Allgaier came up just shy of winning consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series championships at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 1, finishing fifth in the season finale third in the championship standings behind Jesse Love and Connor Zilisch.
It’s the offseason in NASCAR, but that doesn’t mean the party stops. Noah Gragson showed fans the wild side of Talladega Superspeedway. Everybody knows that Gragson and Dega go together like peanut butter and jelly, so he was perfect for this job.
Connor Zilisch did not have to deal with Shane van Gisbergen in his rookie Xfinity season because SVG was already in Cup. That luxury is gone. In 2026, Zilisch joins him in the top series, where the two will finally go head to head against the sport’s best.
What began as a season of boos for Denny Hamlin slowly turned into genuine affection from the NASCAR crowd. His win at Las Vegas softened even his harshest critics.
Connor Zilisch’s story has taken a turn every young driver dreams of. After an impressive yet bittersweet Xfinity campaign under Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports banner, the 19-year-old is now ready to step onto NASCAR’s biggest stage.
Kyle Larson’s kids may still be in grade school, but competition already runs in their veins. Both Owen and Audrey Larson have been squaring off in the Junior Sprint division, cutting their teeth on the way to becoming successful racers just like their father.
Mark Martin has several concerns about the current state of NASCAR. He literally pushed the sanctioning body to make changes to the playoff format and has clearly stated his intent that he will continue to be a voice of the fans going forward, advocating for change he sees fit.
To the surprise and shock of nobody, Chase Elliott went on to win his 8th straight Most Popular Driver Award for the Cup Series. Elliott’s father, Bill, won the award 16 times in his career, a record.
It feels like just yesterday we were watching a youngster from Clovis, California, tear up dirt tracks with a fire in his eyes that you just don’t see every day.
Chase Briscoe was unable to emerge victorious at the Championship finale at Phoenix. Despite performing great all throughout the playoffs, his performance in the last race was mediocre.
Christopher Bell missed the Championship 4 again this season, yet he still carried favorite status and remained one of the field’s steadiest hands, despite growing up in Sprint racing, where he piled up 26 dirt victories, including the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 2014.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s roster forged a bond despite limited time together. After Kevin Harvick’s exit in 2023, the group kept the lights on for one more year as Tony Stewart focused on his Drag Racing program and aimed to bow out before the new charter agreement came due.
From Connor Zilisch to Corey Heim, plenty of prospects have climbed the rungs the traditional way, moving from Go-Karts to Late Models, then ARCA, Truck, Xfinity, and finally Cup.
Carl Edwards’ sudden retirement after the 2016 season landed like a bolt from the blue, blindsiding the garage and even a veteran like Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Now that the 2025 Cup Series season has come to an official close and Kyle Larson has been crowned champion, NASCAR could come out at any time with an announcement about a change to the current playoff format.
Denny Hamlin proudly wears the black hat and enjoys playing the role of a NASCAR villain. Fans love to boo Hamlin, and he loves giving it right back. But in the last month of the 2025 season, we saw a noticeable shift.
Racing legend and San Diego native Jimmie Johnson will make one of his rare appearances back on the NASCAR circuit when it visits his hometown for a historic race next season.