Chevrolet has been the dominant force on the Cup Series field ever since NASCAR introduced the Next-Gen cars. Hendrick Motorsports has won the most races of any other team, and with two championships and multiple contentions, they have brought Chevy to the top. However, that scenario seems to be changing this year. With the HMS drivers struggling, Toyota has been in a league of its own, and a seasoned driver made a worrying claim about them.

Ross Chastain addresses Toyota’s NASCAR rise

“We’re not 23XI,” Chastain said, reacting to just how dominant the team has been in the opening races of the 2026 Cup Series season. “The 23 was the best car. Darrell drove a great race, most of the race, and his car was strong enough that he could kind of do stuff on his own. It was crazy. So, we’re not there. We’ll go back to the tech center at Chevy and back to Trackhouse and try to find it.”

Tyler Reddick won back-to-back races at Daytona and Atlanta. Meanwhile, his teammate, Bubba Wallace, seemed to be winning both races, leading enough laps to clinch the second spot in the standings. While it is surprising that 23XI Racing has improved, the sheer form Toyota has showcased so far is far more impressive.

Chastain’s statement sparks a worry for Chevy, as he aims to take the issue to the manufacturer and work with the team to overcome the lack of performance.

In recent years, JGR brought the most wins for the OEM, but now 23XI is taking the spot. In fact, Wallace has now led 86 laps this season, more than any other driver.

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It is quite apparent that 23XI’s investments in the AirSpeed Race Shop are paying off well. At the same time, their extended partnership with Xfinity and the Xfinity Speed Center is also helping them improve. The results are massive. Too hard to be missed.

Ross Chastain, a proven NASCAR race winner with Trackhouse Racing, has almost always piloted Chevys in his Cup Series career. It seems to be a strong choice, considering how well the team has been doing in the Next-Gen era. But Toyota, as can be observed, is proving to be just as competitive.

Moreover, it would have been the #11 team lifting the championship in 2025 if it weren’t for a late caution that denied Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin his first Cup title. While he aims to fight back with Toyota, the team he is planning to take on is different.

Toyota’s Denny Hamlin aims to take down the Big Three with 23XI

Tyler Reddick’s consecutive race wins have given quite some confidence within the 23XI management. Michael Jordan was also quite satisfied with how the season started off for the team. But co-owner Denny Hamlin has the highest ambitions.

“We just felt like we were the next team. Like the next, we’re the next elite team. We’re done with that,” said Hamlin on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “We’re trying to infiltrate that, the old guard that is taking over the sport over the last few decades from their commitment, obviously, their heritage of knowing their winning pedigree.”

He sounds confident. His statement is bold, but what makes one wonder is that it could be just as true.

Statistically, Toyota’s 23XI is one of the more competitive newer teams on the NASCAR field. Even Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club hasn’t performed half as well. This is mainly due to the strong backing 23XI has with Jordan and Hamlin.

While Toyota continues to improve on the field, Hamlin understands that taking down the ‘Big 3,’ Hendrick, Penske, and Gibbs, could be a challenging task.

“They’ve got the best people, great drivers. It’s hard, really, really hard to overtake those guys, but we want to be one of the teams that can challenge that weekend week out. We don’t want to go to the racetrack thinking, well, our expectation should be 10 to 12 because surely all the Gibbs and Hendrick and Penske cars are going to be one through 10 on speed,” he added.

At the end of the day, it is worth noting that Denny Hamlin drives for one of these teams. However, the way 23XI is performing in the season, that day isn’t far when it will take on the Big 3. Until then, it is only natural to think that Hamlin would’ve retired from racing and would focus on his career as a team owner.

All in all, 23XI’s partnership with Toyota seems to be the right choice. The manufacturer is improving, as Ross Chastain noted. Continuing at this pace, they could soon clinch their first NASCAR title with the Next-Gen car.