2025 NASCAR Cup Series

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series is the 77th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 54th season for the modern-era Cup Series. The season started with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium, followed by The Duel at Daytona on February 13, and the 67th running of the Daytona 500 (the first points race of the season) on February 16, both at Daytona International Speedway. The season will end with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 2.

The 2025 season is the first year under NASCAR's new TV deal that will last until 2031. Fox will broadcast 12 races (including the Clash, Daytona Duels, and All-Star Race), while NBC will broadcast 14 races. Amazon and TNT will broadcast five races each.^[1] In addition, the season marks the debut of NASCAR's in-season tournament.^[2]

This is the first season without Tony Stewart's ownership of Stewart–Haas Racing since 2008.^[3] Gene Haas, the other co-owner of SHR, announced he would retain the team and rebrand it as Haas Factory Team for 2025.^[4] This is also the first season without 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. as a full-time driver since 2005, as he announced his retirement from full-time racing on June 14, 2024.^[5] This is also the first season since 2015 to have more than 40 cars in a race with the new Open Exemption Provisional rule.^[6]

The 2025 season is the first under the new charter agreement, which limits teams to a maximum of three charters. Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, which have four charters each, are grandfathered in the new agreement.^[7]

Joey Logano of Team Penske enters the season as the defending 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion.^[8]

Katherine Legge made her Cup Series debut in March at the Shriners Children's 500, making her the first woman to compete in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick in the 2018 Daytona 500.^[9] Legge is set to compete in more Cup events throughout the season.^[10][11]

Notes

New teams/rebrands

• Haas Factory Team was formed by Gene Haas after retaining the sole remaining charter from Stewart–Haas Racing. The team runs the No. 41 car, driven by Cole Custer.^[4]
• JTG Daugherty Racing rebranded itself into Hyak Motorsports, following the departure of co-owners Jodi and Tad Geschickter. Brad Daugherty retains his stake in the team's ownership, alongside Gordon Smith, Mark Hughes, and Ernie Cope.^[20]
• JR Motorsports debuted in the Cup Series at the 2025 Daytona 500 with the No. 40 car driven by Justin Allgaier. According to the team, no further races are planned.^[91]
• Tricon Garage fielded a car in the series for the first time in the 2025 Daytona 500. Martin Truex Jr. drove the No. 56.^[126]
• MBM Motorsports rebranded their Cup entry as Garage 66.^[111]

Expansions

• 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Trackhouse Racing purchased the charters from Stewart–Haas Racing during the 2024 season. 23XI's third team is the No. 35 car, driven by Riley Herbst. FRM's third team is the No. 4 car for Noah Gragson, and Trackhouse's is the No. 88 car, driven by Shane van Gisbergen.^[40][77]
• RFK Racing leased a third charter from Rick Ware Racing to field the No. 60 car full-time, driven by Ryan Preece.^[127][59]

Closures

• Stewart–Haas Racing shut down its operations at the conclusion of the 2024 season.^[128]

Manufacturers

• Chevrolet continues to field cars with the Camaro ZL1 body, but without the Camaro branding, as the manufacturer discontinued the car after 2023 with no direct replacement. Instead, the cars are being branded as the "ZL1".^[129]

