Corey Day adjusting to NASCAR transition: ‘We’re starting to see that progression’

Posted on October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 by Dustin Albino

Editor’s note: This is Part II of a two-part series detailing the No. 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series team and Corey Day. Part I can be read here.

Hendrick Motorsports is known to gamble on young prospects. Two of its current superstars in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs — Chase Elliott and William Byron — were brought in-house at a young age.

Next in line is Corey Day. The 19-year-old dirt-racing stud caught the eye of 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson a few years ago while racing in a dirt midget. They soon competed against each other in sprint cars, and the rapid success of his California neighbor was noticeable.

RELATED: Corey Day NASCAR stats

Larson hyped Day to NASCAR Hall of Famer and HMS vice chairman Jeff Gordon. Gordon, another California native, knew Day’s father, Ronnie, who competed in sprint cars on the West Coast. When Gordon ran laps in a United States Auto Club (USAC) midget for the first time in 30 years around the dirt track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021, it was the young phenom who gave him pointers.

Two years later, Day won his first World of Outlaws at Silver Dollar Speedway. Ronnie immediately received a text from Gordon, asking if his son was ready to make the transition to pavement racing.

“When you have a guy like Kyle who is racing on the track with [Day] and saying those types of things, it certainly gets our attention for when we start looking down the road at up-and-coming drivers,” Gordon said. “It’s not that we were planning for that, but when somebody comes along that has that type of talent, you start looking at it a little bit differently of what’s possible.”

Before Gordon’s inquiry about Day’s pavement destiny, he had no interest in making the transition. The Days — a blue-collar family that operates a trucking company — didn’t have the backing to cover the expense it took to be successful on asphalt.

“I think you would be silly to not be a little interested if Jeff Gordon asked you that,” Day told NASCAR.com.

In April 2024, Day ran his first pavement late model race with JR Motorsports at Hickory Speedway. With sponsorship from team owner Rick Hendrick, he connected with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for four Craftsman Truck Series races late in the 2024 season. On the second day of 2025, he and his girlfriend, Ashlyn Rodriguez, made the cross-country expedition from California to North Carolina. The following week, he inked a multiyear developmental deal with Hendrick.

“I feel like we’re still getting adjusted,” Day said. “I have a busy schedule. I think the longest we’ve been home is a three-week span. I’m 19, so it’s like a kid going off to college. I’m at that age.”

Hendrick knew it would be a growing process for Day. He signed up for nine Truck Series events with Spire Motorsports, and the No. 17 Xfinity Series team would be built around him for one-third of the schedule. Between starts, he jets back and forth to dirt races across the country, having a presence in the World of Outlaws and Kubota High Limit Series, co-owned by Larson. He’s also signed up for Trans-Am races at select venues to learn the art of road-course racing.

Gordon, who experienced a similar jump from dirt to pavement more than three decades ago, believes the transition is a more difficult task today. With limited practice, the opportunity to chase success is a tall demand for inexperienced competitors.

“We’ve maintained from the very beginning how patient we are going to have to be, but we need to see progression,” Gordon said. “I think Corey has done a great job, and we’re starting to see that progression.”

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Day’s transition has been highlighted by a pair of top-five Truck Series finishes, including a runner-up result at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in July. He had his best effort in an Xfinity Series entry last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, placing fourth. Through nine Xfinity starts, he has a 16.4 average finish.

“I think he’s getting the hang of it,” Larson said about Day’s gradual advancement. “It’s been a slower progression — not that I’m saying he’s done bad or anything — but I know the talent that he has, I’ve seen it first hand, I’ve raced with him. It’s been slower than I thought he would transition to it, but he’s still doing a great job. I think he’s staying out of trouble more often than I thought he might. He is finishing the laps and getting all the reps in, which is great.”

Internally, Hendrick Motorsports knows Day has the pace to contend with the other teams. It’s just about putting full races together.

“Corey has speed, there is no doubt about it,” Hendrick Motorsports President and General Manager Jeff Andrews, who also had a prior relationship with Ronnie on the West Coast, said. “This isn’t a 30- or 40-lap sprint car race like he’s used to and having to go quickly and doesn’t have a lot of time. More about the progress is managing the speed of the car, taking care of the car throughout the race and having the car at the end of the race.”

Day credits his dirt background as the reason he’s adapted relatively quickly to pavement. He’s learning new fundamentals and how to slow the race down, knowing it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

MORE: Xfinity Series schedule | Truck Series schedule

The variation across different series has also been a hurdle to overcome, with Xfinity cars racing vastly differently from trucks on a technical standpoint. Now, 13 starts in his Truck Series career, Day believes he’s on a steady footing.

“I feel like I’m finally at a good point,” Day said. “It’s just seat time. Racing around those guys and figuring out how to race the aero side. This style of racing is something way different than sprint cars, so I’ve had to learn that.”

With a heavy dirt background, Day thought he would adjust proficiently to the Xfinity Series. The competition has been tough, however, and he’s lacking seat time compared to the full-time peers.

“I feel comfortable in [Xfinity], but I still have to learn how to go fast,” Day said. “Seat time is so big in whatever race car you drive.”

Hendrick brass knew mistakes would be frequent. Sticking to a long-term plan, though, remains the priority.

“The way I view it is, go learn what you need to learn,” Gordon said. “Sometimes, those lessons can be tough where you’re tearing up equipment, or the car and truck are coming around on you or a mistake on pit road. Just don’t make the same mistakes twice.

“Every race that Corey has been in, he’s the first guy to start searching for different lines and different ways to pass. He’s never afraid to try things. I think that’s what gravitates us towards a dirt driver. That’s a skill set that you can’t teach people. They have to get that experience, and usually it’s on dirt that they learn that. Once you learn that, you’re going to adapt to pavement and other types of cars.”

As the first true in-house developmental driver for Hendrick since the mid-2000s who hasn’t been loaned out to other teams, Day understands that, while the pressure is real, so is his confidence in future success.

“I want to perform to the best of my ability, and I want to impress everyone, do a good job,” Day said. “I’m trying my best. It’s a lot of weight on my shoulders with the history of this team. There are probably already a lot of people questioning after I suck a couple of times, why this kid, why him? I think I’m getting to a good spot.”

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Staff Report

NASCAR 25 has arrived on PlayStation and Xbox, bringing a feel of real-life racing to game consoles. Headlined by perfect 100-rated drivers William Byron, Connor Zilisch and Corey Heim, take a look at every driver featured in the game and see how their overall ratings compare across the ARCA Menards Series all the way to the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as which drivers excel on which track types.

