2025 NASCAR Cup Series Preview

For 37 of the next 38 weekends, the NASCAR Cup Series will be in competition, as the 2025 season is about to begin from Daytona International Speedway. 

Qualifying is already complete. We know the front row for the Daytona 500, and two of the four Open entries have clinched a starting spot based on their qualifying speed. Tonight, the two qualifying races will set the remainder of the grid for NASCAR's most prestigious race. 

This weekend is familiar, but this season will see a few new things in the Cup Series. New tracks, new broadcast partners, a new tournament, and a new bonus points for fastest lap, the 2025 Cup season will see a variety of changes that NASCAR is becoming known for in the 2020s. 

Daytona 500 qualifying is compelte. We know the front row for the Daytona 500, and the two fastest Open entries have clinched their spots in the field.

Schedule 

Daytona plays host to the season opener for another season and Atlanta will be the second race for the second consecutive season. The first change we will see is in Texas with Circuit of the Americas in Austin moving up to March 2, and the track configuration will be different. Instead of using the full 3.426-mile circuit, NASCAR will run the 2.356-mile national circuit, which was famously used for Supercars only visit to the track in 2013. 

Austin will kick off the Southwestern swing as Phoenix follows on March 9 and Las Vegas will run on March 16. After that three-race stretch, the series will return to Florida as Homestead-Miami Speedway returns to March. Homestead previously had a two-year stretch when it was not in the playoffs in 2020 and 2021. Martinsville closes March with a 400-lap race on the 30th. 

Darlington's spring race moves to April 6 after running in May the previous five seasons. Bristol will be the following week before the Easter break on April 20, the only off-weekend during the entire 2025 Cup season. 

NASCAR returns to competition on April 27 at Talladega before Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway takes the Cup Series into the All-Star Weekend. North Wilkesboro remains the All-Star Race host for a third consecutive season. 

The Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway remains on Memorial Day weekend on the night of May 25. Nashville moves up to June 1 and that will also be a night race. Michigan's lone race will be June 8, the first time NASCAR has visited the Irish Hills in June since 2019. 

For the first time since 1958, the NASCAR Cup Series will have an international championship race as Mexico City's Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will host the Cup Series on June 15. The Mexico City circuit previously hosted NASCAR's second division from 2005 to 2008. One week later, NASCAR will race at Pocono.

The combined results after Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono will determine the draw for NASCAR's first-ever in-season tournament. Over five races, 32 drivers will be paired head-to-head in a bracket. Each race will see the drivers compete with the best finisher progressing to the next round. 

The in-season tournament begins with NASCAR's return to Atlanta on June 28. The round of 16 will be the Chicago street race on July 6. Sonoma hosts the quarterfinals on July 13 before Dover hosts the semifinals on July 20. The NASCAR in-season tournament champion will be decided at the Brickyard 400 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. 

Once the in-season tournament is complete, there will be four rounds remaining in the regular season. Iowa moves to August 3 for its second Cup weekend. Watkins Glen returns to August after one season in the playoffs. Richmond will host a night race on August 16 before Daytona closes out the regular season with a 400-mile race on the night of August 23.

The Southern 500 returns as the playoff opener on August 31 with Gateway moving into the playoffs for the first time on September 7. Bristol closes out round one on September 13. 

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and it will host the opening race of the round of 12 on September 21. Kansas drops to the fifth race of the playoffs on September 28. The Charlotte Motor Speedway ends the second round on October 5.

The semifinal round begins at Las Vegas on the evening of October 12. Talladega drops into the semifinal round on October 19, the latest a Talladega race has ever been held in the championship. The final four decider remains at Martinsville on October 26 with the 2025 season finale set for November 2 at Phoenix.

Chartered Teams

Ross Chastain - #1 Busch Beer/Moose Fraternity/Kubota/Jockey Chevrolet

Team: Trackhouse
2024 Championship Finish: 19th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 7th (2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Decent. Trackhouse did well last year even if it was not quite match its 2023 output that put the #1 team in the final four. Chastain and company took chances last year banking on a victory that did not come until he was already out of the playoffs. Leading what is now a three-car team, Trackhouse is going to make a playoff push. The mistakes of last year will not be repeated. If they are, things will look the same.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Chastain won at Kansas last year, but he also ran particularly well on the road courses with top five finish's at Watkins Glen and Sonoma, and another top ten in Austin. 

