The playoff weekend at Gateway provides Cup Series drivers with another opportunity to secure a spot in the Round of 12. It also provides those in Toyota race cars with a chance to secure a very special milestone win.
They could deliver Cup Series win No. 200 to Toyota Gazoo Racing North America.
"That would be special," Christopher Bell said, quote courtesy of Toyota. "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."
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
Chase Briscoe put this milestone within reach last weekend at Darlington Raceway. He kicked off the playoffs by leading 309 laps in the Southern 500 and winning his way into the Round of 12. This marked his second win in a Toyota Camry XSE and 199 Cup wins for the OEM partner.
"To be that close to 200 in honestly such a short amount of time that Toyota's been in the sport, I think says a lot about just the success that they've had," Briscoe said. "To be the 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 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."
Three manufacturers have celebrated more than 200 Cup Series wins. Chevrolet leads the list with 878 wins. Austin Dillon scored the most recent win at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 16. Ford is second with 746 wins. Ryan Blaney scored the most recent win at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 23.
Dodge is the other manufacturer with more than 200 Cup wins. Brad Keselowski won Dodge's final Cup race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sept. 30, 2012.
Toyota does not have as long of a history in the Cup Series. The OEM entered the top level of NASCAR in 2007. It expanded in 2008 after bringing Joe Gibbs Racing into the fold.
This move set up the first milestone for the OEM as Kyle Busch won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2008. This marked the first time that a Toyota Camry parked in victory lane at the top level of NASCAR.
On this day in 2008, Kyle Busch won at Atlanta, his first Cup Series win with JGR and Toyota’s first Cup Series win! pic.twitter.com/m4NnOBIHQS
— Nascarpixtures (@Nascarpixtures) March 9, 2024
The first Toyota win was not the only milestone that Busch posted during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. He also secured the OEM's 100th Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway on July 30, 2017. Busch won 56 races while driving for Toyota and JGR.
Busch is one of the several Cup Series drivers who have contributed toward this milestone. The list also includes Denny Hamlin, who scored 55 of his 58 career wins in a Toyota. Bell added 12 wins while Martin Truex Jr. added 32.
The other drivers who have won for Toyota include Matt Kenseth (15), Carl Edwards (5), Tyler Reddick (5), Clint Bowyer (3), Bubba Wallace (3), Erik Jones (2), Joey Logano (2), David Reutimann (2), Brian Vickers (2), Kurt Busch (1), Kasey Kahne (1), and Tony Stewart (1).
"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," Reddick said.
"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."