Sponsorship

• WeatherTech will sponsor Trackhouse Racing for the No. 88 car driven by Shane van Gisbergen during the 2025 season as it was announced during 2024 season. WeatherTech sponsored van Gisbergen during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.^[130]
• FedEx will not return to Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, and NASCAR during the 2025 season as it was announced at the end of the 2024 season.^[131] In addition, He Gets Us, Mavis Tires & Brakes, and Auto-Owners Insurance have reportedly left JGR after the 2024 season.^[132]
• Kroger wouldn't return to Hyak Motorsports for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during the 2025 season as it was announced at the end of the 2024 season^[133] as the grocery chain later announced they moved to RFK Racing after the announcement of the third charter.^[59] Rate would sponsor the Hyak No. 47 at COTA.^[134] Real American Beer, co-founded by former WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan, signed a deal to sponsor the Hyak No. 47 car for Las Vegas 1.^[135] Betr would sponsor the No. 47 car at Homestead.^[136]
• Love's Travel Stops will continue to sponsor Front Row Motorsports's No. 34 car of Todd Gilliland for multiple races in 2025. Todd's father, David, represented Love's at FRM.^[137]
• Amazon Prime signed a multi-year deal to serve as sponsor of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 car of Chase Elliott, starting in 2025.^[138]
• Campbell's has joined Joe Gibbs Racing as a partner for the 2025 season after signing a partnership agreement with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, an investor in JGR.^[139]
• Traveller Whiskey, in collaboration with Chris Stapleton, will sponsor JR Motorsports for the No. 40 car driven by Justin Allgaier at the 2025 Daytona 500.^[91]
• Winchester Repeating Arms Company will join Bass Pro Shops in sponsoring the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 car driven by Austin Dillon.^[140]
• SunnyD signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Hyak No. 47 for 5 races in 2025.^[141] In addition, SunnyD would also sponsor the No. 35 of Riley Herbst at Las Vegas 1.^[142]
• Rush Truck Centers will follow Noah Gragson from Stewart–Haas Racing to Front Row Motorsports for 2025. They will sponsor his No. 4 car in eight races.^[143]
• King's Hawaiian has left RFK Racing to sponsor the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 car, reportedly due to a brand conflict with one of RFK's new sponsors.^[144][145] In addition, National Debt Relief signed a deal to sponsor car for four races,^[146] Ampm signed a deal to sponsor for two races, ^[147] and Progressive Corporation signed a deal sponsoring JGR No. 11 car for 18 races in the 2025 season.^[148]
• Red Bull would return to NASCAR to sponsor the Trackhouse Racing Nos. 87 and 88 cars for seven races. The sponsorship reunites Red Bull with van Gisbergen, who had previously driven Red Bull-sponsored cars in the Supercars Championship for Triple Eight Race Engineering.^[101][102]
• Saia signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 driven by Ty Gibbs for seven races in 2025.^[149] Ampm signed a deal to sponsor the JGR No. 54 car for one race in 2026.^[147]
• PPG Paints will sponsor the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing car driven by Josh Berry at the Brickyard 400.^[150]
• Aaron's would return to NASCAR and sponsor Front Row Motorsports Nos. 34 and 38 cars.^[151]
• The Backstreet Boys would sponsor the Legacy Motor Club No. 42 car driven by John Hunter Nemechek at Las Vegas 1 to promote the boy band's residency show "Into the Millennium" at the Sphere.^[152]
• Robinhood will be the primary sponsor of the No. 23 car driven by Bubba Wallace and the No. 67 car driven by Corey Heim for two races each.^[153]
• Telcel will sponsor the No. 99 of Trackhouse Racing at the Mexico City race. The company also sponsors Andrés Pérez de Lara in the Craftsman Truck Series.^[154]
• Rinnai will sponsor the FRM No. 34 at Atlanta 2.^[155]

Moving teams

• Former SHR drivers Noah Gragson, Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, and Chase Briscoe moved to Front Row Motorsports, Wood Brothers Racing, RFK Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively.^{[44][69][81][59]}
• Michael McDowell will be moving from Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 71 car for Spire Motorsports on a multi-year deal, replacing Zane Smith.^[33]
• Zane Smith will be moving from Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 38 for Front Row Motorsports, replacing Michael McDowell.^[54]
• Cody Ware will return to the Rick Ware Racing No. 51 car after driving part-time in the No. 15 car in 2024.^[65]
• Corey LaJoie will drive part-time in the Rick Ware Racing No. 01 car after driving the No. 51 car for seven races in 2024.^[64][117]

Moving between series

• A. J. Allmendinger will move back to full-time Cup Series competition in the Kaulig Racing No. 16 car after running part-time in 2024.^[156]
• Harrison Burton, who was released by Wood Brothers Racing, will move back to the Xfinity Series for AM Racing in 2025.^[157]
• Cole Custer will move back to the Cup Series after running full-time in the Xfinity Series for two years.^[55]
• Daniel Hemric will move back to the Truck Series and drive the No. 19 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.^[158] Ty Dillon will replace him as the driver of the Kaulig Racing No. 10 car (renumbered from No. 31), after running the Truck Series in 2024.^[23]

Retirement

• Martin Truex Jr. retired from full-time competition at the conclusion of the 2024 season.^[5]

Rookies

• Shane van Gisbergen will move to the Cup Series full-time after running in the Xfinity Series in 2024.^[40]
• Riley Herbst will move to the Cup Series full-time after running in the Xfinity Series in 2024.^[75]

Teams

• Andretti Global has shown interest in expanding its operations into the Cup Series.^[159]

Drivers

• Two-time IndyCar champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden has shown interest in driving in the Cup Series.^[160]

Sponsorship

• NASCAR is looking for a fourth premier partner for the Cup Series alongside Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, and Xfinity, following GEICO's departure from the partnership after the 2024 season.^[161][162]

