Although Chase Johnson in 2025 came up a few points short of becoming the youngest NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion in history, the 17-year-old driver had plenty to celebrate at the end of the year.
Not only did Johnson earn a track championship at Dominion Raceway in Woodford, Virginia, but he also obtained Rookie of the Year at both the national level and within the southeast region. He accomplished these feats by accumulating 15 victories and 21 top fives across 26 features.
Johnson is disappointed over not being able to usurp Jacob Goede for the national title, but he considers himself fortunate to even be in that conversation. Claiming the national and regional Rookie of the Year honors is something Johnson knows reflects the hard work put in by everyone on his team.
“At the beginning of the year, [Rookie of the Year] was the goal,” Johnson said. “We knew it was going to be tough trying to get that. We ended up getting lucky and falling into having a chance at winning the national [championship] there toward the middle of the year.”
With his family possessing plenty of accolades in motorsports themselves, Johnson had long been eager to follow in their footsteps.
Johnson’s grandfather Cal was one of NASCAR’s pioneers; he competed in countless events in the 1950s and 1960s, including two NASCAR Cup Series starts. Cal passed down his love for racing to his son Eddie, whose accomplishments include numerous track championships in Virginia and a pair of Late Model Stock Car victories at Martinsville Speedway.
Eddie continued the family tradition first through his oldest son Chris, a seasoned Late Model Stock competitor in the southeast. When it came time for the younger Johnson to start competing in the same discipline, he did so with Eddie’s familiar white and blue No. 57.
After getting acclimated to full-bodied stock cars at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia in 2023, Johnson turned his attention to Dominion’s Limited Late Model class for 2024. He amassed a stellar rookie year at Dominion, securing the Limited Late Model title in convincing fashion with five victories.
Johnson’s next move was to advance to Dominion’s premier Late Model class. He tempered his expectations going into 2025 but was optimistic putting his family’s equipment to the test against Dominion’s veterans and other young competitors.
What followed was an efficient, championship campaign that surprised many at Dominion, including Johnson himself.
“I knew there was going to be a good amount of competition and quite a few drivers that were going to be tough to beat,” Johnson said. “Conner Weddell, Davey Callihan, Aaron Donnelly and Dan Rogers [are some of] the good ones you have to go and beat.
“We go against a lot of great competition. To do what we did was big for us and gave us a lot of confidence going into next year.”
Johnson’s consistency rocketed him to the top of both Dominion’s Late Model standings and the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national points, a position he held for most of 2025. Entering the final weekend of eligibility, Johnson needed to gain two points on Goede to obtain a national title.
An issue at Dominion ultimately prevented Johnson from tacking on a national championship to his amazing rookie year. Despite this, Johnson was proud of everything he and his team accomplished throughout 2025 and is optimistic his early consistency is a positive indicator for where his career is heading.
“It hurt a little bit to lose [the national championship], but in all reality, it was amazing just to have a shot at it,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of how we took it, and it’s only going to make us work harder for it next year when we try to race for it again.”
In earning his two Rookie of the Year awards, Johnson brought in an extra $3,500 — $2,000 of which stems from his national honors while the other $1,000 comes from being the best rookie in the southeast region. Johnson also received an extra $3,500 for his Division I track championship at Dominion.
Johnson is already building upon his family’s solid foundation in motorsports previously established by Cal, Eddie and Chris. Becoming a national Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series was not an easy process for Johnson, but he looks forward to building upon the knowledge he has acquired while progressing in full-bodied stock cars.
“[I learned a lot about] being smart,” Johnson said. “It took me a long time in Limiteds to learn that you can’t win it on Lap 1. You’ve got to be smart, methodical and can’t do more than what your car gives you.
“It’s an honor to win [national Rookie of the Year], and I’m glad to add my name to the list of elite drivers that have won that award.”
Johnson was not the only driver to obtain Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Below are the other newcomers who put together solid seasons in their respective regions.
NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I Regional Rookies of the Year
West Rookie of the Year: Cody Brown – The battle for West Rookie of the Year came down to the closing stages with Cody Brown edging out Jordan Stevens by two points. Brown spent his 2025 season competing in Pro Late Models at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning the track championship with five victories to his name.
Midwest Rookie of the Year: Mike Lichtfeld – No one in Dells Raceway Park’s Late Model class was as efficient as Mike Lichtfeld. In 15 features, Lichtfeld only finished outside the top 10 once, with his consistency allowing him to obtain six victories and the track championship, all while placing second in the national Midwest standings behind Jacob Goede.
Northeast Rookie of the Year: Logan Watt – A busy 2025 for Logan Watt saw him spend plenty of time at Grandview Speedway in the facility’s Modified class. Watt ended up tallying two Grandview victories, which was crucial towards him edging out aspiring Modified competitor Jacob Burns for Rookie of the Year honors in the northeast.