NASCAR Cup Series
Best overall: William Byron (100)
Best on superspeedways: Joey Logano (100)
Best on speedways: Denny Hamlin (100)
Best on intermediates: William Byron (100)
Best on short-intermediates: Christopher Bell (100)
Best on concrete: Denny Hamlin (100)
Best on road courses: Shane van Gisbergen (100)

MORE: NASCAR Cup Series standings | Drivers guess their ratings

Rank	Name	Car No.	Overall	Superspeedway	Speedway	Intermediate	Short Intermediate	Concrete	Road Course
1	William Byron	24	100	98	94	100	97	90	88
2	Kyle Larson	5	99	93	94	96	92	97	83
3	Denny Hamlin	11	99	83	100	94	94	100	70
4	Ryan Blaney	12	98	97	88	93	99	92	81
5	Christopher Bell	20	97	91	87	92	100	92	91
6	Chase Elliott	9	96	99	93	90	93	89	85
7	Chase Briscoe	19	92	84	87	86	86	87	87
8	Tyler Reddick	45	92	94	90	93	85	84	85
9	Joey Logano	22	90	100	82	86	91	82	77
10	Bubba Wallace	23	90	94	91	84	87	84	75
11	Chris Buescher	17	89	90	90	88	83	78	84
12	Brad Keselowski	6	88	93	90	82	89	78	71
13	Ross Chastain	1	87	83	77	87	83	83	82
14	Alex Bowman	48	87	94	81	87	83	85	81
15	Ty Gibbs	54	86	82	85	80	78	86	82
16	Kyle Busch	8	84	89	81	81	77	80	81
17	Ryan Preece	60	84	84	80	86	80	77	76
18	Carson Hocevar	77	84	82	86	77	80	82	72
19	Austin Cindric	2	83	99	81	79	82	76	72
20	AJ Allmendinger	16	80	81	72	83	73	76	82
21	Josh Berry	21	78	86	74	77	83	70	60
22	Michael McDowell	71	77	82	68	73	72	74	82
23	Erik Jones	43	77	83	80	77	71	73	64
24	Daniel Suárez	99	76	78	76	77	75	66	70
25	Austin Dillon	3	76	75	72	74	78	71	65
26	John Hunter Nemechek	42	76	81	78	77	71	67	65
27	Zane Smith	38	75	80	76	75	65	73	65
28	Justin Haley	7	74	81	73	74	70	71	65
29	Shane van Gisbergen	88	72	77	69	66	64	63	100
30	Todd Gilliland	34	71	86	71	68	66	62	67
31	Noah Gragson	4	71	76	69	75	64	66	59
32	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	69	88	66	69	62	66	63
33	Cole Custer	41	68	70	71	64	62	63	65
34	Ty Dillon	10	66	75	65	67	60	62	61
35	Connor Zilisch	87	63	71	56	63	57	58	80
36	Riley Herbst	35	63	74	59	62	58	61	63
37	Martin Truex Jr.	56	63	51	55	65	64	62	60
38	Corey LaJoie	1	60	77	58	62	53	57	56
39	Cody Ware	51	55	62	56	53	53	52	51
40	Jimmie Johnson	84	54	72	51	45	51	64	46
41	Justin Allgaier	40	52	69	54	41	52	57	50
42	JJ Yeley	44	50	49	53	51	49	49	43
43	BJ McLeod	78	50	59	52	48	49	48	42
44	Josh Bilicki	66	49	41	52	48	45	48	49
45	Chad Finchum	66	46	41	45	47	47	47	42
46	Hélio Castroneves	91	44	53	46	43	43	42	44
47	Burt Myers	50	40	40	40	40	40	40	40

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Best overall: Connor Zilisch (100)
Best on superspeedways: Austin Hill (100)
Best on speedways: Connor Zilisch (100)
Best on intermediates: Justin Allgaier (100)
Best on short-intermediates: Aric Almirola (100)
Best on concrete: Justin Allgaier (100)
Best on road courses: Connor Zilisch (100)

MORE: NASCAR Xfinity Series standings

Rank	Name	Car No.	Overall	Superspeedway	Speedway	Intermediate	Short Intermediate	Concrete	Road Course
1	Connor Zilisch	88	100	88	100	98	99	99	100
2	Justin Allgaier	7	99	93	99	100	98	100	86
3	Aric Almirola	19	97	87	94	99	100	97	87
4	Jesse Love	2	94	98	91	91	97	94	85
5	Sam Mayer	41	93	87	91	92	97	90	89
6	Ross Chastain	9	93	84	89	93	96	90	94
7	Sheldon Creed	00	92	94	90	92	92	88	89
8	Austin Hill	21	92	100	89	93	93	84	91
9	Sammy Smith	8	89	85	87	84	94	86	90
10	Carson Kvapil	1	88	89	90	83	87	89	80
11	Taylor Gray	54	88	91	89	80	95	83	81
12	Brandon Jones	20	87	77	88	89	90	86	78
13	Ryan Sieg	39	86	86	88	87	88	85	66
14	William Sawalich	18	85	79	86	83	91	82	78
15	Nick Sanchez	48	85	83	83	85	86	81	88
16	Christian Eckes	16	83	81	78	81	86	83	89
17	Daniel Suárez	9	83	77	85	81	80	81	89
18	Harrison Burton	25	83	87	81	85	90	79	69
19	Shane van Gisbergen	9	79	76	75	75	79	75	99
20	Jeb Burton	27	77	86	78	75	84	74	64
21	Dean Thompson	26	75	78	76	74	74	80	64
22	Daniel Dye	10	75	79	74	74	75	75	70
23	Corey Day	17	71	68	73	76	72	70	62
24	Anthony Alfredo	42	69	72	76	72	68	66	60
25	Ryan Truex	24	68	78	69	60	65	77	62
26	Jeremy Clements	51	68	71	73	68	71	71	58
27	Parker Retzlaff	4	68	71	62	70	79	69	57
28	Matt DiBenedetto	99	68	74	71	73	69	67	57
29	Brennan Poole	44	68	67	69	72	72	66	63
30	Josh Williams	11	67	70	65	64	73	67	64
31	Kyle Sieg	28	62	63	64	68	65	61	52
32	Josh Bilicki	91	59	68	62	58	57	55	67
33	Leland Honeyman Jr.	70	59	74	62	61	63	53	56
34	Ryan Ellis	71	58	64	57	61	62	59	56
35	Austin Green	87	57	49	50	55	65	61	80
36	Blaine Perkins	31	55	66	54	56	57	51	61
37	Mason Massey	45	53	57	56	57	53	57	44
38	Thomas Annunziata	70	52	55	53	51	52	57	58
39	Garrett Smithley	14	51	54	57	53	52	50	54
40	Patrick Emerling	7	50	60	45	55	48	56	49
41	Joey Gase	53	50	64	52	50	55	47	45
42	Dawson Cram	74	46	49	46	49	50	46	52
43	Nick Leitz	7	45	53	43	50	49	46	45
44	Greg Van Alst	35	44	43	50	44	46	51	40
45	Brad Perez	45	43	43	42	50	45	44	47
46	Jordan Anderson	32	42	70	44	45	40	40	40
47	Chad Finchum	66	41	40	43	42	44	47	40
48	Preston Pardus	50	41	42	40	42	43	42	57
49	Caesar Bacarella	45	41	58	53	40	40	40	40
50	Jesse Iwuji	91	40	55	44	42	40	40	43

