A bicoastal tripleheader weekend is on deck for the NASCAR national touring series. For the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series, the 2025 playoffs will officially get underway at Darlington Raceway with the oval tapped as “The Lady in Black” set to host the first of three races in the opening round of their respective postseason schedules.

Chevrolet will lead its manufacturer competitors in representation for each playoff lineup with seven Team Chevy drivers vying for the Bill France Performance Cup and four Team Chevy drivers competing for the Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championship.

Coming off its 21st victory of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the Bowtie brigade will make its furthest trek on the schedule to Portland International Raceway for the penultimate race of the regular season. The battle for the regular season championship title is closer than ever with reigning champion, Justin Allgaier, regaining the top position by a mere three-point margin over his JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch, heading into Saturday’s 75-lap event.
 

Chevrolet in the Southern 500:

Holding the prestige as one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, the Southern 500 was first introduced to the division in 1950. Chevrolet has conquered “The Track Too Tough to Tame” to take the crown jewel triumph a series-leading 29 times – a legacy that began with Herb Thomas’ victory in the 1955 race. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, is the series’ winningest driver in the 500-mile race with six victories. Most recently, it was Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson that took the crown in 2023 to deliver the Bowtie brand its second Southern 500 win in now three races in the series’ Next Gen era.
 

SEVEN TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS SET FOR CUP SERIES TITLE CHASE

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will see seven drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations make a run for the Bill France Performance Cup – a number that tops its manufacturer competitors in both driver and organization representation. Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds in 2014, Chevrolet has placed no worse than five drivers in the title chase. This season’s regular season produced six different winners under the Chevrolet banner to earn a combined 12 victories. Despite still looking for a trip to victory lane, a stellar summer stretch for Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team ended with a much-deserved berth into the postseason.

Larson Starts Second Title Bid as Top Seed

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will start his campaign for a second NASCAR Cup Series championship title from atop the playoff standings – entering the first of three races of the Round of 16 with a 26-point advantage over the cutline. To no surprise, the 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native has been among the front runners of title contenders through much of the 2025 season. The 26-race regular season has seen the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team earn three trips to victory lane – one of which included their near-dominate triumph at the track that also concludes the Round of 16 (Bristol Motor Speedway). Larson has also gone on to tally 11 top-fives and 16 top-10s thus far to lead the series in both statistical categories. This season will mark Larson’s ninth career playoff appearance in the division, including a run of five-straight since his tenor with Hendrick Motorsports began in his championship-earning season (2021).
 

Byron Backed by Regular Season Momentum

Ranked just behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate is William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet team, with the regular season champions heading into their title run with a 26-point cushion over the playoff cutline. Byron has been a staple figure in the division’s postseason competition in recent years with the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native set to make his seventh consecutive playoff appearance this season. With back-to-back runs to the Championship Four under his belt, the Team Chevy driver has put together a regular season that has set their team up for arguably their best shot at the championship title. Securing the first automatic berth into the playoff field with another DAYTONA 500 crown, Byron went on to maintain the series’ points lead for 21 races of the regular season. Throughout his Cup Series career, Byron has found victory lane at four of the tracks found on the 10-race postseason schedule, including the venue that opens the playoffs (Darlington Raceway – May 2022), as well as the track that ultimately decides the championship title winner (Phoenix Raceway – March 2023).
 
 

TEAM CHEVY SECURES FOUR BIDS IN NCTS PLAYOFF FIELD

With the playoff field set, four drivers representing three different Chevrolet organizations will have the chance to drive the Bowtie brand to its 15th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Championship. All four playoff contenders will enter the opening race of the Round of 10 above the cutline – led by a pair of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing teammates, Daniel Hemric and Tyler Ankrum, who are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the standings. Also earning his playoff berth by virtue of a win was Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth, with CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger locking up his title hopes on points prior to the start of the series’ regular season finale race at Richmond Raceway.
 

Enfinger Eyeing Three-Straight Championship Four Runs

While still in search of a victory this season, Grant Enfinger carries the added boost of veteran experience to keep the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team at the forefront of the series’ title contenders. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is on the brink of his seventh appearance in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs, including back-to-back trips to the Championship Four (2023-24). Enfinger is no stranger to being able to capitalize on the playoff pressure when it matters the most. In 2024, Enfinger made a late-season stampede that saw the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team earn wins in two of the three races in the Round of Eight (Talladega Superspeedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway).
 