Sources:^{[6][163][164]}

• A new "Open Exemption Provisional" rule has been introduced for the NASCAR Cup Series, allowing world-class drivers to compete in a race. These drivers will not earn race points, playoff points, prize money, or tiebreaker advantages based on their finishing position. However, they will retain the win, including the trophy and All-Star eligibility. The second-place finisher will receive first-place points but will not gain playoff points or playoff eligibility.
• Vehicles on the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) may drive to the garage or be towed there if necessary. A repair clock of 7 minutes (8 minutes for Atlanta) is activated for vehicles undergoing repairs on pit road. Once the clock expires, the vehicle must move to the garage to continue repairs but will not be disqualified from the race. If a vehicle cannot reach pit road due to damage or flat tires, it will be towed directly to the garage. Additionally, if a car leaves its pit box and the repair clock expires before it crosses the pit-out yellow line, a penalty will be assessed.
• If a playoff waiver is granted for missing a race (exceptions to the forfeit of playoff points include medical reasons—driver medical, birth of a child, family emergency, etc.—and age restrictions), the driver will forfeit all current and future playoff points (earned prior to the playoffs) and will start the playoffs with a maximum of 2,000 points.
• Rules violations by an OEM may result in a loss of manufacturer points, and/or loss of wind tunnel hours, and/or loss of RCFD runs. Penalties will be assessed for violations of the vehicle testing policy, wind tunnel policy, event roster, and code of conduct policy.
• Suspensions resulting from technical penalties may be deferred, without appeal, to the next race following the penalty. All other suspensions take effect immediately.
• An additional bonus point for the fastest lap in a points paying race event has been introduced. Does not apply to Daytona Duels.^[165]

• The OEP was adjusted: if there are more than 40 cars, the field will automatically expand to 41, and the team requesting the provisional may use it regardless of qualifying position.^[166]
• If a vehicle is serviced in another team's pit stall, it will receive a penalty based on the reason for service: a flag status penalty (restart at the tail of the field or pass-through) for safety issues, or a potential lap(s) penalty for competition adjustments.^[167]

The 2025 schedule was released on August 29, 2024 and consists of 30 oval races, 5 road course races, one street track race, and 4 non-championship races to be held on ovals.^[168] The start times were announced on November 13.^[169]

Notes: Race names and title sponsors are subject to change. Not all title sponsors/names of races have been announced for 2025. For the races where a 2025 name and title sponsor has yet to be announced, the title sponsors/names of those races in 2024 are listed.

Bolded races indicate an event generally known as a Crown Jewel race.

 O  Oval track
 R  Road course
 S  Street course

• The Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be the opening race for the new NASCAR in-season tournament.^[175]
• The Cook Out Clash will move to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025, replacing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at the track since 1971.^[176]
• Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will host a points paying race, becoming the first points paying Cup race outside the US since 1958.^[177] Richmond Raceway will lose a date to accommodate this change.^[178]
• The races at Gateway Motorsports Park, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, will be added to the playoff schedule. As part of this schedule change, Watkins Glen International, Homestead–Miami Speedway, and the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, will move to the regular season.^[168]
• Easter Sunday will be a bye week for the first time since 2021, it has been placed between the Food City 500 and the Jack Link's 500.^[168]
• On November 20, 2024, NASCAR announced that the race at Circuit of the Americas would convert into a 2.3-mile layout.^[179]

Exhibition: Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium

Chase Elliott secured the pole position for the 200-lap race featuring a 23-car field with notable drivers such as Austin Dillon, Zane Smith, and Ty Gibbs failing to qualify. Elliott dominated the race, leading 171 laps, winning the race and earning his first career Clash win.^[180]

Exhibition: The Duel at Daytona

In the first duel, Bubba Wallace clinched victory in the 60-lap race, which featured a 23-car field. Notably, drivers such as Zane Smith and Chase Briscoe failed to finish the race. Wallace led 21 laps, securing the win and earning 10 points.^[181]

In the second duel, Austin Cindric started from the pole position in a 23-car field. The race concluded dramatically when a caution was called just before the finish line, leading NASCAR to declare Cindric the winner over Erik Jones, as he was ahead at the time of the caution.^[182]

