After an impressive win by Joe Gibbs Racing and Chase Briscoe at Darlington Raceway, Toyota is now on the verge of clinching its historic 200th victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. This pivotal achievement may be reached at the upcoming Enjoy Illinois 300 taking place at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, where Toyota‘s nine Cup Series teams are eagerly vying for the landmark win. The Toyota NASCAR Cup Series 200th win has added excitement and high anticipation among drivers, teams, and fans alike as the weekend approaches.
Toyota‘s Continued Growth Since Entering the Cup Series
Toyota entered NASCAR’s top-level Cup Series in 2007, aiming to establish itself against legacy manufacturers. Throughout nearly two decades of competition, the brand has become synonymous with success, supporting a dynamic roster of drivers and respected teams. A pivotal collaboration began in 2008 when Joe Gibbs Racing joined forces with Toyota, sparking a new era that quickly led to victories, with their first coming in the fourth Cup event that season at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 9, 2008.
Reflecting on the journey, Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 54 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, shared,
“That’d be really nice. That’s 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’ve been such a great partner for so many years. There have been so many great drivers that have won at Toyota, but it would be great for me or any of my teammates to get number 200.”
—Ty Gibbs, Driver
Joe Gibbs Racing and Its Drivers at the Heart of Toyota‘s Success
Toyota’s journey in the NASCAR Cup Series has been a story of relentless achievement, with 199 victories distributed among 17 drivers and five organizations. The lion’s share of these wins—83%—can be credited to Joe Gibbs Racing, accounting for 165 victories. Kyle Busch leads the group with 56 wins, closely followed by Denny Hamlin with 55, making them the two most successful Toyota drivers in this era.
Hamlin is on the brink of reaching a unique milestone. Should he capture his 59th Cup Series victory, he would match Kyle Busch as Toyota’s all-time winningest Cup driver. Denny Hamlin reflected on his experiences with Toyota’s historic wins, saying,
“I’ve been part of some great milestones for Toyota. I was part of the 100th that we won at New Hampshire in 2017 and then part of the 600th win for Toyota across the three national series at Pocono in 2023,”
and added,
“Milestone wins like that, they’re special because you always have the souvenirs and the hats that are always lying around that reminds you of that day and the significance of it. It’s a big, big deal.”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver
Winners and Organizations That Shaped Toyota’s NASCAR Cup Story
Besides Busch and Hamlin, drivers like Martin Truex, Jr. (32 victories), Matt Kenseth (15), Christopher Bell (12), Carl Edwards (5), and Tyler Reddick (5) have been crucial to Toyota’s record-breaking tally. Others contributing to this achievement include Clint Bowyer, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Tony Stewart, all helping cement Toyota’s place in Cup history.
While Joe Gibbs Racing is Toyota’s cornerstone in stock car racing, the brand’s Cup victories are also shared by Furniture Row Racing (16 wins), 23XI Racing (9), Michael Waltrip Racing (7), and Red Bull Racing (2). LEGACY MOTOR CLUB continues to push forward in their pursuit of becoming Toyota’s sixth Cup-winning team, with drivers still hunting for that breakthrough moment.
Ambitious Drivers Seek Their First Cup Win and Toyota’s 200th
For current Cup competitors Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek, and Riley Herbst, earning any victory at this level would be career-defining, but being the one to secure the Toyota NASCAR Cup Series 200th win would add even more significance. Both Herbst and Nemechek have previous experience claiming landmark wins in the Xfinity Series, and now see a similar opportunity ahead in the Cup Series.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, stated,
“It’d be really cool. I was fortunate enough to get win number 100 for Stewart-Haas Racing and that was a cool achievement. To get 200 for Toyota would be pretty neat, as well.”
—Riley Herbst, Driver
John Hunter Nemechek, at the wheel of the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, echoed this sentiment:
“Getting 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.”
—John Hunter Nemechek, Driver
Erik Jones, racing under LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, reflected on his connection to Toyota:
“It 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’d be a pretty special one.”
—Erik Jones, Driver
Veteran Drivers Anticipate the Impact of the 200th Win
For standout drivers such as Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, and Tyler Reddick, capturing the 200th Cup Series win for Toyota is a major aspiration. Such a feat could fuel momentum for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and solidify their place in Toyota’s motorsports legacy.
Tyler Reddick, piloting the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, expressed,
“It would be amazing. When I think about the drivers that have been a part of Toyota’s 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.”
—Tyler Reddick, Driver
Bubba Wallace, behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, said,
“Oh, that’d be awesome. I think it’s special that I’ve been able to add three to that number but looking forward to the opportunity. To capture 200 for Toyota, that’s going to be a competition within ourselves.”
—Bubba Wallace, Driver
Chase Briscoe, recently victorious in Darlington, offered his perspective:
“It would be super special. To be that close to 200 in honestly such a short amount of time that Toyota has been in the sport, I think it says a lot about just the success that they’ve had. To be that guy that would win the milestone race would be pretty special. I was the 200th different Cup Series winner ever, so it’d be pretty cool to be the 200th Toyota winner, as well. Anytime you can be that guy that brings a milestone to a manufacturer, it’s a really big deal, and to be able to be the one that wins the 200th race for Toyota would be pretty special.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, highlighted his long-term journey with Toyota:
“That 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.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
The Significance of 200 Wins for Toyota and NASCAR
Reaching 200 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series would place Toyota in elite company, marking the milestone as a testament to nearly two decades of strategic growth, collaboration, and high performance. This achievement stands as a benchmark for all drivers and team members, reflecting the hard work and competitive spirit of organizations like Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing, and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. As the Enjoy Illinois 300 approaches, every Toyota competitor has a chance to make history, and the energy around the landmark win is palpable throughout the paddock, promising an exciting weekend full of potential legacy-making moments.