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Best overall: Corey Heim (100)
Best on superspeedways: Kyle Busch (100)
Best on speedways: Corey Heim (100)
Best on intermediates: Corey Heim (100)
Best on short-intermediates: Corey Heim (100)
Best on concrete: Layne Riggs (100)
Best on road courses: Corey Heim (100)

MORE: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings

Rank	Name	Car No.	Overall	Superspeedway	Speedway	Intermediate	Short Intermediate	Concrete	Road Course
1	Corey Heim	11	100	93	100	100	100	94	100
2	Kyle Busch	7	98	100	94	94	92	94	94
3	Ross Chastain	44	95	97	97	95	93	92	96
4	Layne Riggs	34	93	89	94	91	95	100	89
5	Kyle Larson	7	90	83	88	87	90	95	94
6	Ty Majeski	98	90	85	86	85	94	87	92
7	Chandler Smith	38	89	92	92	86	92	93	79
8	Daniel Hemric	19	86	87	88	84	85	90	81
9	Grant Enfinger	9	86	90	89	83	89	85	79
10	Tyler Ankrum	18	85	82	78	85	86	89	86
11	William Sawalich	1	83	85	90	68	88	79	91
12	Ben Rhodes	99	83	88	77	82	83	83	82
13	Gio Ruggiero	17	82	84	86	75	84	77	92
14	Kaden Honeycutt	45	81	81	89	83	83	79	64
15	Parker Kligerman	75	80	89	79	80	74	73	91
16	Connor Mosack	81	79	71	85	76	82	71	91
17	Brandon Jones	1	79	83	79	75	81	79	80
18	Stewart Friesen	52	79	84	91	81	78	75	68
19	Rajah Caruth	71	79	83	80	82	77	88	63
20	Corey LaJoie	7	78	84	72	79	80	76	76
21	Tanner Gray	15	76	81	86	76	70	76	74
22	Jake Garcia	13	76	75	79	78	84	74	63
23	Andres Perez	77	75	74	84	68	76	74	85
24	Matt Crafton	88	75	82	75	76	74	68	76
25	Brent Crews	1	73	73	70	70	80	71	69
26	Bayley Currey	44	70	72	63	71	71	82	62
27	Matt Mills	42	62	58	59	68	63	58	60
28	Dawson Sutton	26	62	59	66	60	67	65	58
29	Jack Wood	91	62	77	70	57	62	63	55
30	Luke Fenhaus	66	60	69	67	65	61	56	47
31	Timmy Hill	56	59	70	59	58	55	60	59
32	Lawless Alan	1	59	59	72	55	55	56	55
33	Josh Bilicki	44	58	58	54	54	54	55	79
34	Luke Baldwin	66	54	43	65	43	73	43	43
35	Spencer Boyd	76	52	52	53	46	55	49	54
36	Conner Jones	66	52	41	60	41	68	64	41
37	Johnny Sauter	66	51	80	47	47	47	47	47
38	Frankie Muniz	33	49	61	52	45	50	47	45
39	Toni Breidinger	5	48	53	44	45	53	42	47
40	Matt Gould	44	47	42	42	42	55	42	42
41	Cody Dennison	2	46	42	42	44	58	42	42
42	Josh Reaume	22	45	42	43	42	47	47	47
43	Cory Roper	4	44	44	44	44	44	44	44
44	Clay Greenfield	95	44	70	40	40	42	40	40
45	Norm Benning	6	43	50	40	44	41	40	44
46	Jayson Alexander	21	43	42	42	42	46	42	42
47	Bryan Dauzat	28	42	42	42	42	42	42	42
48	Stephen Mallozzi	23	41	41	41	42	41	42	41
49	Caleb Costner	74	40	40	40	40	40	40	40

ARCA Menards Series
Best overall: Brenden Queen (99)
Best on superspeedways: Jake Finch (98)
Best on speedways: Brenden Queen (100)
Best on intermediates: Brenden Queen (100)
Best on short-intermediates: William Sawalich (100)
Best on concrete: William Sawalich (100)
Best on road courses: William Sawalich (100)

