Posted on by Dustin Albino

JR Motorsports has dominated the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and for the second time in four years, the organization has filled three of the four Championship 4 spots. Even after 5,123 laps in 2025, storylines are plentiful entering Saturday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with it all coming down to the final 200 circuits.

The youth movement took over in 2025, with half of the Championship 4 drivers (Zilisch, Kvapil) concluding their rookie campaign. Friendships will be tested; sophomore Jesse Love is looking to upset the dominant Connor Zilisch, who’s one of Love’s best friends away from competition.

RELATED: Championship Weekend schedule | Each Championship 4 field following Martinsville

Meanwhile, a familiar foe in Justin Allgaier returns for his eighth Championship 4 appearance. The Illinois native is looking to defend his 2024 championship and become the first repeat titleholder since Tyler Reddick in 2018 and 2019.

Let’s preview each championship-contending driver and where they stand heading to Phoenix.

Connor Zilisch
2025 regular-season finish: 1st
Playoff seed: 1st

What is there to say about Zilisch that hasn’t already been said? The 19-year-old prodigy has won double-digit races (10), led laps in 20 straight starts and set the new series record for consecutive top five finishes with 18, spanning from Charlotte Motor Speedway in May to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October. (His 2.1 average finish in that span is best in series history, too.) He became the first driver in series history to win eight events in an 11-race span.

This is Zilisch’s lone shot at winning an Xfinity title as he will transition to the Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing in 2026. Phoenix is one of the few venues where he’s made multiple Xfinity starts, including a fourth-place finish in the championship race last year. In the spring race, he led two laps before dropping to 16th in the finishing order.

“We’ve been able to work on [Phoenix] for the last three or four weeks, assuming we were going to make it,” Zilisch said before his laps-led streak ended at Martinsville Speedway. “We’ve been doing a lot to make sure that we are better going back from the spring and that we execute the day and make the most of it. It’s been good so far, and I feel like we’ve gotten to a good spot, preparing myself for it.”

Justin Allgaier
2025 regular-season finish: 2nd
Playoff seed: 2nd

Coming off one of the better feel-good moments in series history last year in the “Valley of the Sun,” Allgaier is looking to play spoiler this weekend at Phoenix. The No. 7 team has three victories in 2025, with the last coming five months ago at Nashville Superspeedway.

The No. 7 team leads the league in stage wins in 2025 with 14 and is 13 laps shy of tying JRM teammate Zilisch for having the most laps led (986 vs. 973). Allgaier has finished races better than in his championship-winning season, already having four more top fives in 2025 (14) compared to 2024 (10). Along with Zilisch, Allgaier had a stress-free Martinsville, having secured a Championship 4 berth on points the previous week at Talladega Superspeedway.

Despite having seven fewer wins than the No. 88 team in 2025, Allgaier should probably be considered the favorite on Saturday evening. He has a pair of victories, 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in 30 Phoenix starts. He has six times the experience at the 1-mile track than his fellow Championship 4 contestants combined.

“We’ve stayed working on Phoenix,” Allgaier said at Martinsville. “We’ve been lucky enough to focus on what we’ve needed to focus on and go to Phoenix. It’s cool for me because all four cars at JR Motorsports are going back with stuff that I’ve run before. All the setups are derived from where we’ve been at, and I know the strengths and weaknesses of all the different options of what we do as a company.”

Jesse Love
2025 regular-season finish: 4th
Playoff seed: 4th

As Love mentioned to Jayski.com in August, he has been ridiculously consistent in 2025. Nothing overly flashy, though, for the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team, which has led nearly half of its 262 laps led in 2025 at superspeedways (129). Phoenix by no means correlates to superspeedway racing.

Despite the No. 2 team’s infrequency of pacing the field, Love’s 11.4 average finish ranks second among full-time drivers, trailing Zilisch’s 8.2. He also has the second-most top 10s in 2025 with 21, ranking just behind Zillich’s 22.

