The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season came to an end once the sunset at Phoenix in November. It was a season full of drama and new faces emerging from the deep, with Justin Allgaier capturing the elusive first title. With new faces in new places, and a stacked Rookie of the Year class, here is everything you need to know about the changes to the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series lineup.
Stewart-Haas Racing rebrands as Haas Factory team, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer driving #00 and #41 Fords respectively
Creed and sponsor Friends of Jaclyn Foundation spent the 2024 season with Joe Gibbs Racing, finishing 6th in points with no wins. Mayer finished 9th with JR Motorsports last season, scoring three wins. Jonathan Toney remains with the #00 team, while former Spire Motorsports Truck Series crew chief Jason Trinchere partners with Mayer.
Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch were promoted to full-time with JR Motorsports
Kvapil ran nine races with JR Motorsports last season, finishing 2nd at Dover (A race I was in attendance for). Carson will chase a title in the #1 Chevrolet formerly occupied by Mayer, with longtime engineer/interim CC Andrew Overstreet stepping up to crew chief. Zilisch, the driver of the #88 Chevrolet, ran four races for JRM in 2024, scoring a win in his debut race at Watkins Glen. Mardy Lindley, the former crew chief of the #1 team, will team up with Connor. Both drivers are teammates to Justin Allgaier and Sammy Smith. In other news, JRM has acquired the rights to the old DEI #8 font for Smith…
Parker Retzlaff moves to Alpha Prime Racing and the new #4 Chevrolet for 2025
Retzlaff wound up 21st in points with Jordan Anderson Racing in 2024. He will be replacing Ryan Ellis in the re-numbered #4 Chevrolet in 2025, with former OUR Motorsports, AM Racing, and RSS Racing crew chief Joe Williams, Jr. calling the shots. He is Brennan Poole’s teammate.
Kris Wright promoted from ARCA to Xfinity Series with OUR Motorsports in 2025
Wright previously contested the 2024 ARCA Menards Series campaign, finishing 3rd in the standings with no wins. Replacing Anthony Alfredo in the #5 Chevrolet, veteran crew chief Dan Stillman is partnered with Kris. Wright is yet to complete a full season across the top three touring series.
Garrett Smithley attempting a full 2025 season with SS-Greenlight Racing, the #14 team
The second straight Pennsylvania native in this article, Smithley ran a part-time 22-race schedule for JD Motorsports, Alpha Prime Racing, and Joey Gase Motorsports in 2024. Jason Miller remains the crew chief of the #14 team. Smithley is SSGLR’s first planned full-time driver since Gray Gaulding in 2023 before Gaulding was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR.
Former McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Truck drivers Daniel Dye, and Christian Eckes embark on rookie Xfinity Series seasons
Dye, the new driver of the #10 Chevrolet, finished 10th in Truck Series points last season with no wins. Additionally, he ran ten Xfinity Series races in 2024. Eckes, who replaces AJ Allmendinger in the #16 Chevrolet, concluded the season third in Truck Series points with four victories. Kevin Walter remains with the #10 (Formerly #97) team, and Alex Yontz stays put as crew chief of the #16 team. Both drivers are teammates of Josh Williams.
William Sawalich, and Taylor Gray move up to Xfinity Series in 2025 with Joe Gibbs, and Brandon Jones makes a triumphant return
Sawalich, the two-time defending ARCA Menards Series East champion, replaces Sheldon Creed as the driver of the #18 Toyota. He also won nine races in the main ARCA Menards Series last year. Crew chief Jeff Meendering moves from the #81 (Now #54) team to the #18. Taylor Gray, who ran thirteen Xfinity Series races and finished 6th in Truck Series points last season with no wins, is the new driver of the #54 Toyota. He replaces Chandler Smith. Jason Ratcliff comes out of retirement to partner with Gray; Tyler Allen was originally scheduled to be in this role before a change in plans. Brandon Jones returns to Joe Gibbs Racing for the first time since 2022, after two subpar seasons with JR Motorsports, driving the #20 Toyota. Sam McAulay moves from the #18 team to crew chief of the #20 team.
Harrison Burton returns to the Xfinity Series with AM Racing for the full 2025 season
“JEFF, YOUR LITTLE BOY HAS DONE IT!” Burton won his first career Cup Series race at Daytona in August of 2024, elevating him to 16th in points. After being replaced by Josh Berry in Cup for 2025, Harrison returns to the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the #25 AM Racing Ford. Former Legacy Motor Club engineer/interim CC, and former Xfinity Series driver Danny Efland gets his inaugural full-time crew chief gig.
Dean Thompson moves to Xfinity Series and Sam Hunt Racing for the 2025 season
Thompson ran two full-time seasons for TRICON Garage in the Truck Series, finishing 16th during his second season. Now, he will embark on his first full-time Xfinity Series season for Sam Hunt Racing in the #26 Toyota. Crew chief Kris Bowen will continue making calls. Thompson ran two races for the team in 2024.
Blaine Perkins switches to Jordan Anderson Racing, driving #31 Chevrolet
Perkins moves from RSS Racing, where he finished 27th in 2024 points. He replaces the JAR #31 team’s former driver, Parker Retzlaff. Lead engineer Jeff Kirkendall has been promoted to crew chief. He is Jeb Burton’s new teammate.
Anthony Alfredo replaces Leland Honeyman, Jr. at Young’s Motorsports; Honeyman running part-time with a new team
Alfredo was previously with OUR Motorsports and their #5 organization, finishing 16th in the final standings. Bringing over longtime sponsor Dude Wipes, “Fast Pasta” will replace Leland Honeyman, Jr. in the #42 Chevrolet. Andrew Abbott will continue serving as crew chief. Honeyman moves to the new Cope Family Racing #70 Chevrolet team, where he will run 17 races throughout the season, splitting time with Colts Neck, NJ native Thomas Annunziata, who will run the other 16 races.
Nick Sanchez promoted from Truck Series to replace retiring Parker Kligerman at Big Machine Racing
Big Machine’s former driver, Parker Kligerman, retired from full-time NASCAR racing following the conclusion of the 2024 season. So, the team has hired former ARCA Menards Series/REV Racing Truck Series driver Nick Sanchez as its newest talent for the #48 Chevrolet. Crew chief Patrick Donahue’s role remains unchanged. Sanchez finished 5th in 2024 Truck Series points, with two wins to his name.
Ryan Ellis lands at DGM Racing for 2025 Xfinity Series Campaign, driving new #71 Chevrolet
Ellis was formerly the driver of the #43 car at Alpha Prime Racing, where the 2024 campaign resulted in a 23rd-place points finish. He replaces Kyle Weatherman as DGM’s newest full-time driver in the #71 Chevrolet. The team owner and former driver, Mario Gosselin, will be at the top of the box.
Matt DiBenedetto, Viking Motorsports switching from Ford to Chevrolet for 2025, renumbering from #38 to #99
DiBenedetto finished 26th in series points last season, despite being announced as a late addition early in the season. The only change here is that Viking Motorsports is switching from Ford to Chevrolet, and re-numbering from #38 to #99, getting rid of all ties with RSS Racing. New crew chief Pat Tryson also joins the team. Viking Motorsports will now operate out of the former BJ McLeod Motorsports shop.
The 2025 Xfinity Series is known for its stacked rookie class. There are eight drivers who have a legitimate shot of winning Rookie of the Year honors. Who will come out on top as both a champion, a Rookie of the Year, or maybe even both? Tune into FS1 on Saturday, February 15 at 5 PM EST to find out first at Daytona.
