A Look Back at the 2025 NASCAR Season

December 14, 2025

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December 14, 2025 | Edition #501

👋 Hey, Motorhead!

2025 is coming to an end soon, and what a year it was for NASCAR fans. Recently, all our attention was diverted toward the all-important lawsuit, and rightly so. But now that the dramatic court case is resolved, we can take a look back at the NASCAR season and the moments we missed that might shape the 2026 season.

This year was indeed special for NASCAR fans. It all began with a season-opening race at Bowman Gray, and the O'Reilly and Truck Series also returned to Rockingham Speedway. Apart from bringing the legacy track back into the scene, NASCAR made some giant strides this year.

Amazon Prime Video became a partner and streamed five Cup races. While there has been pushback against streaming giants’ venture into NASCAR, it did pretty well on its debut. Who can forget Ross Chastain's clutch win at the Coca-Cola 600? Not to forget, they even developed a wholesome documentary on NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt.

Adding to these changes was the in-season tournament, and it brought life to the part of the season that was usually dull. The street race in Chicago finally had good weather, but as far as racing goes, it wasn’t a big deal. Although a trip down south to Mexico City was a big leap, it looked like a meaningful effort to expand NASCAR’s footprint.

The playoffs, like every year, brought the most excitement to the season. Bristol, Kansas, Talladega, and Phoenix all lived up to their billing and delivered some great races. However, the championship race in Phoenix once again ignited debates about the format. This was a big year in terms of learning and experimenting for NASCAR. And going by the schedule for 2026, it seems like they are listening to what fans are saying.

However, there’s still one big mystery that hasn’t been solved yet. We know that NASCAR is moving away from the one-race championship, but the playoffs are likely to continue. Given the pushback the current format received, a band-aid fix or simple tweaks won’t be enough to crown the next NASCAR champion.

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NASCAR drivers are probably the toughest athletes in any major sport. But even they can’t control their emotions and reveal their true self after reaching a milestone or bagging that all-important win. Needless to say, we can’t add every tiny moment, but we’ve handpicked a few that stood out.

Daniel Suarez had a tough outing with the No. 99 team and Trackhouse Racing. In his contract year, with no clarity about his future, the race in his home country was the perfect remedy. He jumped into the JRM Chevy for the O’Reilly Series race and staged an impressive comeback to win the race. Starting from the tail end to embracing the love of his amigos at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Suarez found joy in what was a torrid period in his racing career. Here’s the video for you to revisit one of the wholesome moments of 2025.

While Suarez had his shining moment before departing from Trackhouse, Bubba Wallace rejuvenated his career with a memorable win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There had been a lot of talk about Bubba becoming second fiddle at 23XI Racing behind his teammate, Tyler Reddick. But he shifted this narrative with a clutch win at the Brickyard.

Wallace had to do it all against Kyle Larson in a double-overtime finish to become the first Black driver to win at the oval track in Indy. “To be the best, you have to beat the best,” Wallace said in an emotional interview after the race. It is indeed rare to see a driver open up about their struggles after reaching a milestone win. But this interview by Bubba helped us understand the mental fortitude it takes to compete at the top level.

Last but not least, we have Denny Hamlin’s emotional win from Las Vegas. Hamlin isn’t a fan favorite, well, that goes without saying. But something changed between him and the fans this year. After bagging his 60th career Cup win in Vegas and clinching a spot to race for the championship, he didn’t rile up the grandstands with, “I beat your favorite driver.” Rather, he couldn’t help but shed a tear and appreciate the fans for cheering him on during his milestone achievement. Here, revisit the emotional moment if you haven’t already.

This wasn’t the only instance where Hamlin had to hold back his tears. Just before the finale in Phoenix, he was struggling to speak when asked about the Gibbs family and how special it would be to win the championship for them. Although the title story isn’t complete yet, Hamlin showed his human side to the fans, which just might mend his ties with them heading into a new season.

