On Feb. 16, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Sequence season will start with the 67th operating of the Daytona 500. With a brand new season comes new alternatives for each driver within the subject.
Listed here are 10 way-too-early predictions for the 77th season of NASCAR Cup Sequence racing:
Kyle Busch will get again into victory lane
One of many larger underlying tales in the course of the 2024 season was the struggles of two-time champion Busch. He suffered his first winless season in 2024, lacking the playoffs within the course of. Nevertheless, Richard Childress Racing appeared to show the nook late in 2024, and Busch’s expertise makes him a risk to win on any weekend. He’ll try to interrupt his 57-race winless streak by profitable his first Daytona 500 on Feb. 16.
Bubba Wallace returns to the playoffs
After profitable a race in each 2021 and 2022 and making the playoffs for the primary time in 2023, Wallace stagnated in 2024. He went winless for the second 12 months in a row and didn’t make the postseason subject. That led to Bootie Barker — Wallace’s crew chief over the previous 4 seasons — stepping down. Charles Denike, who led Christian Eckes to the Truck Sequence Championship 4 in 2024, will take the reins of the No. 23 staff in 2025. With a brand new crew chief on the helm, massive issues will likely be anticipated of Wallace.
Denny Hamlin’s profession will begin to take a downturn
Over the previous decade, few Cup Sequence drivers have been as harmful as Hamlin, who has made 4 appearances within the Championship 4 over the previous 11 seasons. The unhealthy information? Hamlin has been bounced within the Spherical of 8 in each season (2022-2024) because the creation of the Subsequent Gen automobile in 2022. His profession is in its twilight years, and he hasn’t finished a lot lately to shake his picture as a driver who cracks below strain. With the surface noise of 23XI Racing’s lawsuit as a distraction, Hamlin may see his efficiency take an enormous dip in 2025.
Championship hangover will chunk Joey Logano
There are two statistics that can be utilized to foretell poor efficiency from Logano in 2025. The sillier model is the truth that he has by no means made the Championship 4 in an odd-numbered 12 months, whereas the second is far more actual: Over the previous two seasons, the No. 22 automobile has been sluggish. As clutch as Logano was to win the title in 2024, he would not have hoisted the Invoice France Cup with out a large variety of well timed moments. Logano’s third championship banner covers up the truth that the No. 22 staff is not as massive of a risk to win weekly because it as soon as was. Do not be shocked if Logano is preventing simply to make the postseason subject in 2025.
Shane van Gisbergen will run away with Rookie of the 12 months
Assuming van Gisbergen and Riley Herbst are the Rookie of the 12 months candidates, the battle for the award will likely be intriguing. Van Gisbergen is a veteran driver with an unbelievable road-racing skill, whereas Herbst boasts extra stock-car expertise. Nevertheless, van Gisbergen’s skill to study on the fly was apparent throughout his Xfinity Sequence marketing campaign in 2024, and if he can discover his manner into victory lane at a street course, he’ll sew up the award simply.
Ryan Preece will miss the playoffs in first 12 months with RFK Racing
Preece’s alternative with RFK Racing will likely be his finest likelihood at Cup Sequence success but. RFK would be the first steady, profitable group that Preece will stroll into, however there will likely be rising pains. In his first 12 months because the pilot of the No. 60 Ford, Preece will miss the playoff subject by a slim margin.
Todd Gilliland will blossom as chief at Entrance Row Motorsports
With veteran Michael McDowell leaving for Spire Motorsports,. will probably be a fourth-year driver Gilliand taking on because the group’s most tenured driver. Noah Gragson is Gilliland’s solely confirmed teammate for 2025, however 2024 Cup Sequence rookie Zane Smith is anticipated to be signed by the staff within the coming weeks. Gilliland has improved in each season of his profession and will take an enormous step in 2025. Do not be stunned if he’s in competition for a playoff spot in August.
Kyle Larson will lead the Cup Sequence in wins
Larson missed the Championship 4 in 2024, which ought to function motivation for the No. 5 staff to make a championship push in 2025. Regardless of not making the ultimate spherical of the playoffs, Larson gained six races in 2024 — probably the most of any driver — and led 1,700 laps. The No. 5 staff has been elite since coming again to life with Larson in 2021 (23 wins and 6,043 laps led). In 2025, Larson will lead the Cup Sequence in wins for the third time in 5 years.
Spire Motorsports can have no less than one automobile make the playoffs
Do not look now, however Spire Motorsports is on the rise. A staff consisting of second-year driver Carson Hocevar, fourth-year driver Justin Haley and veteran Michael McDowell is without doubt one of the most subtly stable lineups within the Cup Sequence. Hocevar could present the staff’s finest alternative at a playoff berth, however do not rely out McDowell or Haley, each of whom have gained at superspeedways within the Cup Sequence.
For the third straight 12 months, Ryan Blaney will make the Championship 4
Over the previous two seasons, Blaney has develop into one in every of NASCAR’s elite. His 2023 championship was practically defended in 2024 earlier than Blaney got here up simply shy to Penske teammate Joey Logano. In 2025, the No. 12 staff will solely proceed to enhance. Do not be stunned if Blaney units a career-best mark in race wins and laps led en path to a 3rd consecutive Championship 4 look.