The elephant in the room, however, is Phoenix. Love is sneaky good at the venue and was leading during double overtime in last year’s championship race. He was used up by Allgaier on the restart, dropping to sixth. In three Xfinity starts at Phoenix, he has never finished worse than ninth.

“I know that we’ll be good at Phoenix,” Love said after a disappointing 23rd-place effort at Martinsville. “I know it’s one of my best race tracks. I have a lot of laps there. I put a lot of effort into it. I pride myself racing for championships and being the steady shoe. Phoenix has always rewarded that.”

Carson Kvapil
2025 regular-season finish: 7th
Playoff seed: 8th

Kvapil is aiming to follow the Daniel Hemric playbook in 2021, winning his first race en route to being crowned champion.

The short-track ace has transitioned to full-time NASCAR racing in 2025, but is racing for his livelihood as JRM announced last month that he won’t return to the team in a full-time capacity in 2026. While the No. 1 team has yet to visit Victory Lane, Kvapil has seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, on par with fellow rookies Taylor Gray and Christian Eckes. Among the Championship 4 drivers, though, he ranks the lowest in wins, top fives, top 10s, average finish (13.8) and laps led (104; 40 of those came last weekend at Martinsville).

The positive news for Kvapil is that Phoenix doesn’t measure 1.5 miles, which he believes is the biggest area of growth he still needs to make. He has just one Phoenix attempt on his resume, finishing 26th in the spring with multiple mechanical woes.

“I feel OK. I feel like there are tracks that I’d rather go to, right?” Kvapil said. “I feel like we didn’t have that great of a car and had some pretty big mechanical troubles at Phoenix earlier in the year, and we were still running 10th before we blew a rotor. Honestly, I feel like there’s no reason we can’t go outrun these guys and try to win a championship.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced Tuesday afternoon that Haas Factory Team driver Sam Mayer has been suspended from Saturday’s Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

After the checkered flag in last weekend’s playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, the No. 41 Ford driver spun Jordan Anderson Racing driver Jeb Burton into the outside wall. The two had prior contact earlier in the event, and Mayer offered pointed words about Burton in his post-race interview.

NASCAR deemed the on-track maneuver from Mayer to be in violation of Section 4.4.B of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. Mayer was eliminated from Championship 4 contention at Martinsville after finishing seventh.

The team has elected not to appeal.

“Although we are disappointed with the results, Haas Factory Team will not appeal the penalty NASCAR issued to Sam Mayer and the No. 41 team following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway,” according to the team’s social media post.

“We remain focused on finishing the season out strong at Phoenix Raceway and look forward to contending for a race win with Ryan Sieg at the wheel.”

RELATED: Phoenix schedule | Xfinity entry list for Saturday

On the Cup Series side, two crew members from the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team have been suspended for two races after the right-rear wheel detached from Cody Ware’s car during Sunday’s race at Martinsville.

Wheel detachments are a safety violation in the NASCAR rule book, and jackman De’Quan Hampton and rear-tire changer Marquill Osborne will sit out Sunday’s Cup Series championship race and February’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and Night, a next-gen media and entertainment company supporting the careers and business ventures of the world’s top creators and artists, today announced the launch of the NASCAR 25 Creator Series, a first-of-its-kind in motorsports competitive streaming series designed to bring the excitement of NASCAR 25 to millions of gaming and motorsports fans worldwide.

The Creator Series features eight of the most influential streamers and gaming personalities, who collectively reach tens of millions of fans across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Competing across a four-event series from October through February, these creators will test their skills behind the wheel:

Each race will stream live on creator channels and NASCAR’s Official Twitch, with a master NASCAR broadcast featuring commentators and professional drivers for a “RedZone-style” viewing experience.

Mamba Smith leads the broadcast and will host every race from the main NASCAR channel, while Carson Hocevar joins as a guest driver for the first event. Hocevar, who regularly streams on Twitch, continues to bridge the gap between real-world racing and digital entertainment.

