Race #2 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup playoffs is now behind us, and WWT Raceway (Gateway) featured far more action than most expected. Varying strategies, some tire falloff and a flurry of yellows kept the race somewhat interesting.
However, there was no stopping Joe Gibbs Racing as Denny Hamlin led Chase Briscoe to a 1-2 finish for the team, collecting Toyota its 200th win in the Cup Series. There are also some panicked drivers below the cutline with just one race until the first round of eliminations, and a chaotic night race at Bristol just ahead of them.
But before we move on to the world's fastest half-mile, let's take a look back at the biggest winners and losers from Gateway:
WINNER: Denny Hamlin and his new antagonistic slogan
Hamlin earned his fifth win of the 2025 season on Sunday, but what truly earned him a spot at the top of this list was his new post-win slogan. 'I beat your favorite driver' was fantastic, but '11 against the world' didn't really hit for me. However, his latest catchphrase is just right. "You can either get on the bandwagon or get run over by it," he said, as the fans showered him with boos. Hamlin now has more wins than any driver this year, and is guaranteed a spot in the Round of 12. He has all the momentum, despite the off-track legal drama that one would expect to be consuming his life. Driver No. 11 is at the top of his game, and I wouldn't want to be standing in front of that bandwagon.
LOSER: Josh Berry can't catch a break
We knew Berry's advancement beyond the first round was going to be difficult, but the poor guy never had a chance. After qualifying third in the Southern 500, the car bottomed out and he wrecked in the very first corner. At Gateway, he was running inside the top 15 when Chase Elliott accidentally crashed him out of the race before the end of Stage 1. That's two last-place finishes and a grand total of three points scored through the first two races of the playoffs. If he can't pull off a miraculous win at Bristol, then it's game over for the Wood Brothers Racing team.
WINNER: Joey Logano drags himself out of the elimination zone
If there's one thing the current playoff format has taught us, it's that we should never underestimate the three-time champion behind the wheel of the No. 22 Ford. Logano entered Gateway three points below the cutline, and leaves 21 points above. He made it look so easy, too, giving him an aura of inevitability. Barring an incident at Bristol, he is set to move on into the Round of 12.
LOSER: Christopher Bell is missing out on all the JGR fun
While JGR has won the first two races of the playoffs with Briscoe and Hamlin, their third playoff driver has been strangely quiet. Bell won three consecutive races at the start of the year, but we haven't seen him in Victory Lane since early March. Despite a solid result at Gateway and a comfortable points cushion, the frustration was clear on the radio as he lashed out at his team. In his post-race comments, he lamented about 'under-performing' with race-winning cars. The fact that his teammates are winning and he's not is clearly starting to get to him.
WINNER: Legacy Motor Club continue to play spoiler in the playoffs
The top finishing non-playoff driver at Darlington came from Legacy Motor Club, and that was again the case at Gateway. John-Hunter Nemechek finished sixth as LMC edges closer to potentially breaking through and earning their first win of the year. This team has shown remarkable improvement, and continues to impress as they take the fight to title contenders.
LOSER: Kyle Larson paints a target on his back
Larson tried for several laps to pass Ryan Blaney at Gateway. They were battling for fifth with just a few laps to go in Stage 2, but the Hendrick Motorsports star got over-ambitious and ran over Blaney. Luckily for Larson, the Penske driver rebounded from that spin, but he was still annoyed after the checkered flag. The two champions had a conversation on pit road and Blaney promised to remember that run-in. Making an enemy out of the fiery Blaney was the last thing Larson needed to do.
WINNER: Despite all odds, Austin Dillon remains in striking distance
Gateway was a bad race for the Richard Childress Racing driver. He complained about the car constantly, ran deep in the pack, and even wrecked his brother, Ty. And yet, despite all of that, he still managed to collect some stage points and finish inside the top 20, only losing three points on the cutline. He made the most out of a difficult day, which could help him to salvage his playoff hopes at Bristol.
LOSER: Team #48 has nothing for the fight
Alex Bowman breathed a sigh of relief when Blaney denied five must-win drivers in a photo finish at Daytona, thus ensuring Bowman held onto the 16th and final playoff spot. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has done nothing with it. The No. 48 team has been last among the playoff drivers in qualifying, struggling through the races, and suffering constant issues on pit road. Despite not wrecking, he is in the same situation as Berry where he must go out and pretty much win at Bristol to keep his title hopes alive. This is not the kind of showing we expected to see from the No. 48.