Austin Cindric - #2 Menards/Discount Tires/Keystone Light Ford

Team: Team Penske
2024 Championship Finish: 11th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2022)

2025 Playoff Prospects: For a team that has won the championship in three consecutive seasons, Cindric is in a good place. It is also a team that struggled for results last year until the playoffs. Cindric was at the right place at the right time when teammate Ryan Blaney ran out of fuel on the final lap at Gateway. Without, Cindric isn't in the playoffs. Something similar feels like it will be necessary in 2025.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: For all the thoughts that it would be the road courses, Cindric's record is not great on the road courses in this generation of car. 

Cindric qualified second for the Daytona 500, and this will be his fourth consecutive year starting inside the top six for the Daytona 500.

Austin Dillon - #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester/BetMGM/Dow/Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet

Team: Richard Childress Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 32nd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2018)

2025 Playoff Prospects: In the last two seasons, Dillon has finished 29th and 32nd in the championship. He might have won at Richmond, but his antics to pull off the victory led to NASCAR discrediting it toward a playoff position. It was still his only top five finish and he ended 2024 with only five top ten finishes. Richard Childress Racing might not be that good, but it isn't that bad either. It would take something special for Dillon to make the playoffs.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Even without the penalty, Richmond is one of Dillon's better tracks as he has seven top ten finishes in 21 starts. 

Noah Gragson - #4 MillerTech/Zep/Rush Truck Centers Ford

Team: Front Row Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 24th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 9th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Three teams in three years, Gragson is at a Front Row Motorsports group that had surprising spurts at speed. FRM can produce good results. Consistency will be the question. Gragson did better with Stewart-Haas Racing than in his partial season at Legacy Motor Club. There will be much work to do to break into the top twenty. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: With the speed Front Row Motorsports showed in 2024, Gragson must feel good about Daytona and Talladega.

Kyle Larson - #5 HendrickCars.com/Valvoline Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 6th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 7th (2016, 2019)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Excellent. A lock. It isn't a matter of if Larson will win a race but when and how many. The real question for Larson is if he can win the regular season championship. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Anywhere. He is going to win multiple times. It is more of what discipline will he not win on? He can, and likely will, win on them all. 

Possible Milestones: Larson is one victory away from becoming the 30th driver with at least 30 Cup victories. Larson is also 744 laps led away from becoming the 22nd driver with 10,000 laps led in a career.

Brad Keselowski - #6 Castrol/BuildSubmarines.com/Fastenal/Consumer Cellular/Solomon Plumbing/Kroger/Esperion Therapeutics Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 13th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2014)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Good. Keselowki made it last year and RFK Racing made a big stride last season. Another stride will be tough to achieve, especially since Keselowski isn't even the best driver in this team. He should make it, though he could be on the bubble and closer to missing than he would like.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Keselowski won at Darlington last year, but he ran well on the intermediate tracks with top five finishes at Texas, Charlotte, and even Gateway. 

Possible Milestone: Keselowski is four victories away from becoming the 21st driver with at least 40 Cup victories. 

Justin Haley - #7 Celsius/Gainbridge/Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet

Team: Spire Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 31st
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 13th (2020)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Spire Motorsports has made gains, and Haley has shown good speed, but the likelihood he will be good enough to make it on points is a stretch. He can put himself in a spot to win at Daytona, Talladega or Atlanta. Outside of that, the points are not going to be there for Haley to make it. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Haley is in the Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta group, but he has also had good runs at Darlington the last two years.

Kyle Busch - #8 3CHI/Cheddars/Lucas Oil/Bank OKZ/BetMGM/Rebel Bourbon/Zone Premium Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet

Team: Richard Childress Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 20th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2019)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Last year is still a bit of a stunner that Busch did not make the playoffs and went winless for the first time in his Cup career. It is Kyle Busch. He can pull off one race. If Austin Dillon can win a Richmond race out of nowhere, though after taking out two cars in one corner, Busch can capitalize when things click. However, RCR is not in a great place. We are a long way away from February 2023 when Busch won in his second start with the team. He could be on the edge of making it on points.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: No Busch victory would be a surprise. At this point though, it feels like Busch's next victory will be a plate race or a driver's track like Dover or Darlington or Bristol.

Chase Elliott - #9 NAPA Auto Parts/Llumar/Kelley Blue Book/UniFirst/Amazon Prime Video Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 7th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Elliott should make it. All of the Hendrick Motorsports cars should. Elliott has shown he can consistently score points and also pick up some good results. He will be there and likely be in the top eight in points when the regular season is over. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: He won at Texas last year, but that is his only victory in the last two seasons. He had some great runs on the short tracks with top five finishes in both Martinsville races, top tens in both Bristol and Richmond races, and a third in the inaugural Iowa race. 