Launching on Oct. 29 following the release of NASCAR 25 from iRacing Studios, the NASCAR 25 Creator Series will feature multiple races per event and celebrate standout performances with season-end accolades, including Most Valuable Driver. Fans also can participate by voting for their favorite driver throughout the season and more. Competitors will vie for a $100,000 team grand prize, with an additional $20,000 distributed in performance bonuses at the end of the season.

Fans can expect:

  • 32 live streams across creator channels
  • 100+ social activations including highlights, behind-the-scenes content and fan clips
  • NASCAR.com coverage and exclusive NASCAR social posts including an official broadcast on NASCAR’s Twitch channel
  • Custom creator racing suits, on-stream assets, and immersive fan experiences

“The NASCAR 25 Creator Series is about connecting the next generation of fans to the sport through the voices and personalities they already love online,” said Nick Rend, NASCAR VP, Interactive & Emerging Platforms. “By bringing together top-tier gaming talent with NASCAR’s high-speed action, we’re creating an entertainment experience unlike anything else in motorsports.”

“Over the last ten months we’ve worked closely with NASCAR to help them better connect with younger audiences online,” said Reed Duchscher, Night Founder & Chief Executive Officer. “The NASCAR 25 Creator Series is a first-of-its kind sports initiative that puts personality and entertainment first.”

The NASCAR 25 Creator Series debuts at 2 p.m. PT//5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Fans can tune in live on Twitch, follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #NASCARCreatorSeries, and check out additional clips and coverage on the NASCAR 25 game channels on X and Instagram after the stream.

The NASCAR 25 Creator Series marks the latest effort by NASCAR in the gaming space, where its audience continues to grow across a variety of platforms reaching over 25 million unique players YTD.

  • NASCAR World in Driving Empire on Roblox has generated more than 7 million hours of engagement time with players completing 35 million NASCAR races this year.
    • Last month, NASCAR won two Roblox Innovation Awards for Best Racing Experience and Best Collaboration with developer Voldex.
  • The sanctioning body launched five custom tracks in Fortnite’s Rocket Racing achieving No. 1 for top rated, No. 1 for most played and No. 1 for new content in each respective drop.
  • NASCAR on Forza set a record for most successful Motorsports Live activation in the history of the franchise.
  • The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series grew its viewership by 35% YoY.
  • NASCAR’s Twitch (+30%) and Discord (+45%) channels have both grown YoY.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season is in the books, and four drivers can now call themselves 2025 Division I regional champions.

Chase Johnson, David Hébert, Jacob Goede and Brendon Fries secured Weekly Series regional titles after enjoying stellar seasons in their respective parts of the country.

The 2025 season marks the fifth year NASCAR has crowned regional champions since reintroducing the regional divisions for the 2021 season. Weekly Series regional titles are awarded to the drivers who score the most points in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest and West. Each Division I regional champion earns a $15,000 bonus for his or her efforts.

Below is a closer look at the four drivers who claimed NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series regional championships.

NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I Regional Champions

Competing as a rookie in Division I of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series this year at Virginia’s Dominion Raceway, Chase Johnson enjoyed a nearly perfect season.

Racing in Dominion’s headlining American Racer Late Model class, Johnson bagged 15 wins on his way to the track championship, Virginia State championship, Southeast Region Division I championship as well as the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Josten’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Johnson is the fourth driver in five years to win the Southeast Region championship, joining past champions Connor Hall (2023-24), Layne Riggs (2022) and Peyton Sellers (2021).

The driver from Midlothian, Virginia outlasted Bowman Gray Stadium champion Tim Brown by 26 points to secure the title. They were followed in he standings by Tim Brown, Burt Myers and Mike Speeney.

For the second consecutive season, Canadian David Hébert in 2025 captured the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Northeast Region championship.

Racing at Le RPM Speedway and Autodrome Granby, Hébert secured six victories in 17 feature starts to lay claim to the Northeast Region crown. He also clinched his fourth consecutive Quebec Provincial championship this season.

Since the reintroduction of Regional championships in 2021, Hébert (2025-24), Matt Sheppard (2023) and Craig Von Dohren (2022-21) have claimed Northeast region titles.