Round 1: Daytona 500

William Byron overtook pole-sitter Chase Briscoe early before the race was red flagged on lap 11 for a weather delay in the area. After nearly 4 hours under the red flag, involving 2 red flags, the race promptly resumed. Joey Logano won the first stage, but had engine issues that forced him to the back of the pack. Ross Chastain got turned and collected Shane Van Gisbergen, Martin Truex Jr., Josh Berry, and Hélio Castroneves while Ryan Blaney would edge out Austin Cindric and win the second stage. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact with Logano and collected Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Noah Gragson, and Todd Gilliland. With 5 laps to go, as the field entered the backstretch, Cole Custer turned Christopher Bell into the wall, resulting in Ryan Preece flipping mid-air, resulting in overtime. On the final lap, Custer made contact with Denny Hamlin and caused a huge wreck as Byron snuck his way through and held off Tyler Reddick and Jimmie Johnson to win his second consecutive Daytona 500, becoming the fifth driver in history to do so. This was the 10th Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports, surpassing them with Petty Enterprises for the most all-time.^[183]

Round 2: Ambetter Health 400

Ryan Blaney scored the pole for the race. Josh Berry won the first stage and Kyle Larson won the second stage, his first stage win on a drafting track. On lap 150, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Corey LaJoie were in a wreck, sending both Keselowski and LaJoie out. On lap 184, a wreck with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Noah Gragson, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs, Cody Ware, Cole Custer, and J. J. Yeley occurred sending them all out of the race. With 4 laps to go, as the field entered the backstretch, Larson hit Austin Cindric and William Byron resulting in overtime. On the final lap, Berry, Justin Haley and Ryan Preece collided on the backstretch with caution being deployed just when Christopher Bell snuck his way through Carson Hocevar and Larson to win his first Atlanta race.^[184]

Round 3: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Tyler Reddick scored the pole for the race. Bubba Wallace won the first stage, his first on a road course and after Shane van Gisbergen pitted, Ryan Preece won the second stage, his first stage win since the 2023 Martinsville spring race. Christopher Bell ended up winning the race, after an intense battle between Kyle Busch, William Byron, and Reddick.^[185] 18-year-old Connor Zilisch made his Cup Series debut with Trackhouse Racing, but was involved in a wreck with fellow teammate Daniel Suárez.^[186]

Round 4: Shriners Children's 500

William Byron won the pole. Byron won the first stage and Christopher Bell won the second stage. On lap 99, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar, Riley Herbst, Justin Haley, Chase Briscoe, Austin Dillon, and Cole Custer, and Shane van Gisbergen were involved in an huge pile-up, sending them all out. Bell would end up getting his third consecutive win, becoming the first to do so since Kyle Larson in 2021, and the first since the debut of the Next Gen car.^[187]

Round 5: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

Michael McDowell won the pole, marking the first pole won by Spire Motorsports. Austin Cindric won the first stage and Kyle Larson won the second stage. Josh Berry won the race, after battling Daniel Suárez to earn his first career win in the Cup Series and the 101st career win for the Wood Brothers.^[188]

Round 6: Straight Talk Wireless 400

Alex Bowman won the pole. Ryan Blaney won the first stage and Denny Hamlin won the second stage. On Lap 207, after leading 124 laps, Blaney's engine blew up, ending his day early. After overtaking teammate Alex Bowman with less than 10 to go, Kyle Larson claimed his 30th career win. In an attempt to perform a weekend sweep, Larson ended up getting a win in the Truck Series race 2 days earlier, however came up just short of a victory during the Xfinity Series race.^[189]

Round 7: Cook Out 400

Christopher Bell won the pole. Joey Logano won the first stage and Denny Hamlin won the second stage. Hamlin would end up leading 274 laps en-route to his first win of 2025.^[190]

Round 8: Goodyear 400

William Byron won the pole. Byron dominated early, leading the opening 243 laps and sweeping the stages. It was the most laps Byron has ever led in a single race. After a late-race caution with 4 laps to go, Denny Hamlin took the lead after pit stops. On the ensuing green-white-checkered restart, he held off Byron and Christopher Bell to win for the second straight week.^[191]

Round 9: Food City 500

Alex Bowman won the pole. Kyle Larson swept the stages, and led 411 laps en-route to his second consecutive win at Bristol. Larson attempted to sweep the weekend again, winning the Xfinity Series race the previous day, but came up just short with a 2nd place in the Truck Series race.^[192]

(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by competition-based formula. * – Most laps led. ^F – Fastest lap. ¹ – Stage 1 winner. ² – Stage 2 winner. ³ – Stage 3 winner.^{[N 2]}

Notes

After 9 of 36 races

• 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series
• 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
• 2025 ARCA Menards Series
• 2025 ARCA Menards Series East
• 2025 ARCA Menards Series West
• 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
• 2025 NASCAR Canada Series
• 2025 NASCAR Mexico Series
• 2025 NASCAR Euro Series
• 2025 NASCAR Brasil Series