MORE: NASCAR 25: ARCA is in the game | Queen crowned 2025 champion

Rank	Name	Car No.	Overall	Superspeedway	Speedway	Intermediate	Short Intermediate	Concrete	Road Course
1	Brenden Queen	28	99	95	100	100	99	98	87
2	William Sawalich	18	97	91	94	95	100	100	100
3	Lavar Scott	6	90	87	85	92	92	91	81
4	Lawless Alan	20	90	96	92	91	93	76	89
5	Isabella Robusto	55	86	89	78	80	85	92	91
6	Jake Finch	25	84	98	87	85	80	97	78
7	Tyler Reif	23	83	40	78	79	95	84	92
8	Andy Jankowiak	73	83	85	84	87	82	81	80
9	Jason Kitzmiller	97	81	92	81	81	78	82	68
10	Greg Van Alst	35	80	94	79	79	77	83	76
11	Thad Moffitt	46	78	88	79	78	79	40	70
12	Corey Day	77	76	59	64	84	79	79	80
13	Alex Clubb	3	74	80	68	73	74	68	73
14	Amber Balcaen	22	73	81	77	79	71	64	67
15	Isaac Kitzmiller	79	72	40	64	64	81	85	40
16	Michael Maples	99	72	62	73	75	72	75	74
17	Cody Dennison	9	72	64	72	73	73	73	71
18	Trevor Huddleston	50	72	40	64	64	78	64	87
19	Patrick Staropoli	15	71	73	64	76	86	78	40
20	Takuma Koga	12	71	58	40	72	72	72	79
21	Brad Smith	48	71	70	68	72	70	70	67
22	Kole Raz	76	71	86	66	82	81	40	40
23	Lanie Buice	2	69	40	76	81	79	71	40
24	Tanner Reif	13	69	40	40	64	79	61	77
25	A.J. Moyer	88	69	79	67	68	72	55	68
26	Brayton Laster	6	68	61	65	74	65	67	70
27	Zachary Tinkle	11	67	40	40	54	75	81	65
28	Ryan Roulette	67	67	79	64	68	70	66	40
29	Tim Richmond	27	65	84	60	67	65	67	72
30	Eloy Falcon	2	63	40	77	76	90	40	40
31	Kyle Keller	71	63	40	40	40	84	40	81
32	Ed Pompa	10	62	72	70	65	40	77	72
33	Caleb Costner	93	62	71	75	70	61	76	40
34	Timmy Hill	56	61	40	40	40	76	79	40
35	Rita Goulet	31	61	40	40	64	68	71	40
36	Robbie Kennealy	9	60	40	40	40	76	40	73
37	Todd Souza	3	60	40	40	40	75	40	77
38	D.L. Wilson	39	59	40	40	40	73	74	40
39	Nate Moeller	0	59	40	61	59	62	54	61
40	Eric Johnson Jr.	5	59	40	40	40	73	40	78
41	Will Kimmel	69	58	78	85	87	40	40	40
42	Cleetus McFarland	30	56	77	40	77	40	67	40
43	David Smith	5	56	40	40	40	67	40	75
44	Jake Bollman	19	55	40	40	40	64	64	40
45	Blake Lothian	51	55	40	40	40	66	40	68
46	Brian Clubb	86	52	40	40	55	59	45	40
47	Jonathan Reaume	72	52	40	40	40	58	40	65
48	Hunter Wright	95	51	40	40	40	64	40	40
49	Presley Sorah	66	51	40	40	61	58	40	40
50	Sean Corr	8	51	92	64	67	40	40	40
51	Dale Quarterley	4	50	84	40	40	40	40	93
52	Willie Mullins	3	48	81	40	40	40	40	40
53	Jackson McLerran	96	46	40	40	40	40	56	40
54	Becca Monopoli	85	44	55	40	40	40	40	40
55	EJ Tamayo	1	44	40	40	40	40	40	40
56	Kyle Steckly	29	43	76	40	40	40	40	40
57	Steve Lewis Jr.	62	43	75	40	40	40	40	40
58	Alex Quarterley	3	42	40	40	40	40	40	65

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by Staff Report

Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday that the organization will part ways with Justin Haley as the driver of its No. 7 Chevrolet at the end of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

The dismissal comes as the Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Spire indicated that 2026 plans for the No. 7 Chevy would be announced later.

“This is a decision that was not taken lightly,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a team release. “Justin has been a member of the Spire family since he was a teenager. We’ve watched Justin grow from a young driver trying to make his mark in the sport to a proven winner. He helped strengthen our organization into what it is today. He made us winners and returned home after forging his own path in the Cup Series. Justin is the embodiment of a true racer who has quietly become a respected competitor within the NASCAR garage and will be an incredible asset to his next team.”

Haley’s departure comes roughly one year after he replaced Corey LaJoie at Spire in what was billed as a trade with Rick Ware Racing for the last seven races of the season. Haley ranks 31st in the Cup Series standings, with just one top-five result — a third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in August — and two top 10s this year.

Haley began the season with promise, pairing with championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers. That combination ended after nine races when Spire replaced the veteran Childers with Ryan Sparks, who also serves as the organization’s competition director.

Haley delivered Spire Motorsports its first Cup Series victory, prevailing in a rain-abbreviated summertime event at Daytona in 2019. His first stint with Spire ended after the 2021 season, and he spent two seasons with Kaulig Racing before partnering with Rick Ware’s group for most of the 2024 campaign.

This story will be updated.

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by Nate Ryan

The long and rich history of NASCAR video games contains myriad platforms (starting with “Richard Petty’s Talladega” for the Commodore 64 in 1984), playing styles and pixelated race tracks.

But there is a general consensus of the golden age in a timeline stretching over four decades.

The early 2000s produced a trio of games — “NASCAR 2003,” “Dirt to Daytona” and “NASCAR Thunder 2004” — that set a standard for gaming excellence in racing.

“If you ask anybody what their favorite NASCAR game in history was, you’re going to get one of those three,” said Matt Lewis, the director of production for iRacing. “And now we have the teams that worked on all of those games building NASCAR ’25.”

“NASCAR ’25,” which is being released widely today, is the first NASCAR-licensed video game for consoles (such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S) in more than four years.

LEARN MORE: NASCAR 25 website

It’s also the first NASCAR console title produced by iRacing, which has been built around online racing simulation since 2003 but was known in a previous incarnation as Papyrus — the creators of “NASCAR 2003.”

“Dirt to Daytona” was created by Monster Games, which was acquired by iRacing and has been instrumental in the development of NASCAR ’25.

“NASCAR Thunder 2004” was the crowning achievement for EA Sports, which annually produced memorable NASCAR titles during the mid-2000s. Lewis was among three lead designers for EA Sports during that magical run — and that same trio also has been working on “NASCAR ’25.”

“It’s this crazy, full-circle deal,” Lewis said. “And the cool part for me is I remember playing ‘NASCAR 2003,’ and we’re like, ‘Man if we could ever take like the multiplayer and the physics and the authenticity of what Papyrus did and combine it with what EA Sports was doing in career mode and then combine that with the dynamic of ‘Dirt to Daytona’ and progressing through racing series to become a champion … that would be the best game on earth.

“Fast forward 20 years, and here we are. We are finally doing it.”

The fact that the key developers of “NASCAR ’25” also track with the glory days of racing video games is a reassuring factor for NASCAR, which has been seeking continuity after a tumultuous period of a few disappointing console game launches followed by a prolonged absence.

“It really is a dream team,” said Nick Rend, vice president for Interactive and Emerging Platforms at NASCAR. “iRacing has taken the foundation of their legendary sim and paired it with console veterans who know how to design careers, progression loops, user experiences and live-service systems. This is a group of people who know both the sport and the genre.”

The melding of simulation and console gaming in “NASCAR ’25” also will be a unique marriage in the gaming world.

Console gaming is centered on the accessibility that traditionally has been found in video arcades. With a controller in hand, it’s possible to play within minutes and quickly progress through a linear storyline intended to appeal to a broad audience.

Sim racing is more about depth, whether it’s hardware, licenses, competitive ladders and precision. It’s designed for players who want lifelike realism and real-world authenticity in competition with accurate details from the physics of a car to the physical characteristics of race tracks that have inimitable bumps, elevation changes.

With its move into console gaming, iRacing is essentially scaling up a business that has nearly 350,000 active online subscribers. It’s expected that “NASCAR ’25” will be played by an audience well into seven figures.