Brian Robie, who claimed track titles at Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Motorsports Park, finished 64 points behind Hébert in second. They were followed by Steve Bernier, Samuel Charland and Jennerstown Speedway champion Barry Awtey.

Everything came together for Minnesota’s Jacob Goede in 2025.

Racing in the Late Model division at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Dells Raceway Park and Elko Speedway, Goede scored 10 wins on his way to his second NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I national championship this season.

But that wasn’t all. His incredible year also allowed him to capture his fifth straight Midwest Region crown to go along with his first track championship at LaCrosse and his second consecutive Wisconsin State championship.

Dells Raceway Park champion Mike Licthfeld finished second in the Midwest Region standings, 38 points behind Goede. Salina Highbanks Speedway champion Mitch Keeter, Adam Bendzick and Monett Motor Speedway champion Ryan Gillmore were third through fifth, respectively.

Consistency was king this season for Idaho’s Brendon Fries, who claimed his first NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series West Region championship in 2025.

Competing in the Modified division at his home track, Idaho’s Meridian Speedway, Fries captured three wins and never finished outside the top 10 in 17 races. He also captured the track championship at Meridian in addition to his second Idaho State championship.

Fries is the fourth different driver to capture the West Region championship in the last five years, joining past champions Jeff Peterson (2024-23), Neal Latham (2022) and Eric Rhead (2021).

Kyle Latham, also a Meridian Speedway regular, finished 12 points behind Fries in the West Region rankings. They were followed by James Strikwerda, Colorado State champion Michael Scott and Alex Duda.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks all 12 NASCAR Playoffs Championship 4 contenders from all three national series before a tripleheader of championship races at Phoenix Raceway.

HOW TO WATCH: NASCAR on NBC, USA | Driver Cams on HBO Max  | NASCAR on FOX, FS1, more | How to watch NASCAR on The CW

Analysis: Heim enters Phoenix with a staggering advantage, having put together the most dominant campaign across any national series this year. His 2025 season has been one for the history books, breaking the Truck Series record with 11 wins and compiling an extraordinary average finish of 5.2 — better than even Jeff Gordon’s legendary 1998 Cup Series season (5.7). More determined than ever, this championship is very much Heim’s to lose — and he very likely won’t.

Analysis: Much the same can be said about Zilisch, who has delivered one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NASCAR history with 10 wins of his own. He’ll have the tough assignment of outrunning his JR Motorsports teammates, but his raw speed has been undeniable and a cut above. A P16 at Phoenix earlier this year is the mildest of concerns, but his average finish of 8.2 this season and ability to win on diverse track types suggest he’ll be competitive regardless. The prodigy’s combination of talent, momentum and equipment makes him the clear Xfinity favorite, though his path to the title itself isn’t quite as well-paved as Heim’s.

Analysis: The cruel irony: Hamlin is arguably the fastest driver in the Championship 4 and has just about every conceivable edge (including more time to prep than anybody), yet history suggests he’ll find a way not to win. Hamlin has made the Championship 4 four times previously — all failures. (And don’t forget about how close he was in 2010.) But two career Phoenix wins (2012, 2019) prove he can win there despite not being in the upper echelon of his best tracks, and the overall strength of this team and how dialed in Hamlin has been in 2025 suggest this might actually, finally, definitely be the year.

Analysis: Byron’s clutch Martinsville victory — where he drove the race of his life and also bumped Ryan Blaney aside to win and advance — demonstrates the killer instinct required for championships that we may not have always grown accustomed to seeing from the current No. 24 driver, but definitely saw from a past one. This is a great sign for his title hopes this year and beyond, and it’s hard not to think Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle will show up to Phoenix just as locked in and full of momentum. A Bill France Cup will look good on his mantel next to a pair of Harley J. Earls.

