Another new wrinkle in 2025 is Denny’s new crew chief Chris Gayle coming on board to replace Chris Gabehart, who became Competition Director at Joe Gibbs Racing, which could lead to a bit of an adjusting period.

There’s also the loss of FedEx as a sponsor. While others are starting to plug the hole that leaves, it’s definitely a concern and could endanger how long his tenure will last at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Finally, there’s the cloud of the antitrust lawsuit that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed against NASCAR, which is scheduled to go to trial later in 2025. Both teams won court rulings allowing them to compete as charter teams in 2025, but their future in the sport beyond that could depend on how the lawsuit/trial turn out. And there’s always the worry that NASCAR will have a target on Denny and his 23XI drivers’ backs in the inspection line due to his being involved in the lawsuit.

Put this all together, and there’s a lot of weight on Denny’s shoulders in 2025. He’s a professional, and will do his best to block it all out on race day, but it’s safe to say few drivers in the garage have as much going on right now as Denny does.

2. Chase Briscoe (No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing)

When you’re given a great opportunity, you’re expected to do great things.

The elements for success are there. Chase Briscoe is a promising young racer. Joe Gibbs is a top-tier Cup team. There’s no reason they shouldn’t succeed and win races.

But Briscoe needs to deliver on that promise, as he’s taking over a car in which Martin Truex won 15 races over the past six years, including 7 races in his first year driving the 19 car.

No one is saying Briscoe needs to be a title contender, but if he doesn’t win at least one race and make the playoffs, at a bare minimum, some will question whether he was the right choice for this quality ride. I’m confident Briscoe will succeed and become a long-term member of the Gibbs team, but the 19 team will have plenty of eyes on them as they seek to deliver that success.

3. Kyle Busch (No. 8, Richard Childress Racing)

Kyle Busch is one of the greatest drivers the Cup series has every seen. He’s won over 60 Cup races (and 200+ across the top three series), and no one doubts he still is capable of winning.

But his time at Richard Childress Racing hasn’t been all rosy, and 2024 was the first year of his two decade Cup career that he did not take a checkered flag. If you know anything about Kyle Busch, you know that’s something he’ll want to fix ASAP in 2025.

The question is: Will the RCR team give him a car capable of winning? The field is tougher than ever these days, and no matter how strong of a racer Rowdy may be, he can’t be a winner in a dump truck of a racecar. We’ll see this season if they give him the ability to succeed, or if it’ll be another goose egg in the win column in 2025.

4. Ty Gibbs (No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing)

Ty Gibbs is an interesting case.

No one doubts he has talent, as he has showed in all the lower series where he has raced that he can dominate races and compete for wins. He won 12 Xfinity Series races plus a championship, but the early part of his Cup career has been erratic.

After two full seasons (and 87 total races), he has yet to take a checkered flag, and has earned 12 top-5 finishes. Not terrible numbers, but when your teammates (especially Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin) are doing much better, you have a lot of work to do to catch up.

Considering that Coach Joe Gibbs is his grandfather, chances are the ride is his for life and there’s no pressure on him in terms of job security.

But for his own mental state and progression in the sport, it’s important for the young driver to get over the hump and take that first win in the Cup series this year, compete in the playoffs, and show the NASCAR world that he has what it takes to compete for a Cup title, and isn’t just a nepo baby lucky to have a ride in the Series.

Will he do that in 2025? Time will tell.

5. Ryan Preece (No. 60, RFK Racing)

The ultimate journeyman, Ryan Preece’s journey in NASCAR has been an eventful one.

Long considered a talented driver who hasn’t really gotten a shot in top-tier equipment, his latest disappointment was being out of a ride after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down at the end of 2024.

Thankfully, he has recovered and landed a full-time ride RFK Racing, a team that’s on the rise and showing it can compete for wins on a weekly basis since driver Brad Keselowski became part-owner a few years back.

Now in his early 30s, Preece needs to find a place to settle down for a while in the Cup series, and the way to achieve that is to start contending for wins. If he can follow in the footsteps of his teammates Chris Buescher and Keselowski and take home a win this season, that should solidify his presence at the team and set him up for long-term success.

Honorable mentions:

Chevy and Toyota

The last three Cup series titles have gone to Ford, specifically Penske Racing — with 2 for Joey Logano and 1 for Ryan Blaney.

And even though a Cup title might not be as prestigious as it once was in many people’s eyes due to the playoff format, the reality is all three car makes really want to take it home each year.

Chevy and Toyota need to step up their game this year, including in how they perform at Phoenix, if they want to wrestle the crown away from the Ford camp.

Bubba Wallace (No. 23, 23XI Racing)

On the plus side, Bubba Wallace is trending in a positive way, completing his most successful season in 2024 (6 top-5 runs and 14 top-10s, plus 1 pole).

But at the same time, he hasn’t been to Victory Lane since Kansas in 2022, and that’s not a stat you want to have hanging over your head.

Now that he’s got a contract extension and knows he’s solidified as a 23XI driver for a few years, he needs to get the 23 car back into Victory Lane and start growing that win total.

Adding to the pressure is the continued success of his teammate Tyler Reddick, a regular visitor to Victory Lane. This is Bubba’s year to show he can match his teammate’s prowess and finish out races.

Follow AutoTechReviews on Instagram at @autotechreviews, and on Twitter @AutoTechReview. Follow Matt Myftiu on Twitter @MattMyftiu.