That growth will mark another step in the progression of iRacing, whose popularity exploded during the pandemic when sidelined Cup drivers raced in nationally televised online races. Since then, iRacing has been a major contributor as a virtual proving ground for new races at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Los Angeles Coliseum (and was also used to design the layout of the Chicago Street Race and the Naval Base Coronado in San Diego).

For executive vice president Steve Myers, “NASCAR ’25” will represent “completing a full circle” to the roots of iRacing.

“An authentic racing PC sim was really unheard of in the NASCAR space until really we made a great product that helped launch iRacing into what we’ve become today,” Myers said. “I think with ‘NASCAR ’25,’ we’re getting a chance to take a step back and ask, ‘OK, where is the piece that’s missing for the gamers and for the fans of the sport?’ And that’s ‘Hey, I want to go into my living room, pick up a game controller and play a quick race against the stars of today.’

“That’s been missing for all these years, and so it’s very exciting now to take this vast knowledge from 25 years of authentic racing simulations and packing and presenting it in a way that somebody will get that same feeling with a game pad.”

Here are five more things to know about the launch of “NASCAR ’25,” the sport’s first new console game in more than four years and the first NASCAR console game created by iRacing and its new studio division:

This will be the first console game predominantly using laser-scanned assets to create its graphical representation of its cars and race tracks.

Photo references and Google Maps typically have been used to create the surfaces, but “NASCAR ’25” will rely on the speedway laser scanning that has been a staple of iRacing.

“We have all these technologies that we’re able to apply like laser scanning and advanced ways to build tracks and the physical models of the race cars that we never had 20 years ago,” said Greg Hill, executive vice president and producer for iRacing. “And really an unparalleled level of connection and collaboration with NASCAR and the manufacturers as well. We’re working directly with their race engineers and the people who build these cars in the real world and operate them on a daily level, so we can incorporate all of their information into how we build the cars in iRacing. That is just so critical.”

Track surfaces will be dynamic, meaning that rubber buildup will affect handling as in the real world. Noting the hills and undulations of Sonoma Raceway as a good example, Hill said each track “has its own kind of subtleties that people discover.

“They will definitely notice and feel the scale of everything is exactly right. With many racing titles, they just kind of piece it together and generalize this world that approximates a Daytona, Indianapolis or Richmond. But with this, everything is exactly the right size and in the right place.”

More than 100 artists were employed just to work on the details for every track in NASCAR ’25.

For comparison, “NASCAR 2003” had a total staff of roughly 20 people working on the game at Papyrus.

“It took a lot to build, of course,” Hill said. “Just the core engineering of the systems and the physics, but also the art is a mammoth undertaking for this title in building out the full calendar of NASCAR tracks. Combined with an engineering and design staff of 30 to 40 people, as many as 150 people have been working at this game at certain points. It’s been the most sizable effort probably at the company.”

Rich Garcia, senior vice president for iRacing, began working on “NASCAR ’25” more than two years before it was announced — not long after Garcia’s Monster Games Inc. was acquired by iRacing in January 2022.

“Our real wish was to get to NASCAR,” Garcia said. “We didn’t have the NASCAR license at the time, but I started designing it even before we had the license. Nobody knew for sure, but I just thought it was coming, so I’m going to start laying it out. And so I worked with one of the designers on a new plan to upgrade our tech, re-integrate all of the iRacing assets, redo how our career mode works and redo the whole game as a big step up.

“The lead principal engineer is somebody I’ve been working with for 30 years, so it’s not like we bring on like novices who’ve never done racing before. It’s been a pretty fun project. I used to have to really battle with the publishers to get the quality where I wanted it, but now I’m working with people that understand the ins and outs of racing completely.”

Since its “Dirt to Daytona” title (which Garcia created as a career ladder-style game to fill the void between the realism of Papyrus’ “NASCAR 2003” and EA Sports’ NASCAR licensed games), Monster Games also relaunched the “NASCAR Heat” franchise a decade ago and recently had created “Tony Stewart’s Sprint Car Racing.” Those are just a few highlights in a long career of racing games for Garcia, who started as the third employee at Papyrus in 1988 and went on to focus mostly on developing console games. His mantra is to “never make it dumb. We never do an arcade game. It’s got to have this entry point where you feel anybody in the family can sit down, pick up the controller and have a good time.”

The “NASCAR ’25” cover features William Byron (who started his career on iRacing), Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney.

Lewis said all three stars have been among the notable support that the game has received, noting he got daily emails asking for game demonstrations.

“We didn’t get that back in the day,” he said. “It was much more of us going to them and asking ‘Hey can you please have one of your drivers play this game?’ Now it’s “I want to see it and make sure it’s good.’ The more people we get in front of and like it and genuinely want to say good things about it, the better we all are.”

As the first console game since the end of the 2020 season, “NASCAR ’25” will feature many new sponsors, paint schemes and social media elements.

“We haven’t got to do the Kyle Larson and William Byron paint schemes and adding those drivers into the mix and then the Dale Jr. podcast,” Myers said. “There are a lot of cool things that we’ve been able to do to kind of bring the industry into the game a little bit and make it feel current. It’s not just a rinse and repeat of what’s been done before.”

It’s the first video game to feature all of NASCAR’s top four national series, which helps enhance a career mode that Lewis said can unfold over multiple decades of a player’s career.

“It ramps up,” he said. “At the ARCA level, it literally looks like your backyard garage. As you move into trucks, now you’re in a warehouse. Then you go up to Xfinity and now you’re in a business park, and you start to hire more employees and do more management-type stuff with R&D and parts and chassis.

The career mode also will feature dozens of possible “turning points” that fall off the track and create a “Choose Your Own Adventure”-type narrative.

“You might encounter three or four of these if you win the championship, but the theory is if you go back and replay it, your story will be completely different,” Lewis said. “It’s this feeling of you’re doing more than just racing the car, and it gets you to this other level of having things to manage.”

Posted on October 14, 2025October 21, 2025 by Pat DeCola

Denny Hamlin did what Denny Hamlin does best on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — take control of a race in its final moments simply because he wants it more. Win No. 60 was paramount for the future NASCAR Hall of Famer, and he rides into a stress-free superspeedway weekend as the only driver in the Cup Series Playoffs that knows he’s racing for a championship this year.

NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs contenders after the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and before Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

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

Analysis: Sunday was far from Hamlin’s most dominant among his 60 wins, but it may have been his most Denny-Hamlin-like. A rousing Vegas victory — after which the crowd actually cheered him — was a monumental moment for a consistent Moment Maker, and the 44-year-old is now positioned to win his first championship better than at any other point in his career. As for this weekend, the two-time Talladega winner — and four-time pole starter at ‘Dega in this decade alone — should have a strong shot at two in a row, but the focus shifts fully to Phoenix.

