: “I‘m happy for everyone at WWT Raceway. They have worked really hard to get a playoff race and are great to us when we go there. We have not been very good there in the past so, I’m looking forward to trying to be better there. I think we lost the brakes last year, so it looked really bad. (Kyle) Larson tested there a few months back so we will probably lean on them to see what they learned and go from there.”