NASCAR is known for dramatic last-lap finishes, and this edition wouldn’t be complete without them. The 2025 season had a fair few moments when things went down to the wire. Sometimes the favorites won, but not always. So let us take a look at some of the best clutch wins from this season.

A lot of people were questioning Chase Elliott and his performance with the No. 9 team. But he did his talking on the racetrack. A win in Atlanta secured his spot in the playoffs, but the most defining moment of his season came at Kansas Speedway. During the overtime finish, the HMS star was ninth on the restart, but as the field took the white flag, he found himself inside the top five.

It was Toyotas fighting up front for the win. Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace, all going for the last-lap move. Coming off the backstretch, Hamlin ran Bubba up the wall, and exiting Turns 3 and 4, it looked like he had the win. Yet there was a final twist in the tale; Elliott was right behind them, and he filled the gap. Hamlin tried to close down the No. 9 car, but he was a little too late, as Elliott bumped him out of the way to take the checkered flag. Relive the heart-pounding finish from the Kansas Race.

Nothing beats a nail-biting finish at a superspeedway track, and the regular-season finale at Daytona delivered on that front. With two laps to go, it looked like Cole Custer would clinch it for the Haas Factory Team, but he got too busy in his battle with Justin Haley, who was a contender as well. Blaney hugged the wall, built the momentum he needed, and dashed his way to the start-finish line.

The Penske driver was nowhere to be seen and was mired in traffic just before the chaos unfolded during the final laps. We knew that races at Daytona are unpredictable, but Blaney’s win stamped a seal on it. Here’s the video of the blockbuster finish.

Our next pick isn’t a win, but a winning move by Kyle Larson and his team during the championship race at Phoenix Raceway. By all means, Hamlin had the advantage of staying up front for the overtime finish. But on the money stop, the No. 11 team got beat by Cliff Daniels’ bold gamble. Instead of four tires, Larson opted for a quick two-tire stop, and that was enough to keep Hamlin in his rearview mirror.

For Hamlin and his team, this was another heartbreaking end to winning the Bill France Trophy. But Larson added another championship trophy to his collection.

Not every team and driver was able to live up to expectations during the 2025 NASCAR season. Some couldn’t continue their domination, while others simply didn’t show up to compete.

For the first time in the Next Gen era, Team Penske wasn’t able to reach the final four. Ryan Blaney was the most consistent driver for them, but even he couldn’t script a comeback at Martinsville like he usually does. Had it not been for eight DNFs this year, Blaney could’ve done better.

Joey Logano didn’t really step up, even in the knockout stages. A 15th-place average finish tells us that his team needs a big boost heading into 2026. Austin Cindric had a similar problem and wasn’t able to get past the Round of 12. Needless to say, the Penske camp will have to go back to the drawing board and come prepared for next year.

RFK Racing joins its fellow Ford team on this list. They failed to register a single win since the formation of the team in 2022. Optimism was high with a third charter and Ryan Preece’s entry into the team, but none of their three cars made it to the playoffs. That’s a tough look for a team that was aiming to compete against the top teams for wins and a title.

There is an element of luck attached to this disappointing run, and it holds true when talking about Brad Keselowski. The veteran driver was passed for the win seven times in 2025. “We had a few flashes, but didn’t get any wins. So, you know, that’s what we need to do in this sport right now. It’s what it rewards,” Keselowski said after the final race in Phoenix.

This upset list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Kyle Busch. Nothing seems to work in favor of Rowdy—literally nothing. We saw early positive signs of the No. 8 team heading in the right direction during the COTA race early in the season. But consistency has hampered this team. It has been more than 80 races since Busch last won, and given the current trend, it feels like this number could keep climbing.

Daniel Suarez also had a tough year, which resulted in his exit from Trackhouse Racing. With nine DNFs and lackluster performances, Suarez couldn’t find his feet this year. The good news is that he’s found a seat at Spire Motorsports, and they are expanding aggressively to become a competitive team.

It’s not just Busch and Suarez—the likes of Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, and Erik Jones will have to do some soul-searching this offseason.

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