Was the 2025 season a sign of things to come, or can it get better from here?
Now that the dust and emotions have settled, it’s time we tackle the question that burns the hottest. This season was chock full of disappointment, valid complaints, and most of all, legal battles.
NASCAR Cup Series viewership continued to tank while the NASCAR Xfinity Series drew more eyes than ever, and the highest level of the sport overall continued to trend in the same direction it has for the past few seasons. However, we reached a new low in 2025, and NASCAR realized it.
The company realized this so much that we’re preparing for sweeping changes in 2026, complete with a horsepower increase and a reportedly new postseason format that may be trending toward a Chase-style format rather than the full 36-race points setup.
However, will that be enough? The ongoing legal battle between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR still appears bound for trial, even as some sources claim a settlement could be imminent. The teams have seen some massive wins in that regard in recent weeks, so why would they settle?
Without finding out the result of that court case, it’s hard to pinpoint where NASCAR goes from here. However, it knows things have to change soon, because a repeat of 2025 next season will be categorically horrible for the sport as a whole, not just the racing on Sundays.
NASCAR’s issue isn’t within its courts or within its garage. NASCAR’s most glaring issue is with the snoozefest that takes place on the track nearly every weekend with this car in its current setup.
That’s before we even begin to discuss the broadcast schedule. Streaming absolutely opens up the sport to new markets, but channel-hopping throughout the season does not bode well for continuity. Fans don’t want to have to channel surf each weekend to find a race. However, the TV deal is one of the things the sport can’t change right now, which puts it near the bottom of my priority list. You wait until that deal is up, though, and that will change.
Add as many tracks as you want, throw as much horsepower at the car as you can. But if the product on the track and on the screens each week doesn’t get fixed soon, the sport may be in more trouble than most would care to admit.
5 Points to Ponder: NASCAR Championship Weekend Was a Wild Success (at Achieving a Questionable Goal)
Who got screwed worse, Denny Hamlin or Connor Zilisch?
After what might be the most devastating championship loss in NASCAR history, Denny Hamlin showed up for media availabilities a few days later, still looking absolutely dejected. And who could blame him? If there was ever a year for him, this was it.
Similarly, Connor Zilisch was downcast after losing the Xfinity championship. In fact, it reportedly cost Zilisch a test opportunity in another series due to coming up just short on FIA points. Both took their moments with the car to gather their thoughts and have been in higher spirits since.
There should be no question that these two were hurt by this year’s playoffs more than anyone, but it was how it happened in both cases that upset viewers at home. Zilisch put together one of the most dominant seasons in Xfinity history, and Hamlin found himself in victory lane six times, more than any other driver this season in the Cup Series.
But when it comes to who got the worst end of the stick, there really is only one answer: Zilisch. Hamlin had all the eyeballs, and don’t get me wrong, his situation is still bad. But Zilisch was the best pound-for-pound driver each time he pulled onto the track this year, even though he missed a few races due to injury. He racked up double-digit wins and still didn’t get to claim the championship. Imagine if Hamlin did the same in the Cup Series. There might have been a driver revolt at the awards ceremony.
Whether Hamlin returns next season or not isn’t factored into this, but I do know I would like to see him take one more stab at getting that elusive championship.
How vital will the NAScourt ruling be this offseason?
In short, it could change the sport as we know it.
In, well, not-so-short, this court case surrounding the charter system looks to tear it down from the inside. I’ve discussed it ad nauseam in this column over the duration of this season, and I will more than likely continue to do so whenever necessary.
We recently got our first look at NASCAR’s financials over the last few seasons, and the data since the charter system was implemented has been nothing short of staggering. Keep in mind, too, that more discovery is on the way. The judge in the case recently gave the teams a pair of big wins by dismissing a couple of NASCAR’s claims, which doesn’t bode well for anyone still hoping for a settlement.
I’ve said for months that if there’s ever been any NASCAR offseason development to pay attention to, it’s this one. Silly Season is always fun, but this has more to do with the sport in general than a driver simply inking a new deal with another team.
