NASCAR News: Chase Briscoe wins Southern 500 at Darlington

Chase Briscoe cemented his legacy at Darlington Raceway, dominating the 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 with a commanding 309 laps led to secure his second straight victory at the iconic “Lady in Black.”

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The 30-year-old from Mitchell, Indiana, showcased his prowess in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, overcoming intermittent voltage issues that threatened to derail his race. With steely determination, Briscoe fended off a fierce late-race charge from Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones to claim his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series win and his second since joining the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing team in the offseason.

This triumph, his second crown-jewel victory, locked Briscoe into the Round of 12 in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, solidifying his status as a championship contender.

The 367-lap marathon was a grueling test of skill and strategy on Darlington’s notoriously unforgiving 1.366-mile oval, known for its abrasive surface and tight racing grooves. Briscoe’s car, adorned with a sleek throwback paint scheme honoring his Indiana roots, danced through the corners with precision, mastering the track’s treacherous turns.

Despite the voltage issues causing intermittent power fluctuations in his car’s electronics, Briscoe’s crew executed flawless pit stops, and his spotter’s sharp guidance kept him ahead of the pack. As the laps wound down, Reddick, driving for 23XI Racing, and Jones, in the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club machine, closed the gap, setting up a thrilling three-wide battle in the final 10 laps. Briscoe held his line, using every inch of the track to maintain his lead, crossing the finish line 0.361 seconds ahead of Reddick.

The top five was rounded out by John Hunter Nemechek, who continued his breakout season with a career-best Darlington finish, and AJ Allmendinger, whose road-course prowess translated surprisingly well to the egg-shaped oval.

Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar, and Chris Buescher completed the top 10, with Hamlin’s seventh-place finish notable given his early-race scrape with the wall that left his No. 11 Toyota with a damaged right front.

The race wasn’t without its share of drama. Playoff contender Josh Berry’s day ended almost as soon as it began. Running third on the opening lap, Berry got loose exiting Turn 2, clipping Reddick’s No. 45 car and spinning into the outside wall. The impact crumpled the front end of his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, forcing him to limp to the garage for extensive repairs. Berry returned to the track 30 laps down, ultimately finishing a distant 38th, a devastating blow to his playoff hopes.

Alex Bowman, fresh off clinching a playoff berth on points at Daytona the previous week, faced his own struggles. A disastrous pit stop in Stage 1, caused by malfunctioning air guns, cost him 40 seconds and dropped him multiple laps behind. Despite his Hendrick Motorsports team’s efforts to rally, Bowman couldn’t recover, crossing the line in 29th.

The setback left him precariously close to the playoff cutoff line, alongside Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, and Berry, as the Round of 16’s first race shook up the postseason picture.

The race also saw intense battles throughout the field, with Darlington’s abrasive surface chewing through tires and forcing teams to balance speed with tire conservation. Stage 1 saw Briscoe edge out Hamlin for the win, while Stage 2 went to Reddick, who capitalized on a late caution triggered by a spinning Corey LaJoie. The final stage became a masterclass in Briscoe’s dominance, as he stretched his lead to nearly three seconds before the late-race challenges from Reddick and Jones.

As the playoff field tightens, the pressure mounts heading into the next race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the middle leg of the Round of 16. The 1.25-mile oval, with its unique blend of flat and banked turns, promises to test drivers’ versatility.

With Bristol Motor Speedway’s high-banked chaos looming as the first elimination race in two weeks, Logano, Dillon, Bowman, and Berry face a must-win scenario to keep their championship dreams alive. Briscoe, meanwhile, rides a wave of momentum, his Darlington masterclass proving he’s a force to be reckoned with in the 2025 title chase.

The NASCAR Cup Series now shifts its focus to Gateway, where playoff hopefuls and race winners alike will battle under the lights on September 7, 2025, in a critical step toward the championship.

2025 Southern 500 Race Results