{"id":203437,"date":"2025-09-05T22:44:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/203437\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T22:44:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:44:17","slug":"toyota-now-just-1-away-from-200th-nascar-cup-win-enjoy-illinois-300-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/203437\/","title":{"rendered":"Toyota now just 1 away from 200th NASCAR Cup win | Enjoy Illinois 300 preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 Toyota is now just one win away from earning their 200th NASCAR Cup Series win after Chase Briscoe won Sunday at Darlington Raceway.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

Briscoe secured his fourth career win in the Cup Series and his second of the 2025 season. It also locked him into the Round of 12 in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be that close to 200 in such a short amount of time that Toyota\u2019s been in the sport, I think says a lot about just the success they\u2019ve had. To be the guy that would win the milestone race would be pretty special. I was the 200th different Cup Series winner ever [at Phoenix in March 2022], so it\u2019d be pretty cool to be the 200th Toyota winner as well,\u201d Briscoe said.<\/p>\n

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway Gateway for the Enjoy Illinois 300, Briscoe and his eight Toyota teammates are chasing the manufacturer\u2019s 200th Cup win.<\/p>\n

Briscoe\u2019s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, leads with 165 Cup wins for Toyota. JGR and Kyle Busch earned the manufacturer\u2019s first Cup win, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2008 \u2013 and their 100th Cup win, at Pocono Raceway in July 2017.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Marcus Leno\/TRE<\/p>\n

Seventeen drivers have a Cup win with Toyota. Busch has the most \u2013 56 \u2013 but current Toyota driver Denny Hamlin could tie that mark at Gateway with the 200th win.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been part of some great milestones for Toyota. I was part of the 600th win for Toyota across the three national series at Pocono in 2023. Milestone win like that\u2026 is 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\u2019s a big, big deal,\u201d Hamlin said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Jeff Ames\/TRE<\/p>\n

Hamlin is one of six current Toyota drivers who have won with the manufacturer. Two of them are still winless in 2025, including playoff driver Tyler Reddick.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Josiah Kopp\/TRE<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be amazing. When I think about the drivers that have been a part of Toyota\u2019s 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,\u201d Reddick said.<\/p>\n

Like Reddick, Erik Jones is also looking for his first Cup win of 2025. It might be even bigger for Jones, who missed the playoffs but finished a strong third to Toyota teammates Briscoe and Reddick in the playoffs opener at Darlington. <\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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\u2019d be a pretty special one,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

Teammate John Hunter Nemechek finished behind him and also showed speed. Nemechek is looking for his first Cup win. He is also looking to become the sixth different driver to win with Toyota in all three NASCAR national series.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting 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,\u201d Nemechek said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Josiah Kopp\/TRE<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Jeff Ames\/TRE<\/p>\n

Nemechek has 11 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 13 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, mostly all with Toyota. If either he or Jones can win, they would make Legacy Motor Club the sixth team to win a Cup race for Toyota.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Marcus Leno\/TRE<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Franklin Romero\/TRE<\/p>\n

Like Nemechek, Ty Gibbs has won in the Xfinity Series with Toyota but he\u2019s still chasing his first Cup win.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019d be really nice. That\u2019s 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\u2019ve 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,\u201d Gibbs said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Riley Herbst has never won a NASCAR national series race with Toyota. Herbst made his national series debut with Toyota in 2018 and ran his rookie 2020 Xfinity season but went winless before a 2021 move to Stewart-Haas Racing. He then went on to earn three Xfinity wins in the two seasons before jumping to Cup with 23XI Racing in 2025. <\/p>\n

Herbst\u2019s return is right on time as he now stares down another milestone win. <\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Herbst said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Getty Images\/NASCAR Media<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Ryan Kemna\/TRE<\/p>\n

23XI teammate Bubba Wallace is especially fired up about going for win No. 200.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019d be awesome! I think it\u2019s special that I\u2019ve been able to add three to that number but looking forward to the opportunity. To capture 200 for Toyota, that\u2019s going to be a competition within ourselves,\u201d Wallace said.<\/p>\n

Of course, there is always Christopher Bell.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Dominic Aragon\/TRE<\/p>\n

With his strength on tracks like Gateway, Bell could easily spoil everyone else\u2019s chances at win No. 200.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat 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,\u201d Bell said.<\/p>\n

If one of Toyota\u2019s nine Cup drivers were to win Sunday, it would be the first Cup win for Toyota at Gateway. They\u2019ll likely have to beat a Ford to do it too.<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo: Logan Riely\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Joey Logano and Austin Cindric won for Ford in 2022 and 2024, respectively, while Kyle Busch won for Chevrolet in 2023.<\/p>\n

Toyota NASCAR Cup Series winners (17)<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Kyle Busch: 56 <\/li>\n
  2. Denny Hamlin: 55<\/strong> <\/li>\n
  3. Martin Truex Jr: 32 <\/li>\n
  4. Matt Kenseth: 15<\/li>\n
  5. Christopher Bell: 12<\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. Carl Edwards: 5<\/li>\n
  7. Tyler Reddick: 5<\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. Clint Bowyer: 3<\/li>\n
  9. Bubba Wallace: 3<\/strong><\/li>\n
  10. Chase Briscoe: 2<\/strong><\/li>\n
  11. Erik Jones: 2<\/strong> Y<\/li>\n
  12. Joey Logano: 2<\/li>\n
  13. David Reutimann: 2<\/li>\n
  14. Brian Vickers: 2<\/li>\n
  15. Kurt Busch: 1<\/li>\n
  16. Kasey Kahne: 1<\/li>\n
  17. Tony Stewart: 1\n