Analysis: Hamlin walked away with the win and Phoenix bid, but Larson scored just as many points and was far and away the most dominant driver on Sunday. He still has some work to do, though, as a strong 35-point buffer could be washed away in a millisecond at Talladega, where Larson has not enjoyed consistent success over the years. There is, however, some hope, as despite No. 5 having just three top fives in 21 career Talladega outings, two of them have come in the past year.

Analysis: Another Las Vegas fall race, another instance of Bell landing just short of a jackpot in the form of a Championship 4 berth in Sin City. Still, Bell opened the playoffs with a P29 at Darlington and has been driving at a torrid pace ever since, with a win and no finishes outside the top seven the past six races. Don’t be surprised if he finds himself once again with his back against the wall at Martinsville, though — Bell’s ‘Dega record is extremely spotty, and with a 20.9 average finish there, it’s far from a guarantee he doesn’t run into any trouble.

Analysis: It’s worth noting above how Briscoe was once “Out” of these Power Rankings, yet here he is on the precipice of his first Championship 4 appearance and essentially playing with house money at this point. This was wholly because of a points penalty that was later overturned, but it’s still a remarkable turnaround for a group in its first year with a new driver filling the shoes of a future Hall of Famer. Briscoe will have an incredible shot at Phoenix if he gets there, and the prognosis is positive. Even before we start talking Martinsville, Briscoe has a solid history of keeping it clean at Talladega, and if he’s able to escape with at least the 15-point cushion he currently has, he’s in great shape.

Analysis: Byron was sensational for most of Sunday’s race at Vegas, winning Stage 1 and turning in a P3 in Stage 2 before, well, you know. That aside, it was a championship-contending kind of afternoon for the No. 24 team, which finds itself in a minor, but not insurmountable hole after Vegas. With five straight top sevens at the Alabama track, Byron may be primed — and there may never be a better time for — his first career win at Talladega.

Analysis: Elliott likely isn’t the Chase most people had in mind that would be below the cut in the Round of 8, with the other positioned to advance to the Championship 4, but it’s the current reality. That said, No. 9 still may be the more likely of the two to advance from here. Despite a lackluster Vegas showing, Elliott remains one of the best at Talladega and won this race in 2022 en route to a Champ 4 berth.

Analysis: There’s bad luck in Vegas, and then there’s Blaney and the No. 12 team. The 2023 champ is once again in the red after a trip to Sin City, but there’s also a reason why Team Penske has won three straight titles — you can’t ever count them out, no matter the stakes. Despite the Vegas snafu, Blaney arguably will be the favorite in each of the next two races at two very favorable tracks for him and should still have an excellent shot to advance with a win … which is probably his only path forward from here.

Analysis: Logano had a strong race at Vegas, finishing sixth, leading a lap and scoring 34 points, yet … still walked out of the desert staring up at a 24-point hole heading to Alabama. This would be a major cause for concern if it weren’t the three-time and defending champ we’re talking about — the same one that consistently defies everyone’s expectations and has four wins at the remaining Round of 8 tracks. Look for Logano to be in the mix this weekend and go from worst to first in these ranks if he wins, as he’d become the favorite once again should Phoenix be in the cards for him.

Posted on October 13, 2025October 13, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8 continues at the behemoth that is Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s United Rentals 250 (4 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Four spots are still open for a Championship 4 berth following Aric Almirola’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Rookie phenom Connor Zilisch sits comfortably above the cutline by 82 points after a runner-up finish at Vegas. Justin Allgaier (plus-44), Jesse Love (plus-20) and Sam Mayer (plus-6) hold the final three provisional spots above the cutline. Brandon Jones (minus-8), Sheldon Creed (minus-21), Carson Kvapil (minus-22) and Sammy Smith (minus-24) will have this weekend and Martinsville next weekend to race their way back above the cutline before a Championship 4 grid is determined.

2025 ARCA Menards Series Champion Brenden “Butterbean” Queen returns to the Kaulig Racing fold to drive the No. 11 Chevrolet for his third start this year. Connor Mosack will make his debut with Viking Motorsports this weekend after the team announced it was moving on from Matt DiBenedetto for the remaining three races of the season.

MORE: How to watch NASCAR on The CW

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Posted on October 13, 2025October 13, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 continues at the wild-card Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday in the YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

Denny Hamlin clinched a Championship 4 berth following an emotional victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson, who finished runner-up in Sin City, sits 35 points above the postseason cutline. Christopher Bell (plus-20) and Chase Briscoe (plus-15), who finished third and fourth at Las Vegas, respectively, round out the playoff field currently in the green. William Byron (minus-15), Chase Elliott (minus-23), Joey Logano (minus-24) and Ryan Blaney (minus-31) all sit below the four-driver cut and will have two more playoff races to shift momentum back in their favor before the Championship 4 pool is cemented.

Casey Mears returns to pilot the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford for the third time this season. As driver of the No. 66 machine, Mears finished 35th and 29th at Martinsville Speedway and Daytona International Speedway (August), respectively.

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

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Posted on October 13, 2025October 15, 2025 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs continue after a brief break in the action, with the series taking to the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway on Friday afternoon (4 p.m. ET, FOX, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

ENTRY LISTS: Cup Series | Xfinity Series | Truck Series

The Superspeedway showdown marks the second race in the Round of 8 contests, with the penultimate race of the 2025 season at Martinsville Speedway to follow next week.

Frankie Muniz returns to the Truck Series this weekend in the No. 33 Reaume Brothers Racing Ford after a broken wrist from a fall at his home sidelined the 39-year-old back in August. Journeyman driver J.J. Yeley makes a return to the series, making his debut with Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

HOW TO WATCH: NASCAR on FOX, FS1, more

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Posted on October 13, 2025December 10, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

LAS VEGAS — Boisterous. Determined. Unflappable.

Everything that makes Denny Hamlin Denny Hamlin drove him from midpack on the final restart of Sunday’s South Point 400 to a historic triumph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his milestone 60th NASCAR Cup Series win.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

The layers associated with this victory are unlike any other he’s earned previously. This one propels him into a tie with Kevin Harvick for the 10th-most wins in Cup history, a mark Hamlin has been not just conscious of but vocally targeting for years. He entered the season with 54 victories to his credit. And with this series-best sixth win of 2025, Hamlin is the first driver to secure his place in the Championship 4. He will lead the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team to Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2 for Hamlin’s first chance in the title race since 2021.

Factor in health issues for his 75-year-old father, Dennis, and the emotion poured out, leading to tears both in the car and during Hamlin’s post-race interview.