Analysis: The defending 2024 Xfinity champion enters Phoenix positioned to potentially steal back the title from his young teammate that many are already handing it to. Allgaier’s experience is unmatched; he’s been a fixture of the Xfinity Series Championship 4 field for years, and it’s still shocking he hasn’t won more titles, as his Phoenix history is exceptional. Allgaier knows how to manage pressure and could capitalize if Zilisch makes a rookie mistake. Or he could just flat-out beat him.

Analysis: Larson squeezed into the Championship 4 on points (plus-7 above the cutline) after a near-disaster at Martinsville, but his 2025 season metrics remain elite despite a trying year for the No. 5 group. At Phoenix, Larson has one win, two poles, 10 top-fives in 22 starts, and 395 laps led with a 10.7 average finish, so he’s certainly capable. The 2021 champ brings speed, experience and proven Phoenix performance — not to mention arguably the best and most refined crew chief remaining in Cliff Daniels.

Analysis: Here’s where the list starts to get uncomfortable — because there’s an argument to be made that Briscoe, having the best postseason of any Cup driver, should be much higher. No. 19’s playoff surge has been extraordinary, and his clutch advancement to the Championship 4 in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing is an accomplishment in itself. The fact that a title would just be gravy for him (with many more shots at it surely to come in the years ahead), while anything less than a championship would be short of the goal for the other three, gives them the slight edge. But then again, the 2025 qualifying master may just have the fastest car, so it may not matter.

Analysis: Obviously, it’s tough to look past what Heim has done in the Truck Series this year, but Majeski does have an edge on him in one particular area — he beat him at Phoenix last year to land his first championship. Just goes to show you that anything is possible in these championship races, but Majeski, who hasn’t won this year compared to double-digit wins for Heim, does have a hill to climb. But it’s a familiar trek.

Analysis: Love has the deck stacked against him a bit as he tries to topple a trio of JRM teammates, but his history and talent level suggest a potential spoiler role. He’s the youngest NASCAR champion ever at 16 years old (ARCA Menards Series West), is also the 2023 ARCA champion, and it feels like the prodigy will add to his championship pedigree at the national series level as well at some point. However, he just barely made it to the Championship 4 after a really not-so-great Martinsville race, so it’s tough to see happening now. Definitely possible, but there’s quite a bit to overcome here. Expect him to have another shot next year, though. Maybe in a title defense.

Analysis: Ankrum enjoyed the best season of his career and picked up his first win since 2019, but still just made the Championship 4 by exactly one point, and he’s going to need plenty to go his way if he’s to topple Heim. Still just 24 years old, simply making the Championship 4 represents a win and raises his ceiling and profile, but winning the title would require one of the more dramatic upsets in NASCAR playoff history, as Ankrum hasn’t even led a lap since May.

Analysis: Kvapil’s Championship 4 berth is quite impressive: a rookie with zero wins, surviving on consistency and making the field after a dramatic Martinsville comeback from a spin. Kvapil could become the first Xfinity driver since Daniel Hemric to win both his first race and championship simultaneously, or win the championship without ever winning a race. The future is extremely bright for Kvapil, but he’ll have a hard time overcoming the other three elite drivers he’s competing with here. With JRM equipment, though, never say never.

Analysis: Honeycutt faces the longest odds of any Championship 4 driver, having joined his team midseason and surviving — just barely — to make the Championship 4 on a tiebreaker over Layne Riggs, finishing second at Martinsville. He’s shown flashes of talent, but his last win at any NASCAR level was in 2023 in the ARCA Menards Series West. Honeycutt’s Championship 4 appearance represents a personal victory despite the midseason chaos, but winning the title would be, perhaps, the most shocking result in NASCAR playoff history.

Posted on by Staff Report

Note: Sam Mayer has been suspended for Saturday’s Xfinity Series championship race; Haas Factory Team announced Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 41 Ford in his place.

The final race of the year takes place in the desert, where four drivers will duke it out for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love and Carson Kvapil make up this year’s Championship 4. JR Motorsports has three drivers eligible to win the title, with Allgaier looking to defend his crown in his eighth Championship 4 appearance. As for the other three, Zilisch looks to not only cap a dominant season by winning the title, but also hold off his teammate, Kvapil, to score Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors as well.

