2025 NASCAR Cup Series
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series will be 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 will start with the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium, followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 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 will be the first year under NASCAR's new TV deal that will take place until 2031. FOX will broadcast 12 races,[a] while NBC will broadcast 14 races. Amazon and TNT will broadcast five races each.[1] In addition, the season will mark the debut of NASCAR's in-season tournament.[2]
This will be the first season without Tony Stewart's ownership of Stewart–Haas Racing,[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 will also be the first season without 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. as a full-time driver, as he announced his retirement from full-time racing on June 14, 2024.[5] This season will also mark the first with 32 chartered cars, down from the 36 chartered cars in place since 2016. The reduction follows a lawsuit by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR over changes to the charter agreement. The two teams sought an injunction to compel NASCAR to allow them to compete as chartered entries, but the request was denied by the judge.[6][7]
Joey Logano of Team Penske will enter the season as the defending 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion.[8]
Teams and drivers
Chartered teams
Non-chartered teams
Complete schedule
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Driver | Crew chief | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | Front Row Motorsports | 34 | Todd Gilliland | TBA | [49][50] |
| TBA | Noah Gragson | TBA | [24][16][51] | ||
| TBA | TBA | TBA | [24][52] | ||
| Toyota | 23XI Racing | 23 | Bubba Wallace | Charles Denike | [53][54][55][16] |
| 35 | Riley Herbst (R) | Davin Restivo | [56][19][57] | ||
| 45 | Tyler Reddick | TBA | [19][58] |
On October 2, 2024, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, alleging anti-competitive practices by the France family and challenging the terms of the updated charter agreement. The teams sought an injunction to compel NASCAR to allow them to compete as chartered teams,[59][56] but the judge denied the request.[7] They originally filed an appeal but decided to withdraw their appeal and filed a new injunction.[60] Pending new injunction, both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will compete as open teams in 2025.[61]
Limited schedule
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Driver | Crew chief | Races | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Live Fast Motorsports | 78 | B. J. McLeod | TBA | TBA | [62] |
| Team AmeriVet | 50 | TBA | TBA | TBA | [63] | |
| Ford | MBM Motorsports | 66 | TBA | TBA | 1 | [64] |
| Toyota | Legacy Motor Club | 84 | Jimmie Johnson | TBA | TBA | [65] |
| TBA | TBA | TBA | Martin Truex Jr. | Cole Pearn | 1 | [66][67][68] |
Team changes
New teams/rebranding
- Haas Factory Team was formed by Gene Haas after retaining the sole remaining charter from Stewart–Haas Racing. The team will run 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.[13]
Expansions
- 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Trackhouse Racing purchased the charters from Stewart–Haas Racing during the 2024 season. Trackhouse's third team will be the No. 88 car, driven by Shane van Gisbergen. FRM and 23XI's purchases are on hold pending NASCAR approval.[52][28]
- RFK Racing leased a third charter from Rick Ware Racing to field the No. 60 car full-time, driven by Ryan Preece.[69][35]
Closures
- Stewart–Haas Racing shut down its operations at the conclusion of the 2024 season.[70]
Sponsorship
- WeatherTech will sponsor Trackhouse Racing for 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.[71]
- 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.[72]
- Kroger will not return to JTG Daugherty Racing for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during the 2025 season as it was announced at the end of the 2024 season.[73] The grocery chain later announced they moved to RFK Racing after the announcement of the third charter.[35]
Driver changes
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.[51][40][44][35]
- 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.[24]
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.[74]
- Harrison Burton, who was released by Wood Brothers Racing, will move back to the Xfinity Series for AM Racing in 2025.[75]
- Cole Custer will move back to the Cup Series after running full-time in the Xfinity Series for two years.[31]
- Daniel Hemric will move back to the Truck Series and drive the No. 19 truck for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.[76] 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.[15]
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.[28]
- Riley Herbst will move to the Cup Series full-time after running in the Xfinity Series in 2024.[57]
Other potential and rumored changes
Teams
- Andretti Global has shown interest in expanding its operations into the Cup Series.[77]
Drivers
- Two-time IndyCar champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden has shown interest in driving in the Cup Series.[78]
- 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion Greg Biffle has shown interest in running the 2025 Daytona 500.[79]
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.[80][81]
Schedule
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.[82] The start times were announced on November 13.[83]
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.
Notes
Bolded races indicate an event generally known as a Crown Jewel race.
O Oval track
R Road course
S Street course
Confirmed schedule changes
- The Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be the opening race for the new NASCAR in-season tournament.[86]
- The Busch 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.[87]
- Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will host a points paying race, becoming the first points paying Cup race outside the US since 1958.[88] Richmond Raceway will lose a date to accommodate this change.[89]
- 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.[82]
- 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.[82]
- On November 20, 2024, NASCAR announced that the race at Circuit of the Americas would convert into a 2.3-mile layout, becoming 100 laps.[90]
See also
- 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series
- 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
- 2025 ARCA Menards Series
- 2025 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Notes
- ^ Including the Clash, Daytona Duels, and All-Star Race
References
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