Denny Hamlin wins at World Wide Technology Raceway with his fifth victory of 2025

Denny Hamlin took the win at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, scoring his fifth victory of 2025 and the 59th of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started from the pole position and crossed the finish line 1.620 seconds ahead of Chase Briscoe, securing his spot in the Round of 12 of the Playoffs.

The victory allowed Toyota to reach 200 wins in the premier category of American stock car racing. Hamlin was booed by the crowd as he took the checkered flag and responded directly.

"They can either get on the train or get run over by it," he declared to the crowd at Gateway.

Photo By Nascar Media

Hamlin Needs One More Win to Tie Harvick's 60 Victories

With 59 career victories, Hamlin needs one more to tie Kevin Harvick for tenth place on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners list. Bristol Motor Speedway, where he has won four times, offers that opportunity next Saturday.

"I would love to get to 60 at Bristol," Hamlin expressed. "Being already qualified for the next round gives me total freedom. At Bristol, you can't think about points because you have to run on the edge at all times."

Lap 175 Pit Stop Proves Key for Joe Gibbs Racing

Hamlin and Briscoe chose to pit during the green flag pit cycle with 65 laps remaining. The strategy paid off when Ty Dillon hit the wall on lap 209, bringing out the final caution flag and ruining the plans of those attempting a one-stop strategy.

On the lap 216 restart, Hamlin passed Brad Keselowski and held the lead until the finish. Briscoe had issues with his left rear tire during the stop but recovered to finish second.

Austin Cindric Holds 12th Place With 11-Point Lead Over Dillon

Austin Cindric retains the 12th position with an 11-point lead over Austin Dillon, who holds the first elimination spot. Shane van Gisbergen fell 15 points below the cutline after finishing 25th, while Alex Bowman is 35 points out after finishing 26th.

Josh Berry suffered his second consecutive last-place finish and is 45 points below the cutoff zone, practically forced to win at Bristol to continue in the Playoffs.

Hamlin Signs Short Two-Year Extension at Age 44

At 44 years old, Hamlin signed an extension for just two more seasons, rejecting offers for longer periods. The veteran driver prefers to retire while he can still compete for wins.

"I'm not going to leave this sport running at the back of the pack," he declared. "I have too much pride for that. I want to win my last race, and to do that I'll have to retire while I'm running like this."

For Hamlin, the number of wins matters more than championships: "When you compare me to someone who has one, two, or three championships but half the wins, I don't think they're a better driver than me."

NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 World Wide Technology Raceway Results