It has returned! Within the blink of an eye, the 2024 NASCAR season has come and gone. History was made throughout the season, with close finishes and new faces on the rise. The season concluded last November in Phoenix, with Joey Logano winning title #3. Without further ado, let’s look at all of the familiar faces in new places as we kick off the 2025 Silly Season Review.
Noah Gragson moving to Front Row Motorsports and the new #4 team after the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing, a one-time championship team in the Cup Series, has sold its four charters and shut down after being in business for over fifteen years. Most of Gragson’s old pit crew and sponsors will be moving over to this new team, including crew chief Drew Blickensderfer and sponsor Rush Truck Centers. Will run as chartered entry after a lawsuit victory.
Justin Haley signs multi-year deal with Spire Motorsports for 2025, replacing Corey LaJoie
Haley moved to the #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet after Corey LaJoie was released effective immediately prior to fall Kansas last season. In exchange, LaJoie finished the season with Rick Ware Racing and the #51 car (Haley’s former ride); LaJoie will be racing part-time for Ware in 2025. Championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers joins Spire for a new journey with Haley.
Ty Dillon returning to the Cup Series after a one-year hiatus with Kaulig Racing, driving the new #10 car
Dillon spent the 2024 season as the driver of the Rackley WAR #25 in the Truck Series before being released prior to the season’s end. Ty will be replacing Daniel Hemric in a re-numbered #10 Chevrolet; Hemric was released after one season. Former RCR engineer Andrew Dickeson will serve as crew chief.
AJ Allmendinger returns to Cup Series after a year of Xfinity racing, driving the #16 Chevrolet
Allmendinger won one Xfinity Series race (Las Vegas in the fall) and made the Championship 4 during a one-off Xfinity Series return the previous season. Trent Owens moves from the second entry to the flagship #16 Chevrolet. AJ seeks to win his first Cup Series race since the Charlotte Roval in the fall of 2023.
Chase Briscoe replacing now-retired Martin Truex, Jr. at Joe Gibbs Racing in the #19 Toyota
2024 Southern 500 winner Briscoe will make a big move to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2025 season following the retirement of Martin Truex, Jr. Briscoe won only two races in four seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, moving to JGR after SHR’s shutdown. James Small will remain crew chief as Briscoe looks to begin his championship contender phase.
Josh Berry replaces Harrison Burton at Wood Brothers Racing after the former team closes
Berry moves from the defunct Stewart-Haas Racing team to the Wood Brothers’ flagship #21 Ford. Former driver Harrison Burton will be racing in the Xfinity Series for AM Racing. Former Penske engineer Miles Stanley will serve as crew chief; Berry finished 27th in points during his lone season replacing Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick.
Riley Herbst Running for Rookie of the Year Honors with 23XI Racing
Herbst previously raced for Stewart-Haas Racing in Xfinity, winning three races between 2023-24. 23XI is the second of three teams to purchase an SHR charter. Riley will be driving the brand-new #35 Toyota and brings over his crew chief Davin Restivo atop the pit box. He was previously a Toyota development driver from 2017-20.
Todd Gilliland moving from Front Row Motorsports #38 to #34, Zane Smith to #38 Ford from Spire Motorsports
Gilliland, the former driver of the #38, will move to Front Row’s flagship #34 car after Michael McDowell was released. Smith moves from Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse’s development program to the #38 car, and will both pair up with Noah Gragson. Chris Lawson replaces Travis Peterson as the #34 crew chief; he was with Rick Ware Racing last season. Ryan Bergenty remains with the #38 team as FRM looks to make noise in 2025.
Cole Custer returning to Cup Series for the first time since 2022, driving the new Haas Factory Team #41
Custer ran the last two Xfinity Series seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, winning the championship in 2023. Despite SHR’s closure, they kept one charter and will be running under the Haas Factory Team banner, albeit with 0% Tony Stewart ownership; Gene Haas remains an owner. Cole’s last Cup Series season three years ago resulted in a 25th-place points finish. The man atop his pit box will be former RFK Racing engineer, Aaron Kramer.
Cody Ware returns to NASCAR full-time behind the wheel of his father’s #51 Ford
2025 marks Ware’s first full-time Cup Series campaign since being suspended by NASCAR in April 2023 for domestic violence. He was reinstated in December 2023 after the charges were dropped. Cody replaces Corey LaJoie in the entry. Billy Plourde will continue to guide the #51 Ford team.
Ryan Preece becomes Roush Fenway Keselowski’s third driver behind the wheel of the all-new #60 Ford
Preece was the fourth and final driver forced out of a ride when Stewart-Haas Racing closed. RFK Racing owners Jack Roush and Brad Keselowski purchased a charter for Preece to pilot the #60 entry in its first full-time season. New crew chief Derrick Finley will attempt to lead Preece to his first Playoff berth and race victory in the strong entry. Preece finished 26th in Cup Series points last season.
Michael McDowell moves to Spire Motorsports and the #71 team from Front Row Motorsports
The 2021 Daytona 500 champion will embark on new endeavors with Spire Motorsports and the #71 team, replacing Zane Smith in a near swap. McDowell brings Travis Peterson from his old ride at FRM to call the shots. Michael will partner with Justin Haley and Carson Hocevar, who are all seeking Spire’s first Cup Series win in the Gen 7 era.
Shane van Gisbergen was promoted to the top level after a stint in Xfinity with Kaulig Racing; driving #88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing
Former Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen comes from the land down under to the pinnacle of the greatest country in the world. Trackhouse Racing owners Pitbull and Justin Marks purchased a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing to resurrect the #88 Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Stephen Doran, Zane Smith’s crew chief at Spire Motorsports last season, will partner with SVG for 2025. Van Gisbergen finished 12th in Xfinity Series points last year, winning races at Portland, Sonoma, and Chicago Street.
And so, the 2025 Cup Series is locked, loaded, and ready to go. Can anyone touch Joey Logano’s trophy? Will a previous champion take it back? Or will a new champion reign supreme in Phoenix? Our first answer will be given at the 67th Annual 2025 Daytona 500. Sunday, February 16th at 2:30 PM EST.
