Winners: Denny Hamlin (Cup) and Connor Zilisch (Xfinity).
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| Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics |
NASCAR Cup
Denny Hamlin’s Late Surge Sews Up Fifth Win of Season, Round of 12 Playoff Spot
In a race that featured a strange brew of divergent strategies, pole winner Denny Hamlin claimed his series-best fifth victory of the season and advanced to the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Finishing 1.620 seconds ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in front of a sellout crowd, Hamlin won Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway to earn his first victory at the 1.25-mile track and 59th of his career-11th all-time and one win short of Kevin Harvick in 10th.
Hamlin also delivered the 200th victory for Toyota. After taking the checkered flag, the 44-year-old driver had some choice words for his detractors in the grandstands.
“You can either get on the bandwagon or get run over by it,” Hamlin told the crowd, generating another chorus of boos.
But the reality is that Hamlin announced emphatically his stature as a serious contender for the championship that has eluded him during his 20-year Cup career.
“Yeah, it’s so big for everyone at Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “Progressive Toyota was great there at the end. So happy to get this victory. My dad’s not feeling well at home. Just shout-out to him…
“Fantastic day. Man, couldn’t be better.”
Chase Briscoe finished second; Chase Elliott placed third; Ryan Blaney came in fourth and Joey Logano completed the top five.
Five wins in 2025.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2025
59 wins in his career. @dennyhamlin just keeps on rolling. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/AlgE4QC4Ry
Pole: Denny Hamlin
Click Here for Race Results
NASCAR Xfinity
Connor Zilisch Pours It on at Gateway, Lands Fourth Consecutive Xfinity Series Win, Regular-Season Title
Connor Zilisch’s dream season continued on a track he’d never raced before.
Holding off the rest of the NASCAR Xfinity Series field over a succession of restarts late in Saturday night’s Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Zilisch achieved a litany of milestones with his ninth victory as a rookie and 10th career.
First, and perhaps most important, the 19-year-old phenom secured the Regular Season Championship and accompanying bonus of 15 playoff points, beating reigning series champion Justin Allgaier for that distinction by 53 points.
With four straight victories, Zilisch tied the series record for consecutive wins shared by Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022). His win was the 16th this year for JR Motorsports, a single-season record for the team.
“Four in a row, seven of the last eight, that’s awesome,” said Zilisch, who enters next week’s playoff opener at Bristol Motor Speedway with 59 playoff points. “We’re going to celebrate this — and the Regular Season Championship.
“Man, this is going to be tough to keep up, honestly. It’s rare that you can go on a run like this. Every week I show up thinking, ‘Man, this is going to be the weekend that we just run eighth,’ and just aren’t great, but every weekend we show up and we’re a winning race car, and my pit crew executes, my team executes, everybody does their job, and we end up doing burnouts on the frontstretch.
“Yeah, it’s awesome to be able to do this and win this many races.”
William Sawalich finished second; Christian Eckes placed third; Brandon Jones came in fourth and Jesse Love completed the top five.
So much momentum for the playoffs.@ConnorZilisch picks up the #XfinitySeries #FastestLap for the 2nd straight week. pic.twitter.com/lF4DiTCCWZ
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) September 7, 2025
Pole: Connor Zilisch
Click Here for Race Results
Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET for the ‘Food City 300’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Trucks
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Did Not Race
Seven more tickets remain. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/S6pcXl9qXn
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 30, 2025
Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET for the ‘UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.
ARCA
There Were No ARCA Races Last Weekend
Overheard: Isaac Kitzmiller talking about his 19-point lead over Tyler Reif... 🙉 pic.twitter.com/6DJbAODPSZ
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) September 4, 2025
Next Race: The ARCA Menard / East Series will return on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET for the ‘Bush’s Beans 200’ at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Next Race: Next Race: The ARCA West Series will return on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:45 p.m. PT for the ‘NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame’ at All American Speedway.
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