PORTLAND MARKS PENULTIMATE NXS REGULAR SEASON RACE

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is set to make its fourth-ever appearance at Portland International Raceway this weekend with the 1.97-mile circuit tapped to host the penultimate race of its regular season. Eight drivers have already solidified their playoff hopes with a win – six of which come from the Chevrolet camp including JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Sammy Smith; Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love and Austin Hill; and Big Machine Racing’s Nick Sanchez. Among those heading to the Pacific Northwest in the four provisional points positions includes Carson Kvapil, with the JR Motorsports driver sitting at the only triple-digit points cushion (+120) over the cutline.

It’s been a season for the record books for the Chevrolet camp with the manufacturer already boosting 21 wins in 24 races. Among those triumphs includes an undefeated record on road courses this season – all of which have been earned by a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet.

JRM Teammates Continue in Regular Season Title Battle

A third-place finish and a race-high 50-point night at Daytona International Speedway was just enough to put the series’ reigning champion, Justin Allgaier, back atop the points standings heading into the Portland race weekend. The series veteran is one step closer to grabbing his second career regular season championship, but the title won’t come easy for the veteran driver. With an assist behind the wheel by Parker Kligerman, Connor Zilisch still remains at a striking distance with just a three-point deficit to his teammate. With his prowess at making left- and right-hand turns, the ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender will have the perfect opportunity to regain the points lead this weekend. The 19-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native has yet to finish outside of the top-five on road courses this season, including three trips to victory lane (Circuit of The Americas, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International).
 
 

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 26 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 12

Poles: 10

Laps Led: 3,116

Top-Fives: 52

Top-10s: 111

Stage Wins: 22

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 21

Poles: 14

Laps Led: 2,870

Top-Fives: 81

Top-10s: 154

Stage Wins: 35

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 18 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 887

Top-Fives: 41

Top-10s: 84

Stage Wins: 7
 

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway:

Kyle Larson – one win (2023 Southern 500)

William Byron – one win (May 2023)

Kyle Busch – one win (2008 Southern 500)

· In 128 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 44 victories. In seven events in the series’ Next Gen era, Chevrolet has earned three victories – recorded in consecutive events by Erik Jones (Sept. 2022), William Byron (May 2023) and Kyle Larson (Sept. 2023).

· Chevrolet paces its manufacturer competitors in both driver and organization representation in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with seven drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations set to compete for this season’s driver championship title.

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 12 of the 26 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 134 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 64 victories – a winning percentage of 47.8%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 878 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
 

TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series (Darlington Raceway)

Playoffs Round of 16: Race One

Cook Out Southern 500

Sunday, August 31, at 6 p.m. ET

(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series (Portland International Raceway)

Pacific Office Automation 147

Saturday, August 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Darlington Raceway)

Playoffs Round of 10: Race One

Sober or Slammer 200

Saturday, August 30, at 12:00 p.m. ET

(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
 

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Do you like racing at Darlington Raceway?

“I can’t wait to get to Darlington Raceway in our Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet. The Southern 500 is one of the coolest races of the year. I love the long races. You really have to race that track from start to finish. It’s exciting to be able to go to Darlington as a NASCAR Playoffs contender and represent everyone in Welcome, North Carolina.”

How do you prepare for 500 grueling laps at Darlington Raceway?

“I think racing for 500 miles is one of those things you prepare yourself all year long for. There’s some races, like the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, that you know are just going to be one of those places that you go to and get locked in, focus on one lap after another. You take it lap by lap.”

Is getting a Darlington Stripe a badge of honor?

“The Darlington stripe is a badge of honor, but I like to keep my car clean. I don’t want any stripes. I want it to be race ready the whole race so I have everything I can for the end of the race.”

How important is qualifying at Darlington Raceway?

“Qualifying is super important. A lot of emphasis will be put on qualifying because we’re trying to gain stage points. Darlington Raceway is a tricky place to qualify at, because you can be very aggressive and gain a lot but it’s easy to step over the line in the same situation.”

What’s the strategy for the Southern 500?

“I think the strategy for the Southern 500 is to get better throughout the race. Execution is key. You can’t have a setback, but as it gets cooler throughout the night you’ve got to make the right adjustments so the car is the best at the end of the race.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

“I think we’ve been kind of quietly getting better here lately with the five team, we get to go to one of our better tracks at Darlington [Raceway] and hopefully can get some momentum for our final 10 weeks. It’s a fun time of year; I’m excited about the opportunity to race for another championship and wouldn’t want to do it with any other group. So, looking forward to doing it with Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com and see if we can get Chevy a win.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

You were so close to winning at Daytona to lock into the Cup Series Playoffs, what are your goals for the next 10 races?

