On Sunday (Feb. 16), the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season will officially kick off with the running of the 67th Daytona 500.
Quite a few changes took place in the Cup garage over the offseason. From driver and team changes to fresh tracks and even new ways to score points, here’s an overview of everything that’s new in the Cup Series for 2025.
New Faces in New Places
A few Cup teams had to host orientation this offseason. The most notable driver change occurred at Joe Gibbs Racing, where Daytona 500 pole winner Chase Briscoe filled the vacant seat left by 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. The opportunity is Briscoe’s best in Cup to date, and his speed in this week’s qualifying session is an encouraging sign.
One of NASCAR’s most historic teams also welcomed a fresh face for 2025. After Harrison Burton moved down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2025, Josh Berry signed with Wood Brothers Racing to run the iconic No. 21 Ford. After racing for a Stewart-Haas Racing organization in 2024 that was at the end of its rope, the Wood Brothers should provide Berry with some stability at the Cup level.
Another SHR refugee is Noah Gragson, who moved to Front Row Motorsports following the departure of Michael McDowell. Speaking of McDowell, he moved to Spire Motorsports — which like FRM will run three Cup cars in 2025 — where he’ll provide a veteran presence at an otherwise young organization.
Ryan Preece is the final SHR transplant, with the Berlin, Conn., native joining RFK Racing’s new third Cup entry in 2025.
The remnants of SHR belong to Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team’s No. 41 car. After his first Cup tenure bore little fruit, Custer dropped down to the Xfinity Series for 2023 and 2024. Now, the 2023 Xfinity champion is back in the Cup Series with more experience and confidence.
Half of Spire’s aforementioned young duo is 25-year-old Justin Haley, who will be full time with Spire in 2025 after running the final seven races of 2024 with the team. Like Berry, Haley is hoping for stability as he races for his third team in three seasons.
After an offseason full of speculation, Zane Smith returns for his second Cup season in a reunion with FRM. Smith won the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with FRM, and the team picked him up after he was released from his contract with Trackhouse Racing. After a slow start to his rookie year, Smith’s solid second half should provide him with a dose of momentum going into 2025.
The rookie class for 2025 features drivers on both ends of the rookie spectrum. While 25-year-old Riley Herbst has taken the more traditional path to the Cup Series, 35-year-old Shane van Gisbergen will only be in his second year of full-time stock car racing. The Rookie of the Year battle between these two drivers should be intriguing all the way down to the final lap at Phoenix Raceway.
New Networks, Broadcast Booths
Two new networks will join FOX and NBC as Cup broadcast partners in 2025.
First up will be Amazon Prime, which will begin broadcasting Cup races at the Coca-Cola 600 in May and cover a five-race slate that will end at Pocono Raceway on June 22.
TNT will take over for the next five races, beginning on June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and going through the Brickyard 400 on July 27.
With the new partners comes a new broadcast booth for both. Adam Alexander, who headed TNT’s Cup coverage from 2010 to 2014, will return as the lap-by-lap announcer, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte flanking him in the booth for the 10-race stretch.
International Affairs
The last time the Cup Series held a points race outside the United States, a 21-year-old kid named Richard Petty made his Cup debut. In 2025, the Cup Series will travel south of the border to Mexico City.
On June 15, the first Cup race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will be held, and it’s sure to be one of the most intriguing races of the new season. A brand new venue always throws a wrench into things, and while NASCAR as a whole isn’t new to the track, most of the Cup field will be.
Speed Pays
Leading the most laps may not pay points anymore, but in 2025, running the fastest lap will. On Feb. 4, NASCAR announced the Xfinity Fastest Lap, which will pay one bonus point to the driver and team that lays down the fastest lap in every national series race.
The award also entails a monetary reward, paying $30,000 in the Cup Series. The regular-season championship was decided by a single point in 2024, so don’t be so quick to dismiss what may seem like a relatively vain rule. The 36 extra points on the line over the course of the season may have an impact on the championship.
July Madness
Another new tweak to the Cup calendar is the addition of an in-season tournament. Similar to the NBA’s in-season tournament that debuted in 2023. NASCAR will begin its tourney at the June 28 race at Atlanta. The Chicago street course, Sonoma Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will round out the five-race challenge, which will begin with the top 32 drivers in Cup points at Atlanta.
The eligible field will then be cut in half after each race until one winner is left standing following the Brickyard 400 on July 27.
The winner of the in-season tournament will receive a $1 million prize for their troubles. The tournament is a way for NASCAR to promote the sport and rev up interest in the Cup Series during what is usually a relatively stale summer slate.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.
i don’t see nascar drive listed anywhere, is that not going to be available this season.