Chase Briscoe dominated the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, leading 309 of 367 laps and holding off late challenges to secure his second consecutive Southern 500 victory. Briscoe’s performance was a masterclass in precision and endurance, as he fended off a late-race surge from Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones. With the win, Briscoe advances into the Round of 12 in the Playoffs, while other contenders faced mixed fortunes on the “Lady in Black,” where one early mistake could define a driver’s night.
Key Highlights
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Chase Briscoe wins his second consecutive Southern 500 at Darlington, leading 309 laps
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Tyler Reddick finishes second, just 0.408 seconds behind Briscoe
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Erik Jones posts a strong third-place finish as a non-playoff driver
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Josh Berry crashes on Lap 1, finishing last and falling below the Playoff cutline
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Toyota achieves a historic 1-2-3-4 finish in a Cup Series race
Chase Briscoe’s Commanding Victory
Briscoe’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota dominated from the start, sweeping the first two stages and demonstrating unmatched speed and tire management. In the final 20 laps, Reddick attempted multiple passes, even running beneath Briscoe into Turn 3, but came up just short. Briscoe crossed the line 0.408 seconds ahead of Reddick and 0.537 seconds in front of Erik Jones.
“Yeah, I think this is definitely what we’re capable of doing. We haven’t been able to go out and dominate a race like that. The potential has been there from day one. So cool to win two Southern 500s in a row … A great way to start our playoffs. That was a lot of fun.” – Chase Briscoe
Briscoe became the first driver to win back-to-back Southern 500s since Greg Biffle in 2005-2006 and led Toyota drivers to a historic 1-2-3-4 finish, last achieved in 2017 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Playoff Contenders and Struggles
While Briscoe excelled, other Playoff drivers faced challenges. Tyler Reddick ran a tire-marked car after Lap 1 contact with Josh Berry but still finished second, improving his position in the Playoff standings. Denny Hamlin overcame a slow pit stop to finish seventh, and Bubba Wallace secured sixth, maintaining a comfortable points margin above the cutline.
“We were better than he was on long runs. He could fire off a whole lot better. I think that was the difference tonight. I could get close. All in all, a really solid night for points in the playoffs. Really want to win here. It’s frustrating to finish second …” – Tyler Reddick
Several top contenders struggled, including Kyle Larson and William Byron, who finished 19th and 21st respectively, while Chase Elliott managed 17th, only nine points above the cutline. Austin Dillon finished 23rd, and Joey Logano fell below the cutline for the first time this round.
| No. | Driver | Diff |
| 1 | Chase Briscoe (P) (S1) (S2) | — |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick (P) | 0.408 |
| 3 | Erik Jones | 0.537 |
| 4 | John Hunter Nemechek | 1.25 |
| 5 | AJ Allmendinger | 6.158 |
| 6 | Bubba Wallace (P) | 6.712 |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 12.013 |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | 12.14 |
| 9 | Carson Hocevar | 15.23 |
| 10 | Chris Buescher | 15.381 |
| 11 | Ross Chastain (P) | 15.791 |
| 12 | Austin Cindric (P) | 17.158 |
| 13 | Zane Smith | 17.866 |
| 14 | Noah Gragson | 19.705 |
| 15 | Brad Keselowski | 23.077 |
| 16 | Ryan Preece | 24.184 |
| 17 | Chase Elliott (P) | 24.395 |
| 18 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 25.407 |
| 19 | Kyle Larson (P) | 26.858 |
| 20 | Joey Logano (P) | 27.533 |
| 21 | William Byron (P) | 28.003 |
| 22 | Ty Gibbs | 28.583 |
| 23 | Austin Dillon (P) | 29.462 |
| 24 | Cole Custer | 30.388 |
| 25 | Daniel Suarez | 1 lap |
| 26 | Todd Gilliland | 1 lap |
| 27 | Justin Haley | 1 lap |
| 28 | Riley Herbst # | 1 lap |
| 29 | Christopher Bell (P) | 2 laps |
| 30 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 2 laps |
| 31 | Alex Bowman (P) | 2 laps |
| 32 | Shane van Gisbergen # (P) | 2 laps |
| 33 | Michael McDowell | 2 laps |
| 34 | Ty Dillon | 2 laps |
| 35 | Timmy Hill (i) | 13 laps |
| 36 | Derek Kraus | Out |
| 37 | Cody Ware | Out |
| 38 | Josh Berry (P) (X) | 128 laps |
Misfortune and Key Incidents
The race began with dramatic incidents affecting Playoff hopes. Josh Berry, starting third, lost control in Turn 2, colliding with Tyler Reddick and slamming into the wall. Berry finished 38th, 119 laps down, and fell to 16th in Playoff standings.
“The car bottomed out five or six times and just wrecked. It was definitely unexpected. We didn’t really fight that too bad in practice … you can’t save them when they’re like that.” – Josh Berry
Alex Bowman suffered a slow pit stop due to a malfunctioning air supply, finishing 31st. Christopher Bell collided with Carson Hocevar on pit road, resulting in a 29th-place finish. Shane van Gisbergen was hampered by an ill-timed caution and finished 32nd. Austin Dillon, Austin Cindric, and other Playoff drivers also struggled to maintain position, demonstrating Darlington’s unforgiving nature.
Top Finishers and Race Overview
Beyond Briscoe’s triumph, the top ten featured Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, AJ Allmendinger, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar, and Chris Buescher. Toyota’s six-car presence in the top seven highlighted manufacturer strength.
Post-race inspection confirmed Briscoe’s victory, and no penalties were issued. The race sets the tone for the remainder of the Round of 16, with high-stakes Playoff drama continuing next week at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
News in Brief: 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 Results
Chase Briscoe dominated the 2025 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington, leading 309 of 367 laps and narrowly holding off Tyler Reddick. Erik Jones finished third, and Toyota achieved a historic 1-2-3-4 finish. Playoff drivers Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, and Shane van Gisbergen suffered major setbacks, while Hamlin, Wallace, and Reddick salvaged points. Briscoe advances to the Round of 12, Reddick solidifies his playoff position, and the remaining contenders must regroup for the next race at Gateway.
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