Possible Milestone: Elliott is one victory away from becoming the 44th driver with at least 20 Cup victories

Ty Dillon - #10 Grizzly Nictoine Pouches/Sea Best Chevrolet

Team: Kaulig Racing
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (22nd in the NASCAR Truck Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 6th (2019)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Dillon makes the playoffs if he wins one of the plate races or he is in the right spot if there is a rainstorm. For almost a decade, Dillon has performed to the point that he is now failing up. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona, Talladega or Atlanta.

Denny Hamlin - #11 Sport Clips/National Debt Relief/King's Hawaiian Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 8th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2016, 2019, 2020)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Hamlin should be there. Joe Gibbs Racing did not have a stellar end last season, but Hamlin figures out a way to win multiple times even when the team is not performing at its highest level.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Really anywhere, but we know how well Hamlin runs at Richmond, Martinsville, Bristol, Pocono, Kansas. He is also a three-time Daytona 500 winner.

Possible Milestone: Hamlin is 14 starts away from the 700-start milestone.

Ryan Blaney - #12 Menards/Advance Auto Parts/BodyArmor/Wurth/Discount Tire/Dent Wizard/Wabash Ford

Team: Team Penske
2024 Championship Finish: 2nd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2017, 2020)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Team Penske is going to get Blaney in the playoffs. It might not be the greatest regular season, but Team Penske will have its half-dozen weekends where it is phenomenal and Blaney will win one of those. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: It appears Martinsville and Phoenix are going to be good bets for Blaney success. 

Possible Milestone: Blaney is 730 laps led away from 5,000 laps led in a Cup career.

A.J. Allmendinger - #16 Celsius/LeafFilter Chevrolet

Team: Kaulig Racing
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (3rd in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2009, 2017)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Would it surprise you if Allmendinger is 16th in points and he sneaks in by fewer than a half-dozen points? No. Would it surprise you if Allmendinger won at Austin and Watkins Glen? No. Would it surprise you if Allmendinger was 22nd in points after the regular season with no victories, two top five finishes and five top ten results? No. He could make it, but he is equally as likely to not make it.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: The road courses lead the list, but Allmendinger could put together an exceptional run at Martinsville, and he has top ten finishes in his last four Daytona 500 starts dating back to 2017.

Chris Buescher - #17 Fastenal/Fifth Third Bank/Castrol Edge/BuildSubmarines.com/Esperion Therapeutics/Kroger Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
2023 Championship Finish: 17th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2020)

2024 Playoff Prospects: Buescher ended up on the wrong side of a Harrison Burton victory at Daytona and Chase Briscoe victory at Darlington in the final two regular season races last year. He then won two races into the playoffs. Buescher should win one of the first 26 races. That should get him into the playoffs.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Buescher is a sleeper on road courses even though he won at Watkins Glen last year. His short track form is also rather dangerous.

Chase Briscoe - #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 14th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2022)

2025 Playoff Prospects: You would think better than last year moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, but Gibbs has not won since Loudon in June 2024. The team went the entire second half of the season winless. That likely will not last for long in 2025, but Gibbs had a shaky end to 2024. The team could take a dip, which might be bad timing for Briscoe.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Short tracks. Briscoe already has a Phoenix victory. He may be looking forward to Martinsville and Loudon more now that he is at Gibbs.

Briscoe won pole position for the Daytona 500 in his first start for Joe Gibbs Racing. It is Toyota's first pole position in the Daytona 500, and it Joe Gibbs Racing's second Daytona 500 pole position, its first since Bobby Labonte won it in 1998 driving a Pontiac.

Christopher Bell - #20 DeWalt/Rheem/Interstate Batteries/Yahoo! Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 5th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2023-24)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Bell was one of the best drivers in 2024, and he carried Gibbs in the playoffs only to fall short of making the championship four. Bell will have the speed to push for the top spot in the series. He is going to win multiple races, and he could be the man to beat. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Plenty of tracks. It is almost a case of where do we think Bell cannot win. The plate tracks have not been kind to Bell.

