NASCAR Xfinity Series 2025 season in review

Editor's note: This is a roundup in which we review the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Check out our index of 2025 driver recaps.  2025 Xfinity Series Champion: Jesse Love 2025 Regular Season Champion: Connor Zilisch Full-time winners: 9 (Connor Zilisch, 10; Austin Hill, 4; Justin Allgaier, 3; Jesse Love, 2; Brandon Jones, 2; Taylor Gray, 1; Sammy Smith, 1; Sam Mayer, 1; Nick Sanchez, 1) Wins by team: JR Motorsports, 17; Joe Gibbs Racing, 6; Richard Childress Racing, 6; Hendrick Motorsports, 2; Haas Factory Team, 1; Big Machine Racing, 1 How 2025 ended: Entering Phoenix Raceway, all signs seemingly pointed to JR Motorsports capturing its second driver championship in as many seasons. After all, three JR Motorsports wheelmen -- Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil -- made up the 2025 Championship 4. The fourth title contender -- Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love -- had something to say about that. Though the Zilisch-Allgaier duo led a combined 111 laps and seemingly had the inside track to the title triumph in the 2025 finale, it was an inside maneuver by Love on Lap 176 that proved to be the difference maker, with Richard Childress Racing prevailing to capture its first driver title since 2019. For JR Motorsports, it was an emotional gut punch. For Love, it marked his first championship crown and completed a storybook year that saw the California native start the season with a victory (Daytona) and end with one, too. RELATED: 2025 Xfinity Series standings Best race: Collaboration comes in many shapes, and the summer race at Daytona International Speedway is one memorable example. Zilisch, who broke his collarbone two weeks prior at Watkins Glen International and was looking to ease back into action, began the race and, while under caution, switched out with part-timer Parker Kligerman on Lap 13. Being credited with the points would have been a victory in itself, but instead, Kligerman wheeled the No. 88 Chevy to Victory Lane, officially netting Zilisch the race win on top of it all. "I feel honored to have gotten the call to grace the seat that he's been in, that Kyle Larson's been in. … For me, it's such a 'me' thing that this will not be on Racing Reference at all," Kligerman said. Other season highlights: Boy, there were plenty. A return to Mexico City for the first time since 2008 -- and hometown hero Daniel Suárez winning after starting last -- was plenty memorable. A bout at Pocono Raceway resulted in Zilisch -- with team co-owner Dale Jr. filling in as crew chief -- besting his good friend Love. How about Nick Sanchez triumphing in a thriller at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) for his first career Xfinity win? Zilisch vs. Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma Raceway, anyone? Among many others. Stat to know: Connor Zilisch tallied 10 wins, the most by a driver in the series since Kyle Busch in 2016. Zilisch really took off come the dog days of summer, winning seven of eight races -- including four straight -- spanning July to September. Such a season culminated with the Regular Season Championship, the first to be achieved by a series rookie. Quotable: "I'm the champion now, right? I'm gonna try my best to do it like Justin has. Justin Allgaier is such a phenomenal person, and he can compartmentalize it really well, where he can go be the hardest competitor on the race track and still get out of the car and be a phenomenal human being first. I say I'm gonna try and be like Justin next year and represent the series like how he has. I've learned a lot from him, and he's an amazing person. I actually lean on him a lot more than people probably realize, too, even in how to navigate the championship this year. He's just a great person." -- Jesse Love on wanting to be a model champion like Justin Allgaier. MORE: 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule | Buy tickets Looking ahead: With the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series officially entering the fold, 2026 is expected to bring plenty of vibrancy. Branding -- and fresh track venues -- will not be the only change, though; Zilisch will transition to the full-time Cup Series ranks, immediately giving the 2026 driver field a different feel. Even still, expect a deep pilot pool next season, and Love will look to lead the way, attempting to go back-to-back in the title department. There is a pathway for it, but the question is: How will the rest of the field respond?