Introduction
On Sunday, May 4, 2025, the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Texas Motor Speedway for the 11th race of the season—the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY. Set on the 1.5‑mile quad‑oval in Fort Worth, Texas, the event was scheduled for 267 laps (400.5 miles) but stretched to 271 laps (406.5 miles) after a dramatic overtime finish. Under sunny skies and in front of capacity crowds, drivers battled tight pack racing, multiple cautions, and tire‑wear challenges on the high‑banked turns. Team Penske’s Joey Logano eventually emerged victorious, capturing his first win of the year and the 37th of his career.
Practice & Qualifying
Friday’s lone practice session saw rising star Carson Hocevar top the charts with a lap of 28.288 seconds at 190.894 mph, outpacing veteran A.J. Allmendinger and Noah Gragson in the top three. The next day, Hocevar backed up that speed by winning his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole—a 28.175‑second flyer at 191.659 mph aboard the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. It was a Texas‑themed qualifying effort, complete with cowboy attire on pit road, as Hocevar led a qualifying field that featured William Byron, Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, and Michael McDowell rounding out the top five.
Stage One Recap
Stage 1 (Laps 1–80) kicked off with Hocevar’s #77 Chevrolet leading the first 22 circuits before pitting under an early yellow. Noah Gragson spun in Turn 1 to bring out the opening caution, setting up varied pit strategies. When green‑flag pit cycles concluded, Team Penske rookie Austin Cindric seized the lead and paced the field to the Stage 1 checkers, earning 10 valuable championship points. Tyler Reddick finished second, with Josh Berry, Kyle Larson, and Chris Buescher completing the stage top five.
Stage Two Recap
Following pit swaps during the break, Josh Berry led the field to green for Stage 2 (Laps 81–165). Early in the segment, Chase Briscoe’s spin in Turns 3–4 collected Riley Herbst and brought out a caution, but Berry continued to dominate until he too got loose over the infamous Texas bumps and slammed the wall. On the ensuing restart, Kyle Larson rocketed from the front row, fending off Tyler Reddick’s advances to capture the Stage 2 win and 10 additional points, with Reddick, Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece, and Bubba Wallace rounding out the top five.
Final Stage & Overtime Showdown
The final stage saw early mayhem as Bubba Wallace spun on the backstretch, collecting Gragson, A.J. Allmendinger, Alex Bowman, and Chad Finchum in a multi‑car wreck. William Byron briefly led before yielding to Kyle Larson, who reclaimed control until lapped‑traffic chaos unfolded in the closing laps. Michael McDowell surged from midpack to lead on Lap 245, only to lose control in Josh Blaney’s dirty air four laps later, smashing into the Turn 2 wall and forcing the race into overtime. On the green‑white‑checker restart, Logano powered past teammate Ryan Blaney and held off Ross Chastain to score the win in his No. 22 Ford, punching his playoff ticket and marking Penske’s second straight triumph after Talladega.
Notable Incidents & Race Statistics
Texas delivered a whirlwind afternoon: Denny Hamlin’s engine exploded on Lap 75, ending his streak of 21 straight lead‑lap finishes in spectacular fashion as flames engulfed the No. 11 Toyota. Josh Berry led 41 laps before his Stage 2 crash, and pole‑setter Hocevar fell victim to a green‑flag wreck late in the race. In total, there were 12 cautions for 73 laps, 20 lead changes among 13 drivers, and an average race speed of 116.885 mph over 3 hours 28 minutes and 40 seconds.
Championship Implications & Standings
Despite finishing 13th, William Byron maintained the points lead with 421 markers, 13 ahead of Kyle Larson in second. Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott sit tied for third at 338 points, while Tyler Reddick (337) and Christopher Bell (335) round out the top six. Joey Logano’s win vaulted him back into contention, climbing to ninth in the standings and keeping his championship hopes alive as the regular season heads into its final stretch.
Conclusion & Looking Ahead
The 2025 Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY delivered high drama—from Hocevar’s breakthrough pole and Cindric and Larson’s stage domination to Logano’s clutch overtime pass. As teams pack up and head to Kansas Speedway for next Sunday’s AdventHealth 400, the momentum from Texas will carry forward, with both drivers and manufacturers vying for playoff positioning in the dog‑eat‑dog world of NASCAR’s Cup Series.