“I am focused on one race at a time. The No. 7 team has a lot of momentum following Daytona which will give us a great metric for qualifying. Our team has put in a lot of effort, and we are getting better each week. I think we can get to where we want to be to close out the 2025 season.”

Darlington has hosted Cup Series races since September 1950. It’s a track with multiple nicknames and a lot of history. Do you have any favorite moments?

“I think my favorite moment is probably finishing third with Kaulig in Xfinity in May of 2022. I qualified 29th and got up to 20th by the end of Stage 1, but I fell back to 27th and went a lap down in Stage 2. In the final stage we got the free pass, made up track position, and took advantage of the chaos at the end to bring home a third-place finish.”

Where does Darlington rank on your list of favorite tracks?

“Darlington is definitely one of my favorites. I’ve always ran well there and enjoy the challenges of racing there. The track surface is old and worn, as a driver it’s fun to move around and find speed through the duration of a stint. The Southern 500 is an iconic race for our sport and I’m looking forward to seeing how we shake out!”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Do you enjoy the challenge of racing at Darlington?

“I do feel like Darlington has its own unique challenges and those challenges are pretty fun. It kind of gives to that old school nature of NASCAR but yet still has its own unique differences between any of the other one-mile or mile-and-a-half racetracks that we go to.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

“The Southern 500 is the most physically demanding race that we have during our season. We’ve had good speed the last couple times there; it’ll be a challenge, but it’s one I’m looking forward to. Our goal in these last ten races is to finish out strong and building momentum with our group. This is an important race to go do that at and we plan to execute.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“Darlington is one of the toughest tracks we go to, but it’s also one of the most exciting. You have to respect the history of this place and race the track with patience all night. I’m looking forward to having Pudgy Penguins on board with us. It’s cool to welcome a new partner that brings such fun energy, and hopefully we can give them a good show for their NASCAR debut.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you approach Darlington given you are not one of the 16 drivers competing for a championship?

“We aren’t where we want to be. We were hoping this would be the first round of the playoffs, but we’re still fighting for a win before the end of the year. This is the start of where we need to build some momentum and get everything ready for next season. Darlington is one of the tracks we’ve been to before, outside of Atlanta and Daytona, so it’ll be helpful to have a notebook. But things have changed throughout the year for us. I feel good about it this weekend. It’s a fun race and a cool track. The Southern 500 is a special weekend for sure.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

You had a great run at Darlington last September and qualified well in April until you encountered some issues. How do you replicate your prior success and put together a complete 500 miles?

“The biggest hurdle is the changing track conditions throughout the night. You transition from the daytime to night and have to stay up on adjustments. Everyone wants to win the Southern 500. A win at Darlington and add yourself to the list of winners is really special. We’ve improved a lot as a team since May. I’ve qualified well in all three Cup starts at Darlington, and I think we have a good chance to show speed in practice, qualify decent and have a good night.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington is a track like no other, what is going through your mind as you prepare for the Playoffs to start this weekend?

“Darlington is one of my favorite ovals, but the next three races aren’t going to be easy. We are in a decent spot and have earned some nice playoff points, which is cool, but now we have to execute; no mistakes and get good results every week. That will help us achieve our goal.”

What makes Darlington one of your favorite ovals?

“It’s just cool! You drive into the track and feel such a cool vibe, and everyone is happy to be there. But the challenge of the track, how slippery it is, how you have to run the wall and the dynamic of the racing, I always enjoy it.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

“This will be the first race after my collarbone injury where run the whole race. Last week at Daytona was really cool with Parker Kligerman getting in and taking the WeatherTech Chevrolet to victory lane. It was really cool to watch and awesome for Parker to keep up the momentum we had built up over the last few months. This is my first time going to Portland. This is another road course for me and another great opportunity to score some points for the regular season championship. I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and being 100 percent on Saturday.”

Portland is the first road course that you’re competing at that you’ve never seen before until you arrive onsite. Is that more challenging than going to an oval that you’ve never seen?

“I would say the ovals are more challenging. I feel like the road courses come more naturally to me. I watched a lot of races from Portland. It’s always going to change a little bit going there for the first time.”

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