“I don’t know if I could have scripted it better,” Hamlin told reporters in the media center. “I talked about it before the weekend started, just how important this race was, right? I thought this was the most important. All of it. My friends all weekend (said), ‘We’re getting 60 this weekend.’ … All the factors, I can’t imagine there’s a win bigger for me than this one. With the family, with the significance of it, now being back on top for most wins in the season, punching the ticket to the (Championship) 4, all of it. The fashion in which the last 10 laps played out. All of the above is why I think this means the most.”

Hamlin has won big races before — three Daytona 500s, three Southern 500s at Darlington and one Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, to name a few. But this win serves as tangible proof that Hamlin continues to make history at age 44, now statistically one of the sport’s most elite drivers ever and finding sustained success at a stage of his career that seems improbable. That’s why win No. 60 always meant so much — and why the moment lived up to his dreams.

“I mean, what you saw, that was going on for the last three laps,” Hamlin said of the tears shed. “I did say a prayer into (Turn) 3 with two to go for no caution. I try not to ask for prayers for things that really don’t matter, like competition. I needed to see this one through all the way. So I asked for a favor on this one.”

That kind of emotion from Hamlin, though? The same guy who taunts the crowd by reminding them he beat their favorite driver and thrives when rained upon by boos?

“I’m probably softer than what I put off,” Hamlin said. “I maybe shed a tear during a love story on a movie or something if it’s a really emotional moment. I’ll never let my kids see it. But I do have feelings. I know it’s hard to believe.”

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Hamlin has been competing in the Cup Series since late 2005, his first full campaign coming in 2006. His rookie year coincided with the season Jimmie Johnson earned his first Cup Series championship, one of a record-tying seven. Johnson, now the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, was in Victory Lane on Sunday, looking on as Hamlin celebrated the most significant triumph of Hamlin’s career to date.

“I think he’s at 21 years of doing this. To still be winning races, competing for championships, I mean, that says a lot about him, a lot about the team,” Johnson told NASCAR.com. “I know those monumental, kind of odometer moments, milestones, when you click over, it always made them so real and deep. So with his quest to chase the championship, the 60th win, berth to the playoffs, he’s got to be glowing inside. And I think he’ll look back on the 60th in a deep way. We’ll find out more when we leave Phoenix, but this could be the start of something really big for him.”

In one way, Vegas does mark the beginning of something new for Hamlin — a renewed and re-energized fight for the championship that has eluded him forever. But Vegas is also the continuation of a long, arduous journey that Hamlin has fought to achieve for his entire life.

He knew exactly what he wanted from a young age. At age 8, Hamlin wrote a letter stating he wished to win the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 1998. He had to wait until 2016 instead, but indeed he won the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. He did it again on Feb. 18, 2020. But it took years of sacrifice from Hamlin’s parents, Dennis and Mary Lou, to make their son’s racing career happen. And with Dennis “not doing well,” Hamlin said, Denny’s father’s contributions have been top of mind.

For Dad. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dAoAI8iILc

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2025

The two hadn’t spoken after the race before Hamlin made his way to the media center post-race, with Hamlin more eager for an in-person conversation than one over the phone. He did, however, offer insight into what he’d like to tell his father when they do speak.

“Just thank him for sacrificing really his and my mom’s life to chase around my dreams,” Hamlin said. “My parents had no money. My parents had very normal jobs, but they found a way. That way is a path I would never recommend anybody taking. Every credit card that comes to the mail, ‘OK, we’ll use it.’ Asking people to help. Second- and third-mortgaging the house. All these things. The arguments I had to listen to. I’m in my room, and my mom and dad are going at it. One is saying, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ The other one saying, ‘Please, just one more week.’

“It’s great it’s all paid off. Certainly, they got the life now that they deserved before I decided to do this.”

Twenty-one seasons of NASCAR Cup Series racing for one team — Joe Gibbs Racing — have brought years of growth to Hamlin. Team owner Joe Gibbs points to the maturing Hamlin has done not just as a race-car driver but as a human being.

“Honestly, I would say that probably one of the biggest changes in a personality is when Denny first came to us,” Gibbs said Sunday. “He was so quiet. You had to try to get him to talk. Today, look at where he is. It’s been so interesting to watch that over the years. I think part of it is maturing. I do think one of the changes, too, is family and everything he’s got going there with (fiancée) Jordan. I think it’s just one of those things where somebody matures, becomes a father, and takes on a huge responsibility, has his own race team, all of that probably causes somebody to actually change their personality. Certainly, I think Denny has gone through one of the biggest changes of almost anyone I know.”

Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Digital Media

Chris Gabehart, now JGR’s competition director after six seasons atop the pit box for Hamlin and the No. 11 crew, beamed with pride as he stood on the edge of Victory Lane at Las Vegas Sunday. Together, Gabehart and Co. positioned Hamlin to earn 23 of his 60 career races. Chris Gayle, who moved atop the No. 11’s pit box this year, now has six of those 60.

“I can’t help it,” Gabehart said. “I poured six really hard years into that team and Denny Hamlin, and being a part of creating a pedigree that is that. What a huge win.”

In many ways, Gabehart was the conduit to Hamlin’s resurgent success — both while he was on the pit box and after he moved into his new role for 2025.

“I give full credit to Chris Gabehart for putting the team together,” Hamlin said. “He’s really the one that kind of rejuvenated my career five or six years ago (and) took me from a guy that didn’t win a race in 2018 to winning a lot in the next few years, obviously instilling in me a work ethic and a process that allows me to prepare for each weekend. I mean, I finished the (pre-race) drivers’ meeting and hauled ass back to the bus because I was like, there’s one more thing I need to look at that I think I might just have overlooked. Maybe it was the difference. Maybe, maybe not. But I never want to leave any stone unturned. I’ll never compromise knowing when I get in, I’ve done everything I have to do to go win.”

Much of that was evident in his drive to the front of the field late in Sunday’s thriller at Las Vegas. A crash by William Byron and Ty Dillon with just more than 30 laps remaining created different pit-strategy plays. Hamlin stopped for four tires and fuel, but others, such as Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano, took just two right-side tires instead. After another crash on the ensuing restart, Hamlin was left in sixth place for the final dash to the checkered flag. He quickly roared to third place, and in a fierce battle with Kyle Larson, Hamlin got the edge and cleared him for second to set his sights on Briscoe for the race lead. He got it with just a handful of laps remaining to claw past his teammate and lock into the Championship 4.

Hamlin admitted he was worried when JGR made its decision to move Gabehart off his pit box and into a management position. But the belief and trust he placed in the hands of Gibbs, Gabehart and Gayle has produced Hamlin’s winningest season since 2020.