Sophomore driver Love enters the season finale, making his first-ever Championship 4 appearance, and aims to deliver Richard Childress Racing its first Xfinity Series title since 2019.

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on The CW

View the full entry list for the event:

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Arizona for the 25th and final race of the 2025 season in a four-way showdown to crown this year’s champion at Phoenix Raceway on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Corey Heim, Kaden Honeycutt, Ty Majeski and Tyler Ankrum advanced to the Championship 4 following last Friday night’s elimination race at Martinsville Speedway. Majeski, the defending series champion, will have the opportunity to win back-to-back Truck Series titles. At the same time, his three title competitors will look to hoist their first championship trophy in the “Valley of the Sun.”

Stefan Parsons will get behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in his sixth Truck Series start of the year. Short-track standout Cole Butcher is set to drive the No. 62 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota as a teammate to title contender Honeycutt.

For the final time, Matt Crafton will strap in the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford before retiring from full-time competition after the checkered flag at Phoenix.

HOW TO WATCH: NASCAR on FOX, FS1, more

See the full entry list for the event:

Posted on by Nate Ryan

With his third title last year, Joey Logano maintained a redemptive streak largely overlooked in NASCAR’s premier series.

The past five Cup Series champions were absent from the Championship 4 in the previous season: Logano (twice in 2024 and ’22), Ryan Blaney (’23), Kyle Larson (’21) and Chase Elliott (’20)

It’s a trend that has a 75% chance of continuing this year as Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson head to Phoenix Raceway in search of a championship after failing to make the title race last season. Martinsville Speedway winner William Byron is the only repeat championship contender from a 2024 field that included Blaney, Logano and Tyler Reddick.

RELATED: Cup Series standings

Blaney and Logano endured the first title-round shutout for Team Penske in four years Sunday, and they were joined by Elliott and Christopher Bell in Round of 8 ousters at Martinsville.

For those four, it’s back to the drawing board for the 2026 season — but with the knowledge that missing the Championship 4 has annually portended a bright future for at least one driver in five (and possibly six) consecutive seasons.

Here’s what was missing in the 2025 playoffs for the four stars eliminated in the Round of 8 and what areas they need to improve to advance past Martinsville next year:

CHRISTOPHER BELL

Round of 8 results: Three top-10 finishes — third at Las Vegas, eighth at Talladega, seventh at Martinsville — weren’t enough for Bell, who came up seven points short after going winless in the Round of 8 for the second consecutive season. (He advanced to Phoenix with victories in 2022 at Martinsville and in ’23 at Homestead.)

Playoffs performance: After stumbling to 29th in the opener at Darlington, Bell posted the most consistent results of any playoff driver with eight consecutive top 10s and an average finish of 7.4. But while the No. 20 team often was very good, it was only great once (in a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway) and just lacked a little speed.

For a 2025 title, less of this …: streaky appearances in Victory Lane. After three consecutive triumphs at Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas and Phoenix, Bell would go six months before his next (and final) win of 2025. Last year, all three of his wins were in the first half.

… and more of this: Laps led. Bell has been in first place for a paltry 282 laps this season — last among Round of 8 drivers by nearly 150 laps and a staggering 75% decline from 1,145 laps led in 2024.

JOEY LOGANO

Round of 8 results: Unable to muster a top five despite shots to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (finishing sixth after a strategy gamble) and Talladega Superspeedway (where he finished an inexplicable 16th after leading 35 laps). He finished second in the first stage at Martinsville but faded to eighth while failing to lead a lap as his playoff magic dissipated.

Playoffs performance: The No. 22 Ford had some moments to scare the competition — a streak of three top fives, a pole and 147 laps led in a fourth at New Hampshire, a 20th place escape act at the Roval — but was missing its usual championship speed.

For a 2025 title, less of this …: A slow start (six finishes of 12th or worse, the worst beginning to a season for a defending champion in series history).

