When Talladega was included as part of this final elimination round of the 2025 playoffs, it was sure to be a Wild Card. Everyone wondered just how this unpredictable round would play out as the Final Four was determined.

Interestingly, despite lots of drama, a common trend returned at the end of the Talladega race — Joe Gibbs Racing contenders stepping up when it mattered most. The flagship Toyota team, fresh off a Vegas win by Denny Hamlin to lock into the Final Four, took the victory with Chase Briscoe at Talladega (after a strong push from teammate Ty Gibbs on the final lap). Now, two JGR drivers (Denny Hamlin and Briscoe) are going to contend for the title at Phoenix, and their third playoff driver Christopher Bell sits 37 points above the cutoff line heading into Martinsville this weekend.

In what is likely the final Cup series championship decided under this one-race Final Four format, JGR and Toyota have stepped up to take the reins and dominate the playoffs in 2025, and are likely to have a 75 percent chance of claiming the title at Phoenix — a feat also accomplished by JGR previously in 2019 (Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin).

“I don’t know what’s more unbelievable – the fact that we’re going to the Championship 4 or that I won a superspeedway race. It’s unbelievable,” Briscoe said after his win. “Super excited to try to get some redemption and have a shot to win a championship. It’s going to be just an unbelievable opportunity.”

Hendrick Motorsports caught a break this week when its L2-level penalties related to illegal modifications made to hood louvers on its four cars were lessened by an appeals panel.

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled to amend the penalty. Monetary fines totaling $400,000 and four-race suspensions to each Hendrick crew chief remain, but the panel overturned all the points penalties, restoring championship and playoff points that had been docked in the initial penalty.

My take is simple. If rules were broken and the monetary fines remain, the appeals panel shouldn’t have lowered the penalties by returning the points. It’s an irrational move, and it’s odd to me how the biggest teams seek to be the only ones who ever catch a break in the appeals process. 

NASCAR was clearly unhappy with the appeal board ruling, as they should be, and I’m curious to see if the appeal for Justin Haley’s #31 team gets the same treatment as Hendrick, as he was tagged with the same penalty.