Josh Berry - #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane/PPG Ford

Team: Wood Brothers Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 27th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 25th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: For the last three seasons the Wood Brothers have been in a rough patch. We know this can be a playoff team. Berry should make it more competitive, especially on short tracks, but it is a tough bunch to breakthrough to get from 27th to the top 16. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Berry could be looking at better opportunities for victories on the short tracks, and that includes the likes of Gateway and Darlington.

Joey Logano - #22 Shell/Pennzoil/Hunt Brother's Pizza/AAA Insurance Ford

Team: Team Penske
2024 Championship Finish: 1st
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2015)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Logano will be in the playoffs. He will get his two or three victories in a season. If he times them right, he could be champion, even if he doesn't look that threatening for the first 32 weeks of the season. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: It is Logano. Pick you track, he can win there.

Possible Milestone: Logano is four victories away from becoming the 21st driver with at least 40 Cup victories. 

Bubba Wallace - #23 McDonald's/Columbia/U.S. Air Force/Leidos/Chumba Casino Toyota

Team: 23XI Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 18th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2018, 2022)

2025 Playoff Prospects: On the fence. There is a world where 23XI Racing and Toyota are finding speed and Wallace is able to turn it into a victory at a mile-and-a-half track. There is a world where Wallace is good, gets some top ten finishes, but he isn't fantastic, a few bad races knock him down the order, and he finds himself on the outside like last year.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Wallace had some close calls at Texas recently. He has had good runs at Michigan. Last year, he ran well at Darlington. Plus, he has done well at Daytona and Talladega.

William Byron - #24 Axalta/Raptor/Valvoline/Liberty University/HP Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 3rd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Byron won early last year, went quiet, and then made noise and a championship four run. Again, he will be there, but it is a matter of what he does once he gets there. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: In each of the previous two seasons, Byron has won on an road course, short oval and plate track, and that isn't counting all the top fives he scored last year on intermediate circuits.

Todd Gilliland - #34 Love's Travel Stops/Carl Ruedebusch/A&W Restaurants/Grillo's Pickles Ford

Team: Front Row Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 22nd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 27th (2023)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Not everyone can make the playoffs. Gilliland made an improvement last year. However, it will likely take an unexpected victory in a race where Gilliland really wasn't the man to beat to make the playoffs.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. 

Riley Herbst - #35 Monster Energy/Chumba Casino Toyota

Team: 23XI Racing
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (7th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 11th (2019, 2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: In 175 starts in NASCAR's second division, Herbst won three times and he finished in the top ten in just under half those races. The Cup Series is better. He has two tough teammates to beat and then about 33 other drivers. If he can crack the top twenty it will be a successful season. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Phoenix was one of Herbst's better tracks at the second division. 

Possible Milestone: Car #35 has never won a NASCAR Cup Series race.

Zane Smith - #38 Speedy Cash/TitleMax/Benebone Ford

Team: Front Row Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 30th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 13th (2023-24)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Smith didn't have a great 2024 season with a decent Spire outfit. Front Row Motorsports is good. He has to act least challenge his teammates and shoot to be second in the three-car outfit. The playoffs feel like a stretch, but he won his share of Daytona Truck races. Perhaps he snags a playoff spot early.  

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona or Talladega and I guess Atlanta.

Cole Custer - #41 Haas Automation/HaasTooling.com Ford

Team: Haas Factory Team
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (2nd in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 11th (2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: It is one of the few single-car teams in the Cup Series built off the remnants of Stewart-Haas Racing. Custer's first stint in the Cup Series was good. He won in his rookie season at Kentucky in 2020, but he could not establish great consistency and become a regular threat. There does not feel like a reason to expect different this time around. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Custer has good track records at Pocono and Dover in the second division. 

John Hunter Nemechek - #42 Dollar Tree/Family Dollar/Mobil 1/Albertson's Toyota

Team: Legacy Motor Club
2024 Championship Finish: 34th 
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 7th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Legacy Motor Club's move to Toyota did not yield much different in 2024 compared to 2023. Nemechek will have a lot of work to do to make the playoffs. It really comes down to getting lucky.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Put Nemechek in the Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta group.

Erik Jones - #43 AdventHealth/Dollar Tree/FamilyDollar/Allegiant Toyota

Team: Legacy Motor Club
2024 Championship Finish: 28th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 3rd (2019)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Jones has a better shot than his teammate Nemechek. Jones has pulled off the surprising victory before and runs well at difficult racetracks. Jones isn't going to make it on points. It will require winning a race.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: As long as Darlington is on the schedule, Jones has a shot.