… and more of this: Mental toughness. No driver feeds off negativity and shapes his team in an exemplary and positive manner than Logano, who might have turned his best leadership performance this season.

RYAN BLANEY

Round of 8 results: Went awry immediately with a tire failure and last-place finish at Las Vegas. Disappointment continued with a 23rd-place drafting disaster at Talladega. Still nearly overcame it all with an inspired 31st-to-second drive at Martinsville.

Playoffs performance: A feast-or-famine existence reminiscent of his regular season. Four finishes of fourth or better (with 328 laps led). Five finishes of 13th or worse (including three outside the top 20).

For a 2025 title, less of this …: Erraticism. Blaney finished all but one race in the playoffs, but the No. 12 team seemed haunted by a series-high seven DNFs during the regular season that set the tone for a roller-coaster run at the championship.

… and more of this: Dominance. When he’s on top of his game, few are better than Blaney at getting in the zone and harnessing his natural speed. Martinsville, New Hampshire and Nashville were glimpses of how good he can be out front.

CHASE ELLIOTT

Round of 8 results: A third at Martinsville — his first top five since the Round of 12 win at Kansas — was a nice recovery from an 18th at Las Vegas and 40th at Talladega that left Elliott in must-win territory.

Playoffs performance: Four top fives and four finishes outside the top 15. It seemed reflective of a regular season with a hot stretch in June and July, followed by an August-September run of five finishes outside the top 10 in six races.

For a 2025 title, less of this …: Pit stop mistakes. They ultimately weren’t the reason that Elliott missed the Championship 4, but a few issues with uncontrolled tires in the playoffs and a pit entry problem at Bristol will need to be cleaned up.

… and more of this: Victories. After only one win in 2023-24, Elliott enjoyed his first multi-win season since 2022, but he had only one race (238 laps led at Dover) when his car seemed dominant. Improved qualifying and stage finishes would help lay a nice foundation for more checkered flags.

Posted on by Staff Report

With the Championship 4 solidified, all eyes head westward as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs — and 2025 season — conclude with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Kyle Larson will battle for the coveted Bill France Cup in the desert during Championship Weekend, with three of those pilots — Briscoe, Hamlin and Byron — looking to claim their first Cup Series crown. Larson, meanwhile, will aim to win his second Cup championship; his first since 2021. Through Briscoe and Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing will vie for its first driver title since the 2019 campaign, while Hendrick Motorsports — via Byron and Larson — will look for its first since 2021.

Casey Mears closes the 2025 campaign as driver of the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford. The 47-year-old Mears has competed in four Cup Series races this season with the team, most recently finishing 33rd at Martinsville Speedway last weekend.

HOW TO WATCH: NASCAR on NBC, Peacock | Driver Cams on HBO Max

View the full entry list for the season finale:

Posted on by Zack Albert

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — William Byron said his course through the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs could have simply taken one of two forks. One path would have been to dwell on the outcome of the last two weeks and the pair of dissimilar incidents that had carved out a cavernous 36-point deficit for him in the final cutoff round.

Entering Sunday’s showdown at Martinsville Speedway and faced with near-certain elimination without a win, he took the alternate route.

Byron launched into his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance with a clutch fall flourish, prevailing in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 with a flash of dominance when he needed it most. Points virtually didn’t matter, but he maxed those out anyway with a sterling sweep of the stages from the pole position. That included the lone bonus point for turning the race’s fastest lap, which notably came on the 494th of 500 circuits, when he nailed all the Martinsville nuances down the stretch to keep a hard-charging Ryan Blaney out of Victory Lane and cemented the title-eligible field in the Phoenix Raceway finale come Sunday.

RELATED: Martinsville results | Championship 4 field set

It was enough to impress Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman and Byron’s Hall of Fame-caliber predecessor in the team’s No. 24 Chevrolet. Gordon won nine times at Martinsville, including what would be the last of his 93 Cup Series triumphs 10 years ago. Sunday, he soaked in some of those familiar cheers by association, responding post-race when fans called out his name with a fist pump and signaling the car number twice with his fingers — two, four, two, four.

