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. 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.
Report
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 road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991, the track was reconfigured with the current 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. 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.
Championship drivers Denny Hamlin was the first of four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, winning at Las Vegas. Chase Briscoe clinched the second spot in the Championship 4, winning at Talladega. William Byron clinched the third spot in the Championship 4, winning at Martinsville. Kyle Larson clinched the final spot in the Championship 4 at Martinsville.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. (CC) denotes championship contender.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Noah Gragson Front Row Motorsports Ford 5 Kyle Larson (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Justin Haley Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Ty Dillon Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 19 Chase Briscoe (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Josh Berry Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 34 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 Riley Herbst (R) 23XI Racing Toyota 38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Haas Factory Team Ford 42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Toyota 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Toyota 44 J. J. Yeley (i) NY Racing Team Chevrolet 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 60 Ryan Preece RFK Racing Ford 66 Casey Mears (i) Garage 66 Chevrolet 71 Michael McDowell Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Shane van Gisbergen (R) Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list Practice Ty Gibbs was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 27.300 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 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 27.402 131.377Official practice results Qualifying Denny Hamlin scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.914 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 26.914 133.759 2 24 William Byron (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.956 133.551 3 5 Kyle Larson (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.979 133.437 4 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 27.017 133.249 5 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 27.029 133.190 6 77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27.039 133.141 7 21 Josh Berry Wood Brothers Racing Ford 27.093 132.876 8 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.094 132.871 9 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 27.111 132.787 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 27.119 132.748 11 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.129 132.699 12 19 Chase Briscoe (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.133 132.680 13 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 27.137 132.660 14 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 27.143 132.631 15 43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Toyota 27.154 132.577 16 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet 27.172 132.489 17 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.176 132.470 18 4 Noah Gragson Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.184 132.431 19 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 27.189 132.406 20 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.196 132.372 21 60 Ryan Preece RFK Racing Ford 27.197 132.368 22 38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.218 132.265 23 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 27.219 132.261 24 45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Toyota 27.220 132.256 25 54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.238 132.168 26 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.243 132.144 27 41 Cole Custer Haas Factory Team Ford 27.244 132.139 28 42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Toyota 27.251 132.105 29 7 Justin Haley Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27.300 131.868 30 34 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.306 131.839 31 88 Shane Van Gisbergen (R) Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 27.316 131.791 32 35 Riley Herbst (R) 23XI Racing Toyota 27.359 131.584 33 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 27.445 131.171 34 10 Ty Dillon Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 27.522 130.804 35 44 J. J. Yeley (i) NY Racing Team Chevrolet 27.720 129.870 36 66 Casey Mears (i) Garage 66 Ford 27.765 129.660 37 71 Michael McDowell Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27.959 128.760 38 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 0.000 0.000Official 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 Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 24 William Byron (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 02 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 04 2 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 75 5 Kyle Larson (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 06 77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 57 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 39 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 210 19 Chase Briscoe (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 0Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 125
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 02 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 24 William Byron (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 04 5 Kyle Larson (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 05 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet 57 19 Chase Briscoe (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 08 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 39 77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 210 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 127
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 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 319 344 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 319 395 11 8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 319 32 6 1 11 Denny Hamlin (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 319 317 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 2810 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 317 033 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 165 138 38 16 A. J. Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 146 1Official 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:
Media
Television NBC covered the race on the television side. Leigh Diffey, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Kim Coon, Parker Kligerman, and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane. Although NBC would continue to broadcast NASCAR races in 2026 and beyond, this was the last race to be produced by NBC Sports, as all NBC NASCAR broadcasts would now be produced by USA Sports following USA's move from NBCUniversal to Versant.
NBCBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Leigh DiffeyColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve Letarte Dave BurnsKim CoonParker KligermanMarty Snider
Radio