Tyler Reddick - #45 Monster Energy/McDonald's/Jordan Brand/Chumba Casino Toyota

Team: 23XI Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 4th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 27th (2019, 2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Reddick is a lock for the playoffs. Like so many others, it is a matter of how far can he go. Last year, Reddick was terrific but could not close it out with a championship. He led the way for Toyota, something a non-Joe Gibbs Racing has not done since the days of Martin Truex, Jr. at Furniture Row Racing. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: There are a great number of circuits Reddick can win at. One that he has yet to conquer in the Cup Series is Darlington. That is due to change at some point. 

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. - #47 SunnyD Chevrolet

Team: Hyak Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 25th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2023)

2025 Playoff Prospects: It might not be a new team in terms of the building, but it is a new team in name and it has lost a major sponsor. Hyak Motorsports' first days are a period of transition. Stenhouse, Jr. can win at Daytona and Talladega. He just won at Talladega in October. He has a shot, but a slimmer one than most.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona, Talladega or Atlanta. 

Alex Bowman - #48 Ally Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 9th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Bowman is either about to be fired or he is going to win three races and people will think he is about to be fired. Bowman finds a way to pull off a victory or two and that will put him in the playoffs. He can hold his own against the more celebrated Hendrick teammates.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: He can really win anywhere. Eight victories at eight different circuits and only two are similar (Chicagoland and Las Vegas). The rest are a two-mile oval (Fontana), Richmond, Dover, Pocono, Martinsville and the Chicago street course.

Cody Ware - #51 Jacob Companies Ford

Team: Rick Ware Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 36th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 14th (2023)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Harrison Burton won a race last year. Ware has a shot. He isn't going to be worthy of it, but it could happen... and then he would finish 16th in the championship and that will be in the record books forever.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona, Talladega or Atlanta.

Ty Gibbs - #54 Interstate Batteries/Monster Energy/SiriusXM Toyota

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 15th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 17th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Going into 2024, Gibbs looked on the precipice of his first career victory. His regular season started promising. His season ended on a downslide with five finishes of 30th or worse and only three top ten finishes in the final 16 races. Gibbs should get there, but his second half form is worrying.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Gibbs' road course form is sneaky good. He had some good runs at Bristol in two seasons in the Cup Series. He maybe should have won Darlington last year.

Ryan Preece - #60 Kroger/Build Submarines/Castrol/Mohawk Northeast/Fastenal Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 26th 
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 6th (2021)

2025 Playoff Prospects: This should be Preece's best chance of making the playoffs. He could be a contender on short tracks. Preece has never finished better than 23rd in the championship. He could be on his way for a personal best season. Playoffs is practical, but it will require some work.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: One must think it is a place like Martinsville, Richmond or Bristol. Iowa fits as well.

Michael McDowell - #71 GoBowling.com/B'laster/Workforce Chevrolet

Team: Spire Motorsports
2023 Championship Finish: 23rd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2021)

2024 Playoff Prospects: We know McDowell can pick up a surprise victory on a few different track disciplines. He has moved to Spire, which showed competitiveness last season. McDowell might not do enough to contend on points, but one good race is not unthinkable.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: There are nine circuits that McDowell should feel good about, the six road courses and then Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. He has more opportunities than you would first think.

Carson Hocevar - #77 Zeigler Auto Group/Delaware Life/Gainbrige/Premier Security/MINER Chevrolet

Team: Spire Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: 21st
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 40th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: The reigning rookie of the year was a surprise 21st in the championship last year. He will need to take a step forward and his teammates got stronger this season. The gap on points will be a little bit too much to overcome. It will be down to winning one race.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Hocevar won at Texas and Homestead in the Truck Series. He had top ten finishes at those tracks last year in the Cup Series. 

Shane van Gisbergen - #88 WeatherTech/Red Bull Chevrolet

Team: Trackhouse
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (12th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: This will be his Daytona 500 debut.

2025 Playoff Prospects: High since there are five road and street course races in the regular season. Van Gisbergen has the speed. If he can avoid mistakes not catch any unfortunate breaks, van Gisbergen can win and secure a playoff spot. If he doesn't win a road course race, van Gisbergen's playoff hopes are near zilch. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: It is the road courses.