That famed number is currently in Byron’s care, and he’s doing more than his share to continue its legacy.

“Unbelievable,” Gordon said post-race. “I mean, these guys have just been building something special all year long, the last several years, but this year, when you look at the ups and downs that they’ve been through — big wins, the Regular Season Championship and yet they’ve also had some struggles. And I think the way that they’ve overcome that, come together, the effort, and then to come here and perform like that, I mean, that is the best race I think I’ve ever seen this 24 car run, and couldn’t be better timing than to go next week and go for a championship.”

Martinsville has been a welcome place for Byron over the years, and his three wins here have all held greater personal significance. His first in 2022 marked a moment of reflection for his family after a recent health scare at the track for his mother, Dana. Byron’s second came last year during the zenith of Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season, with his ruby-red No. 24 Chevy leading a dramatic 1-2-3 sweep for the organization.

Sunday, the postseason stakes sweetened the pot. The dire prerace circumstances stemmed from a pair of disruptions the previous two weekends — an odd pit-cycle crash that erased his points edge at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then a final-lap spin that landed him in must-win territory after Talladega Superspeedway.

Rudy Fugle (left) claps with William Byron (R) in Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway while holding a NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs grid.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Byron called the emotions from the immediate wake “depressing” and that he was “almost numb to the result” after those two weeks. Heading to Martinsville, he made the choice not to spend much time in that headspace.

“We’re like, whatever happens, happens,” Byron said. “Yeah, I do think from start to finish, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in the race car. That’s a damn good feeling. Yeah, I think it’s been a lot of work, a lot of heartbreak this year. The (Coca-Cola) 600, different races. You just channel those things, learn from ’em. If you can learn from ’em, they become positives. They become things you lean on in the moment. For some people, they become scars and things you can’t get past. For me, I found a way to flip that script either this week or sometime during these playoffs. It went the other way.”

That feeling wasn’t just Byron’s. It was shared from veteran crew chief Rudy Fugle and the rest of the No. 24 team, which sprang over the pit wall to celebrate after the checkered flag. Fugle said worrying about what had happened in Vegas and Talladega would have been a fruitless distraction. Instead, he stoked his team’s focus to Sunday’s opportunity.

“It’s a great team win, right? It’s a testament to everybody,” said No. 24 tire carrier Ryan Patton, a multiple Cup Series champion crewmember dating back to his time on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. “We had cars capable to win the last two weeks, and it just wasn’t meant to be, and so everyone dug in and kind of took pride on the fact that the cars are prepared well from everyone back at the shop. … So to come here and to be able to do this tonight, a lot of momentum into next week. So it takes everybody, right? It takes everybody back at the shop, and then just belief all day long.”

Byron made good on that belief down the stretch, summoning a late-race surge and a winning pass on Blaney with a smidge of short-track contact with 43 laps to go. Patton called it a “career-defining win,” and Byron’s performance was among the top four in all performance metrics — passing, defense, speed and restarts — from NASCAR Insights analysis.

MORE: Blaney’s bid ends one spot short | At-track photos: Martinsville

But beyond the purely statistical view, Byron’s ability to push through in a high-pressure situation stood out. No matter how bleak his Sunday scenario seemed, the 27-year-old ace tuned out any negative chatter and moved another step closer to reaching his season-long goals in his third try at the Phoenix finale.

Another career-defining moment is now within reach.

“I have a friend of mine that told me this week, he said, ‘No moment has ever been too big for you.’ As a competitor, you don’t really realize that,” Byron said. “Like, you only view it in your eyes as every opportunity. You only kind of look at it as missed opportunities, things you could get better at. Yeah, I feel like this week, this weekend, it’s just trying to maximize the chance you have in front of you ’cause you never know when the next one’s going to come. Even though you think you’re going to be there all these times, you never know.

“You want to give everything you can to it. I felt good coming into here that I had given everything. Once you get in between the lines, in between the walls, you’re going to give everything. You’ve just got to go out there and do your thing.”