The NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway won’t he held until Nov. 2, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go ahead and make our predictions about who will be competing for the title. Here are our way-too-early predictions for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4.
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Team Penske
Over the last two seasons, Blaney has cemented himself as one of NASCAR’s elite. The 2023 champion came up one spot shy of defending his championship in 2024, and he’s primed to make another run to Phoenix. Blaney’s success on the flat, short ovals bodes well with a playoff schedule that features races at Gateway, New Hampshire and Martinsville, and his playoff experience should make him a perennial threat for years to come. After coming up three-tenths of a second shy of the 2024 championship, Blaney has plenty of motivation to get back to Phoenix and avenge his 2024 defeat.
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Larson missed the Championship 4 a season ago, but the 2021 champion has been one of the best drivers in the sport since signing with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, Over the last four years, Larson has won 23 races, including six in 2024. His aggressive driving style occasionally comes back to bite him, but his raw talent and speed is often too much for the rest of the field to overcome. Don’t be surprised if Larson finds himself back in the Championship 4 this season as he looks to capture his second Cup Series championship.
William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
After winning six races and making the Championship 4 for the first time in 2023, Byron came out of the gates hot in 2024 by winning the Daytona 500. Two more wins and a second consecutive Championship 4 appearance followed, but Byron is looking to go one step further in 2025. Like Blaney, the 27-year-old has solidified himself as one of the best drivers in the sport over the last two seasons. If Byron wants to be the next driver to begin a dynasty with Hendrick Motorsports – a la Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson – a third consecutive Championship 4 appearance is the next step.
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
If not for a controversial race manipulation scandal that rocked the NASCAR world at Martinsville last November, Bell would’ve made his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance. Instead, he was forced to settle for a fifth-place points finish and watch the championship fight play out at a track he won at in March of 2024. Bell has won eight races over the past three seasons, and has become Joe Gibbs Racing’s most consistent championship threat. It won’t be easy for Bell and the No. 20 team to get back to Phoenix for the third time in four seasons, but the 30-year-old should be a weekly threat to visit victory lane. Expect Bell to have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder in 2025 as he attempts to win his first Cup Series championship.
Close, but no cigar:
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota Camry, 23XI Racing
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Team Penske
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