Daniel Suárez - #99 Freeway Insurance/Worldwide Express/Quaker State/Kubota/Choice Privileges Chevrolet

Team: Trackhouse
2024 Championship Finish: 12th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 7th (2023)

2025 Playoff Prospects: If it wasn't for a victory in Atlanta, the second race of the season, Suárez would have been on the outside of a playoff spot. The cars can be good but the results do not always quite get there with Suárez. He will be a fringe contender.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Suárez has finished second, first and second in the last three Atlanta races.

Non-Chartered Teams

Corey LaJoie - #01 DuraMax/Take 5 Oil Ford

Team: Rick Ware Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 33rd
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 4th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: LaJoie will run a handful of races for Rick Ware Racing this season while also being a member of Amazon Prime's broadcast team.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: It is undetermined what LaJoie's races will be after Daytona.

Justin Allgaier - #40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet

Team: JR Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (1st in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 27th (2014)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Allgaier will be defending his championship in NASCAR's second division with JR Motorsports. This will be JR Motorsports' first attempt at a Cup race.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: There will be plenty of races for Allgaier to win a division below this one.

J.J. Yeley - #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet

Team: NY Racing Team
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (39th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 10th (2013)

2025 Playoff Prospects: It is unclear how many races NY Racing Team will attempt this season.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona, I guess.

Martin Truex, Jr. - #56 Bass Pro Shops Toyota

Team: TRICON Racing
2024 Championship Finish: 10th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 2nd (2016)

2025 Playoff Prospects: At the moment, Truex, Jr. is only attempting the Daytona 500, and he has locked himself into the race after being the fastest Open entry in qualifying. He has expressed interest in running a few races, but the actual total is unknown, and there is no signs it will be more than one.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: I sense it is the Daytona 500 or bust for Truex, Jr. this year.

Possible Milestone: If Truex, Jr. were to win the Daytona 500, it would come in his 21st "500" start, the most before winning the event.

Anthony Alfredo - #62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet

Team: Beard Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (15th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 27th (2024)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Alfredo ran a few races with Beard Motorsports last season, but he is only confirmed for Daytona at this moment.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Alfredo moves to the #42 Chevrolet for Young's Motorsports in NASCAR's second division this season. 

Chandler Smith - #66 Veterans Ranch Ford

Team: Garage 66
2024 Championship Finish: N/A (5th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: This could be his Daytona 500 debut.

2025 Playoff Prospects: Smith was a late change for the Garage 66 lineup after Mike Wallace was denied entry. This is a one-off for Smith.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Smith returns to the Truck Series to drive the #38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports full-time. 

B.J. McLeod - #78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

Team: Live Fast Motorsports
2024 Championship Finish: Ineligible (40th in the NASCAR Grand National Series)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 19th (2019)

2025 Playoff Prospects: McLeod only attempted the plate races last season in the Cup Series, and this year he will run those six events and the Coca-Cola 600.

Jimmie Johnson - #84 Carvana Toyota

Team: Legacy Motor Club
2024 Championship Finish: 37th
Best Daytona 500 Finish: 1st (2006, 2013)

2025 Playoff Prospects: Johnson has plans to attempt only the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Johnson was the second-fastest Open entry in qualifying, and he has clinched his 22nd Daytona 500 start.

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Daytona or Charlotte.

Possible Milestone: Johnson is 2 starts away from 700-start milestone. 

Hélio Castroneves - #91 Wendy's Chevrolet

Team: Trackhouse
2024 Championship Finish: N/A (This will be his NASCAR debut)
Best Daytona 500 Finish: This will be his Daytona 500 debut.

2025 Playoff Prospects: Castroneves has a place locked up for the Daytona 500 as the first recipient of the Open Exemption Provisional. 

Most Likely Place for a Victory: Either the Daytona 500 or the Indianapolis 500, because those are the only races on Castroneves' schedule. Not a bad schedule to have in a season. 

Possible Milestones: Castroneves will become the fifth-oldest driver to make an Daytona 500 debut. He could also join Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.

Playoff Driver Predictions

1. Christopher Bell

2. Kyle Larson

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Tyler Reddick

5. Ryan Blaney

6. Chase Elliott

7. Joey Logano

8. Chris Buescher

9. Chase Briscoe

10. Alex Bowman

11. William Byron

12. Bubba Wallace

13. Brad Keselowski

14. Ty Gibbs

15. Kyle Busch

16. Shane van Gisbergen

The first Daytona 500 qualifying race will take place tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET with the second race scheduled to run at 8:45 p.m. ET. There will be a 50-minute practice on Friday February 14 at 5:35 p.m. ET. The 67th Daytona 500 will run at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday February 16.