Chase Briscoe clinched a place in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 with a dramatic last-lap win at the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, marking his first-ever career shot at the season title. The Chase Briscoe Talladega victory, highlighted by a final push from teammate Ty Gibbs, reshapes the playoff landscape as drivers prepare for the regular season finale at Martinsville Speedway.
Briscoe’s Landmark Win and Team Dynamics
At just 29, Briscoe’s breakthrough at Talladega gave Joe Gibbs Racing another title contender, joining Denny Hamlin, who secured his own playoff spot at Las Vegas. This result leaves only two remaining Championship 4 slots, to be decided at next week’s showdown in Martinsville, Virginia.
Briscoe’s path to victory was aided by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs on the final circuit. Their tactical teamwork allowed Briscoe to capture his inaugural superspeedway win, edging Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland and Gibbs himself by just .145 seconds. Neither Gilliland nor Gibbs are part of the current eight-driver playoff field, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Talladega finishes. Gilliland, for his part, posted a career-best second place, while 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Haas Factory Team’s Cole Custer rounded out the top five.
“Ty Gibbs, just an incredible teammate there,’’ said an emotional Briscoe, standing on his No. 19 Toyota as the grandstands erupted.
“I honestly would not have won that race without Ty. It was an amazing team effort. I can’t believe I won a superspeedway race. I’ve never done it at any level.”
Reflecting on the championship implications of his win, Briscoe shared, “It’s not hit me, we’re going to Phoenix,’’ noting that although he led only 16 laps, he was at the front for the one that mattered.
Briscoe continued, “Absolutely [a dream come true]. So thankful that the Lord’s blessed me, opening doors and closing door at times, but certainly opening an incredible door for me here at Joe Gibbs Racing. … Even today I just had such a peace and normally I’m scared to death, nervous around this place but today just had such a peace.’’
Impact on the Playoff Standings
Fellow Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was the only other playoff contender to crack the top ten, finishing eighth as the chaotic finish unfolded behind the leaders. Bell now sits atop the playoff standings, 37 points above the cutoff, while Hamlin and Briscoe have locked themselves into the championship race with their recent victories.
This success for the Joe Gibbs Racing camp, which sees half their playoff drivers now guaranteed a championship shot and Bell leading on points, contrasted strongly with the misfortunes of powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske. Hendrick saw both Kyle Larson and William Byron suffer late-race setbacks after appearing in strong positions at the restart—Larson running out of fuel after leading, and Byron spun out shortly before the finish. Their disappointing 25th and 26th place finishes placed Larson a single point below Bell in the overall standings, and Byron, the season’s regular season champion, 36 points below the cutoff.
Late-Race Highs and Lows for Penske and Hendrick Teams
Team Penske’s playoff hopefuls, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, endured their own frustrating conclusions. Logano led more race laps than any other driver, keeping his No. 22 Ford at the front for 35 laps, including a 16-lap stint. However, both Logano and Blaney were forced to pit for fuel during the overtime caution and could not regain their forward momentum in the closing two laps. Logano finished 16th and Blaney 23rd in a race marked by an astounding 77 lead changes spread among 27 drivers.
Joey Logano voiced his disappointment: “Really, really frustrating because you’re so close and you see in front of you what you’ve got to do and you can’t do anything about it. It’s frustrating but we know what we’ve got to do now, it’s pretty simple.’’
This leaves Logano sixth and Blaney seventh in the playoff grid, at 38 and 47 points below the cut line respectively. Both must now win at Martinsville to have any hope of claiming one of the final championship berths. The good news for them: Blaney has been victorious in the last two playoff races at Martinsville, while Logano won there in 2018.
Early Trouble for Chase Elliott and Playoff Implications
The race took a decisive turn for Chase Elliott, always a crowd favorite at Talladega, even before the halfway point. Elliott was swept up in an eight-car wreck only 51 laps in, finishing last out of 40 starters. Having been sixth in points going into the event, Elliott now drops to eighth, trailing the cutoff by a daunting 62 points and also requiring a win at Martinsville to advance—a feat he accomplished in the 2021 playoff finale.
Elliott described the accident: “I saw somebody get turned sideways just like normal and you hope you can get slowed down in time but I got turned sideways there somehow, someway and hit some more stuff after that,’’ adding, “We just did not execute that well as a group and put ourselves in the back of the pack unfortunately and got caught up in the mess.
“Stage points are so crucial right now and I wasn’t super surprised everybody was starting to get super aggressive and unfortunately, I didn’t make it through.
“Unless we won today we were already likely in a very similar situation next week. I hate it. I don’t know what you do in those situations. We weren’t back there doing anything wild or crazy, I just got turned sideways and slid up into the wreck. Thinking about it I wish I could have done something different, but I don’t really know what I would have done. Looking forward to Martinsville. Got one more shot at it.’’
Standout Performers and the Road Ahead
Completing the top ten at Talladega, Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports), Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing), Christopher Bell, Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports), and Brad Keselowski (Roush-Fenway-Keselowski) delivered solid results. These drivers navigated the late-race mayhem successfully, though only Bell among them remains in championship contention.
Sunday’s race, part of the YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, illustrated the high-stakes drama that has come to define Talladega. With 77 lead changes among 27 different drivers and several top contenders facing setbacks, unpredictability remains a central theme as the playoffs roll toward their conclusion.
What Comes Next in the Playoff Hunt
The battle for the remaining two slots in the Championship 4 now heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Xfinity 500, set for Sunday afternoon. NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will cover the event, which promises even greater intensity as drivers like Logano, Blaney, and Elliott find themselves in must-win positions to keep their championship hopes alive. For Chase Briscoe, the Talladega victory represents both accomplishment and opportunity, confirming his place among the series’ elite at the season’s most crucial moment.
With only one race left to set the final playoff field and drivers such as William Byron, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney still fighting for survival, the upcoming event at Martinsville is certain to deliver drama and potentially rewrite the championship narrative for the 2023 season.