If I had to make a prediction today, I would bet that the teams now have their full support behind taking this case to trial, even if it winds up in appellate court immediately afterward. Their momentum cannot be denied, both in the court of public opinion and now in the court of law.
If I leave you with one piece of parting information before we look toward the offseason, it’s this: Pay attention to how this case plays out, no matter what else you do with your own well-earned break.
Will I be back for this column in 2026?
Absolutely. When I was moved over to this column midway through this season, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found was an audience and a column that completely revitalized my love for working here at Frontstretch and the audience it caters to.
If you’ve ever taken a scroll through one of these columns this year, thank you. And especially thank you if you’re one of the returning commenters. I read through the previous week’s posts every time I sit down at my desk to think about the next week’s content, and having the community you’ve all built around this column each week has made it all the more fun.
Whether NASCAR looks the same in 2026 or not, we’ll still be here asking the four most significant questions in the sport ahead of each race weekend. I’ll still be here being a little bit of a smartass. And I hope you’ll all still be here to talk about it, correct my grammar now and then, and have a little fun while we’re at it.
Every writer will say this, but I truly think we have the best audience in the world here at Frontstretch. Thank you for helping us grow, and thank you for reading week in and week out. The sport is better because of fans like you who care about it so deeply.
We’ll talk soon, Frontstretch family.
Tanner Marlar is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated’s OnSI Network, a contributor for multiple automotive news outlets, an award-winning sports columnist and talk show host, and a PhD. student at a premier college of media and mass communication. Tanner began working with Frontstretch in 2022, covering the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for Hamlin personally (He can be such a Richard-head), but the whole 11 team was as good as anyone this year, and better than most. That will get you in the final four, but you’re there with a 25% chance of winning the trophy against three other teams that are at least legitimate contenders for the title. Odds are, the best team will lose the championship more often than winning it. Was Logano’s team last year’s best? I rest my case.
Who got screwed? Neither. Both were beaten by someone who had a better day…just like “stick and ball sports.” And it appears that because of a surprise winner in 2 of the 3 events…remember we went to this system because Nascar believes that race fans want drama and chaos…why is everyone complaining about what they got on Sunday? Or does Nascar not really fit the ‘stick and ball sport’ approach. We got exactly what this Playoffs system was designed to create. I don’t get the schitzophenic reactions from the media and from fans.
True, who should win doesn’t always win. And the guy who dominates all season doesn’t mean they will dominate in the final race.
I think you’re hearing the discontent from fans who never liked nor bought into the playoff system for NASCAR. The media latches onto that discontent because it gets more clicks.
Great article thank you for your honesty not like those robots on Sirius Radio Hopefully the next thing to be addressed in the off season is to allow the teams some more latitude within the current rule book They want to fix the product on the track they need to allow the teams to make changes required not the suits who have never driven the car
Hey Tanner, I fired a shot across your bow awhile back, and wanted to clear the air. It seemed we had dueling sarcasm in the comments. I do appreciate your articles, and I do enjoy your sense of humor and perspective.
Completely agree Zilisch (and arguably Allgaier) got the worst of the current system. They were the two dominant cars all year, with Zilisch destroying the win column, and Allgaier showing a little less speed but with more consistency than Zilisch. Hamlin had a great season, but was far from being dominant.
I’m watching the court proceedings as well. The fallout potential is massive, and could absolutely shape the future of the sport.
On the season front, I’m hoping sanity prevails, and the completely arbitrary method of determining a champion is scrapped, as well as the scheduled cautions for stages.
Otherwise, I’ll probably keep up with the sport via Frontstretch rather than watching the races, as the current system makes watching every week pointless to me. I may as well just watch the last stage of the last race, or even from the last caution of the last stage of the last race.
I appreciate you my guy! And I know we all appreciate you keeping up to date via our content. It’s the reason we do what we do. Thanks for reading!