2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 36 of 36 in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | November 2, 2025 | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.022 miles (1.645 km) | ||
| Distance | 319 laps, 319 mi (524.755 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 97.711 miles per hour (157.251 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 26.914 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 208 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Time | 27.566 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley, and Todd Gordon | ||
| Turn announcers | Dave Moody (1 & 2) and Tim Catafalmo (3 & 4) | ||
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on November 2, 2025, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 319 laps, extended from 312 laps due to an overtime finish, on the one-mile (1.6 km) oval, it was the 36th and final race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Ryan Blaney won the race. Brad Keselowski finished 2nd, and Kyle Larson finished 3rd to claim his second Cup Series championship. Joey Logano and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five, and Denny Hamlin, having led 208 laps, finished second in the championship standings, Josh Berry, Michael McDowell, Ryan Preece, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top ten.
This was the final championship race held at Phoenix as the event will move to Homestead–Miami Speedway. Phoenix will host the championship race, but will be on a "rotating" schedule.[7] It was also the final championship race as part of the playoff system used since 2014, as it would be scrapped in favor of a return to the "Chase" format from 2026.[8]
Background
Phoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991, the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Phoenix Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth, and hosts the championship race on the schedule. In 2026, Homestead-Miami would host the championship race, while Phoenix would retain its second date, initially in the Round of 8.[7][9] On January 12, 2026, NASCAR announced that the Playoffs system would be removed in favor of a 10-race "Chase" format similar to the one used from 2004 to 2013.[8]
Championship drivers
- Denny Hamlin was the first of four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, winning at Las Vegas.[10]
- Chase Briscoe clinched the second spot in the Championship 4, winning at Talladega.[11]
- William Byron clinched the third spot in the Championship 4, winning at Martinsville.[12]
- Kyle Larson clinched the final spot in the Championship 4 at Martinsville.[13]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
- (CC) denotes championship contender.
Practice
Ty Gibbs was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 27.300 seconds and a speed of 131.868 mph (212.221 km/h).
Practice results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.300 | 131.868 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 27.396 | 131.406 |
| 3 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 27.402 | 131.377 |
| Official practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Denny Hamlin scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.914 and a speed of 133.759 mph (215.264 km/h).[14]
Qualifying results
Race
- Note: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Chase Briscoe were not eligible for stage points because of their participation in the Championship 4.
Race results
Stage results
Stage One Laps: 60
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 4 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 5 | Kyle Larson (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 6 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 19 | Chase Briscoe (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| Official stage one results | |||||
Stage Two Laps: 125
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 4 | 5 | Kyle Larson (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Chase Briscoe (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 8 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
| Official stage two results | |||||
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 127
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 319 | 58 |
| 2 | 19 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 319 | 35 |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Kyle Larson (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 34 |
| 4 | 10 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 319 | 39 |
| 5 | 11 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 32 |
| 6 | 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 319 | 31 |
| 7 | 7 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 319 | 30 |
| 8 | 37 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 29 |
| 9 | 21 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 319 | 28 |
| 10 | 17 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 28 |
| 11 | 20 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 319 | 32 |
| 12 | 9 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 319 | 27 |
| 13 | 13 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 29 |
| 14 | 29 | 7 | Justin Haley | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 23 |
| 15 | 8 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 26 |
| 16 | 15 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 319 | 21 |
| 17 | 16 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 20 |
| 18 | 12 | 19 | Chase Briscoe (CC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 319 | 19 |
| 19 | 14 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 18 |
| 20 | 26 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 17 |
| 21 | 25 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 319 | 16 |
| 22 | 30 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 319 | 15 |
| 23 | 32 | 35 | Riley Herbst (R) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 319 | 14 |
| 24 | 31 | 88 | Shane van Gisbergen (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 319 | 13 |
| 25 | 27 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 319 | 12 |
| 26 | 24 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 319 | 11 |
| 27 | 18 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 319 | 10 |
| 28 | 6 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 319 | 16 |
| 29 | 22 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 319 | 8 |
| 30 | 33 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 319 | 7 |
| 31 | 28 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 319 | 6 |
| 32 | 35 | 44 | J. J. Yeley (i) | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet | 317 | 0 |
| 33 | 2 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 317 | 4 |
| 34 | 4 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 301 | 10 |
| 35 | 34 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 296 | 2 |
| 36 | 36 | 66 | Casey Mears (i) | Garage 66 | Ford | 284 | 0 |
| 37 | 23 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 165 | 1 |
| 38 | 38 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 146 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 16 among 6 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 9 for 65
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 53 seconds
- Average speed: 97.711 miles per hour (157.251 km/h)
