- How to watch the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025
- Changes to rules ahead of new season
- Team and driver shakeups
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series is officially here and is set to be one of the most exhilarating seasons in recent history. The 77th year of professional stock car racing in the United States comes with a new broadcasting deal, schedule changes, and big team shakeups.
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The season officially kicked off with the traditional Cook Out Clash exhibition race. It was held at Bowman Gray Stadium on 2 February 2025, marking the first time the Cup Series had raced at Bowman Gray since 1971. The event was held each year at Daytona International Speedway from the race’s inception in 1979 until 2021, after which it was moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022 until 2024.
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Chase Elliott scored the pole for the race after winning the first qualifying heat race and the Hendrick Motorsports driver also claimed race victory having led 171 laps of the 200. It was his first time winning the Cook Out Clash, with Ryan Blaney finishing second, followed by Denny Hamlin in third.
The point-scoring action starts this weekend however, with the season opening race Daytona 500 on 16 February 2025. It will be the first of 36 races contested over a gruelling 38- week calendar.
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 took place on 12 February, 2025 and Chase Briscoe secured the pole position. It marked the first pole for Toyota in the race’s history. Veteran drivers Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. guaranteed a place in the Daytona 500 field, regardless of their performances in the Duel races on 13 February. The latter retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2024 season.
Here’s everything you need to know for the 2025 Cup Series season, before the green flag drops on race day.
New TV Broadcasting Deal
The broadcasting arrangements have seen some big changes for the 2025 season. Fox and NBC are no longer the only two broadcasters showing the Cup Series. TNT is back in the fold and Amazon will televise Cup races for the first time.
FOX will handle the early-season portion of the schedule with 14 events including the Daytona 500 and the All-Star Race, before the other broadcasters get involved. NBC will broadcast 14 races, while Amazon and TNT will each carry five events.
The broadcasting teams are as follows:
FOX: Mike Joy (play-by-play), Kevin Harvick (analysis), Clint Bowyer (analysis)
NBC: Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Steve Letarte (analysis), Jeff Burton (analysis)
TNT/Amazon Prime: Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (analysis), Steve Letarte (analysis)
For NASCAR fans in the United Kingdom, Premier Sports is the destination for all 2025 and 2026 races.
Delivering our customers some extra horsepower this year. Five @NASCAR Cup Series Races. Exclusively on @PrimeVideo đ. https://t.co/v3lFp86Lw6
— Amazon (@amazon) February 11, 2025
Team and Driver Shakeups
There was a lot of movement in the NASCAR offseason, from driver changes to unexpected team expansions. Things might appear a little confusing in the Cup Series first race, so here’s a rundown of the most notable changes.
Stewart-Haas Racing closed its doors at the end of the 2024 season, with Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece moving on to other teams for 2025. Gene Haas rebranded SHR to Haas Factory Team for 2025, which will field one car, the no. 41 Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer.
Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlinâs 23XI Racing expanded from two to three cars for the 2025 season, with Riley Herbst joining Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. The rookie will drive the newly added no. 35 car.
Trackhouse Racing also added a third driver to its lineup, the no. 88 car, driven by Shane van Gisbergen. This move represents Trackhouseâs push for more prominence in NASCAR. The New Zealand driver joins new teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel SuĂĄrez.
NASCARâs official site lists the 17 full-time confirmed teams and its drivers for 2025, including NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
NASCAR Rule Changes
NASCAR made some changes of its own in the offseason, introducing a flurry of new rules for the 2025 focusing on competition procedures, vehicle policies, and playoff eligibility.
The key updates include an overhaul to Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) meaning teams can now repair damaged cars in the garage and return to the race. Before, the cars would be towed away and retired.
An Open Exemption Provisional has been newly introduced. This guarantees a starting position for a 41st entry in the Cup Series field. Any driver/non-chartered team utilizing this provision will not be eligible for points or prize money.
Adjustments to the Playoff waiver have been implemented. NASCAR will now punish teams seeking playoff waivers for their drivers beyond medical reasons. Kyle Larson missed the Coke 600 while making his Indy 500 debut in 2024. If he was to do the same in 2025, all of his playoff points accumulated to that point will be forfeited and he wonât be allowed to earn any future points.
Things To Look Out For In 2025
Joey Logano became a three-time Cup Series champion in 2024. His championship wins came in 2018, 2022 and 2024, all even numbered years. Will Logano be able to break the trend and successfully regain his title in an odd year?
Chevrolet has announced that the 2025 Blazer EV SS will take on pacing duties for this year’s Daytona 500. It is the first time in NASCAR history that an electric vehicle will serve as the official pace car for the race.
Since his debut in 2005, Kyle Busch has had 19 attempts at winning the Daytona 500, but has never succeeded. His best finish was second place in 2019. Will the RCR driver come out victorious in his 20th attempt on the weekend?
For the first time since 1958, the Cup Series will host a points-paying race outside the United States. AutĂłdromo Hermanos RodrĂguez in Mexico City has been added to the schedule. It takes place on 15 June 15, 2025.
NASCAR is launching its first-ever in-season tournament and it has a $1 million prize. It commences with the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on 28 June, 2025. Seeding will be determined by the results of races from Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono in June, that precede the five-race event.
Denny Hamlin’s no.11 Toyota Camry will be sporting the new sponsorship colours of the National Debt Relief, ending a 20-year partnership between Fedex and Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin holds the record for the most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series without winning a championship. Will 2025 mark the year he finally secures the elusive title?
How To Watch The Daytona 500
The race will be broadcast live on FOX on Sunday 16 February, 2025.
Eastern Time (ET): 2:30 pm.
Central Time (CT): 1:30 pm.
Pacific Time (PT): 11:30 am
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch it live on Premier Sports at 7:30pm GMT. The full races are also streamed a day after the event on the NASCAR official YouTube channel.
