2025 Brickyard 400 Starting Lineup: Toyota Sweeps Top Five

Indiana native Chase Briscoe made history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by capturing the pole for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG. His fast lap wasn’t just a personal milestone—it marked a complete sweep of the top five qualifying spots by Toyota drivers, a first in NASCAR Cup Series history. Briscoe’s lap of 49.136 seconds also delivered Joe Gibbs Racing its latest triumph in a season where their depth continues to show. For Briscoe, the pole means far more than starting position—it’s a dream realized.

Key Highlights

• Chase Briscoe earns fifth pole of the season and seventh career Cup Series pole

• Toyota drivers sweep the top five positions for the first time in Cup Series history

• Denny Hamlin crashes on qualifying lap, will start in a backup car

• Ty Gibbs and Ty Dillon compete for $1 million in In-Season Challenge

• Chase Elliott starts 30th after saving car mid-lap and losing speed

Briscoe Claims Career-Defining Pole in Front of Hometown Fans

Driving the No. 19 Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, Briscoe clocked a pole-winning lap at 183.165 mph, edging out 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace by just 0.013 seconds. The qualifying run was Briscoe’s fifth pole of the 2025 season and completed a clean sweep of poles in all three of NASCAR’s crown jewel races—Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and now the Brickyard 400. The moment held deep personal meaning for the Mitchell, Indiana native.

“I thought I was going to lose it a couple times, but I was able to hold onto it. I’m holding back tears. This is such a special moment for me. Even hearing the crowd as I got the pole is just super cool.” – Chase Briscoe

“Hopefully, I can keep it up there (Sunday). That’s the one that we want to win … Just being from literally 70 miles down the road (in Mitchell, Indiana) and coming here as a kid … and just dreaming of being able to come to this place, sitting in the same grandstands as the fans are, I dreamed of being on the other side of the fence, and now to do that is just unbelievable.” – Chase Briscoe

Toyota Domination and Hamlin’s Missed Opportunity

Briscoe’s pole led a Toyota brigade that filled the top five spots on the starting grid for the first time in Cup Series history. Bubba Wallace will start second, followed by Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, and Ty Gibbs. All five laid down laps between 183.165 mph and 182.445 mph. For Wallace, Sunday’s start carries major playoff implications as he holds a slim 16-point margin above the elimination line.

Gibbs, who qualified fifth, will start 21 spots ahead of Ty Dillon in the final round of the In-Season Challenge. The $1 million prize goes to the higher finisher in Sunday’s race, putting Gibbs in a commanding position.

However, the moment of tension came at the tail end of qualifying when Denny Hamlin, who topped practice earlier in the day, spun off Turn 2 and hit the inside wall hard. The crash rendered him unable to complete a lap and forced his No. 11 Camry to a backup car. He’ll start from the rear Sunday despite showing speed through Turn 1 before the incident.

Starting Grid and Manufacturer Breakdown

Behind the top five Toyotas, William Byron was the fastest Chevrolet driver in sixth, followed closely by Ford’s Chris Buescher in seventh. Other notable starters include Kyle Larson in 13th, Joey Logano in 15th, and Christopher Bell in 16th.

Shane van Gisbergen, the popular international driver, starts 11th in the No. 88 entry. Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski rolled off in 12th and 14th, respectively. Defending Brickyard champion Larson faces a longer day from 13th but remains a contender with proven speed on flat ovals.

On the flip side, Chase Elliott, current Cup Series points leader, starts 30th after saving his car from a potential spin in Turn 2. While the save prevented damage, it cost critical momentum and track position. He enters the race with a 16-point lead over Byron with five races left in the regular season.

Practice Limited by Weather, Hamlin Sets the Pace

Due to rain on Friday, teams had only 25 minutes of practice on Saturday before qualifying. Hamlin led that abbreviated session, followed by John Hunter Nemechek, Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, and Zane Smith. Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Carson Hocevar, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top ten in single-lap speed.

Notably, Nemechek also topped the charts in 5-, 10-, and 15-lap averages, showing long-run pace that could be crucial on Sunday. Gibbs and Cindric showed consistency across both practice and qualifying, suggesting they’ll be in the mix when it matters.

For Hamlin, his practice speed was undeniable—but the Turn 2 crash in qualifying eliminated what could have been a front-row run. The setback was disappointing, but Hamlin will look to rebound from the rear in pursuit of a Brickyard crown and his career Grand Slam.

Starting Lineup for 2025 Brickyard 400

News in Brief: 2025 Brickyard 400 Starting Lineup

Chase Briscoe captured the pole for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, marking his fifth pole of the season and delivering Toyota its first-ever top-five sweep in Cup Series qualifying. Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five. Denny Hamlin crashed in qualifying and will start at the rear in a backup car. Gibbs and Ty Dillon face off for $1 million in the In-Season Challenge, with Gibbs holding a significant starting advantage. Elliott starts 30th, while practice session leader Nemechek starts 36th. Watch the action live Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on TNT.

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