“I really appreciate his leadership,” Hamlin said of Gayle. “He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did. I made it very, very clear to him that, regardless of my accolades or his, he is the leader, and I will respect whatever he tells me to do. I think that’s very, very important as a driver, is to give the reins to your leader, which is your crew chief, comp director, whoever it might be. No one driver is bigger than the team they drive for or the person that leads their team.

“I wanted to make it very clear to him that he has my respect, he has my confidence, and do what you see is fit. Do not be afraid to tell me when you think I need to be fixing something or doing something.”

Zach Sturniolo | NASCAR Digital Media

Gayle has witnessed the fruits of that hard labor firsthand, and now he has a half-dozen wins and a Championship 4 berth to prove it.

And while Gayle may be new to Hamlin, but those at JGR and Toyota have witnessed Hamlin’s rise from a budding Cup racer with potential to become one of the best NASCAR has ever seen.

“I think what people don’t appreciate (is) Denny works really hard,” JGR president Dave Alpern told NASCAR.com. “He’s not only a student of the sport, as evidenced by his podcast, and when you’re in a driver meeting and you hear him. He just really, really works hard. He’s in the simulator. He just works at it. He deserves it. He earned it.”

Hamlin has been to the Championship 4 four times previously, coming up short each time so far. His most painful title loss, though, was in 2010, before the elimination-style format was introduced and when he finished runner-up to Johnson, who won his fifth straight championship.

Tyler Gibbs, president of Toyota Racing Development USA, has worked for the manufacturer since 1996, long before Hamlin started driving Camrys in the 2008 season and even before the automaker’s entry into the NASCAR world. Now, Hamlin stands alone as Toyota’s winningest driver with 57 Cup Series victories to his credit. Gibbs believes the No. 11 is finally due.

“He’s had other opportunities to win the championship,” Gibbs told NASCAR.com. “It feels like he’s more ready than he’s ever been to win the championship.”

Posted on October 13, 2025October 13, 2025 by Nathan Solomon

As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 commenced Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, some drivers hit it big in Sin City, while others have significant work ahead of them to clinch a Championship 4 spot.

A trip to Talladega Superspeedway is up next on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), but before heading to Alabama, let’s take a look at where things stand in the race for the Bill France Cup after a thriller in Las Vegas.

WINNER

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Sunday’s victory at Las Vegas meant a little extra for the future Hall of Famer. Choosing to take four tires in his final pit stop on a great call by crew chief Chris Gayle, Hamlin secured his first Championship 4 berth since 2021 in style, passing teammate Chase Briscoe with four laps to go to earn the 60th victory of his Cup Series career. Wiping tears away, Hamlin dedicated the pole-to-victory triumph to his father, Dennis, back at home.

Now locked into the Championship 4 at Phoenix, Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle will have a two-week head start to prepare as the 44-year-old pursues his elusive first title.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

WHO’S HOT?

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Despite falling short of the win, the 2021 series champion turned in one of his most complete performances since his latest victory in May at Kansas Speedway. Larson led four times for 129 laps, won Stage 2 and banked 54 points as he finished second, tying Hamlin for the most Sunday evening. He’s finished in the top 10 his last four races, making it back-to-back runner-up efforts after falling short to Shane van Gisbergen last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Yung Money is heating up at the right time, and now has a 35-point cushion above the elimination line headed to Talladega, where he finished second in the spring.

Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Finishing third for the third consecutive week, Bell couldn’t quite avenge his defeat in this race last year. He earned 43 points, thrusting himself from four points below the cutline to 20 points above, capitalizing on mistakes from other playoff competitors. It’s the third time in a row that Bell has finished on the podium in the Las Vegas playoff race, giving the 30-year-old a bit of breathing room ahead of Talladega.

WHO’S NOT?

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford. The 2023 champion’s Las Vegas race went awry in Stage 1, suffering a left-front tire issue at Lap 72 from the 12th position. He pounded the Turn 4 outside wall, limping his battered machine back to pit road before his team determined that he could no longer continue, resulting in a last-place finish. Including Saturday sessions, it’s the third trip to Las Vegas in a row that Blaney has crashed, but this time it’s more costly with playoff implications. He sits minus-31 to the cutline, potentially backing the 31-year-old into a must-win situation at Talladega or Martinsville.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Hopes of a Las Vegas victory were pried away from Byron with 30 laps to go as he ran into the pitting car of Ty Dillon while running second. The contact ripped the right front of Byron’s car apart, resulting in a 36th-place finish as he couldn’t continue. He led three times for 55 laps before the incident and had just surrendered the lead to teammate Larson. Despite earning 18 stage points, including a Stage 1 win, Byron drops to 15 points below the elimination line ahead of Talladega, but his back-to-back Daytona 500 wins prove he could be a factor next weekend in Alabama.

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank	Driver	+/-
1	Denny Hamlin	ADV
2	Kyle Larson	+35
3	Christopher Bell	+20
4	Chase Briscoe	+15
	CUTLINE
5	William Byron	-15
6	Chase Elliott	-23
7	Joey Logano	-24
8	Ryan Blaney	-31

NASCAR INSIGHTS

Finishing 18th on Sunday at Las Vegas, issues on pit road were costly for Chase Elliott. According to NASCAR Insights, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team had the 28th-best pit crew in Sin City, headlined by an uncontrolled tire penalty at Lap 121. Elliott had to serve a pass-through penalty under green, and while he got back on the lead lap, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native could never return to the winning mix. Conversely, Joey Logano had the 26th-best pit crew on Sunday, but a late two-tire call from crew chief Paul Wolfe got the No. 22 team up to sixth after 267 laps.

QUOTABLE

“It definitely means a lot. This is the point where I kind of give the fans some [expletive], but not today. I appreciate all of you so much. Yeah, obviously want to say hi to my dad, family back at home. All the friends that came out here for Vegas, hoping we get 60. I didn’t think we were. Put the pedal down the last 10 laps, made it happen … if you would have asked me yesterday, I would have said no. Just super proud of this team for making the adjustments they did.” — Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, on winning his 60th career race to clinch a Championship 4 spot.

NEXT RACE

For the first time, Talladega Superspeedway’s fall date slides into the Round of 8, creating even more unpredictability with just three races remaining in the 2025 season. Talladega offers an opportunity for any playoff driver to turn their Round of 8 fortunes around. Keep an eye out for Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney: Logano led 24 laps in the spring race before a disqualification derailed a top five, while Blaney won this race in 2023. Teammate Austin Cindric wound up winning in April, further evidencing that Team Penske is the likely organization to beat.