The 2025 season has begun in NASCAR, with the Clash at Bowman Gray behind us, and the Daytona 500 just one week away.

With a new season comes new expectations for the drivers returning the grid. 

And while all drivers head into the season hoping to win races, make the playoffs and compete for a championship, there are several drivers facing an additional amount of pressure for a variety of reasons.

Here’s my list of drivers who I see facing a bigger spotlight than the others in 2025:

1. Denny Hamlin (No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing)
The choice for the driver under the most pressure was an easy one, and that is of course Denny Hamlin, who has several factors coming together at the same time to provide an intense spotlight on his 2025 campaign.

First off, there’s the usual pressure surrounding Denny’s quest to win his first Cup series championship. Despite 54 Cup wins (12th most wins all time), he has yet to seal the deal, and age would dictate his time left in the series is nearing its end. Even if he says he’s not worried about the Cup title, you know it’s looming in the back of his mind that his time to win one is running out.

Before we get into the thrilling racing at Darlington on Sunday that saw Brad Keselowski return to Victory Lane in a stunning day of redemption for both driver and team, let’s talk a bit about history.

When I think of Roush Racing, I initially think of the 1997 Cup race I attended at Michigan Speedway, my first race I watched at the track, where Mark Martin took home the checkered flag for Jack Roush in the No. 6 Valvoline car, one of 35 victories for Mark in the 6 car.

I think about all the races I saw won over the next two decades — with Roush drivers including Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and more. Since launching his Cup team in 1988, the Cat in the Hat had a team that was formidable week in and week out, not only in Cup but also dominating many races in Xfinity and Trucks for years.

Part three of my reflections on the year that was, and what’s to come in 2024, for Cup series teams:

RFK Racing 
Results: Chris Buescher (7th in points); Brad Keselowski (8th in points)
Grade: A-

Talk about overachieving: RFK Racing was the breakout Cup team of 2023. RFK Racing co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski had long hyped up his teammate Chris Buescher’s talent, but that was backed up when Buescher shocked everyone by rattling off three wins this summer. 

Meanwhile, Keslowski consistently ran up front all year, and took home 7 top-5 finishes. He could easily return to victory lane next season. The fact that both these drivers finished in the top 8 in points is extremely impressive for a team still aiming to rebuild back to the levels of success once enjoyed in the former glory days of Roush Racing. 

Look for Buescher and Keselowski to remain contenders in 2024 in the newly unveiled Mustang Dark Horse. 

BROOKLYN, Mich. — It’s hard to imagine for fans who are new to the sport in recent years, but the team formerly known as Roush Racing (and later Roush Fenway Racing) was once among the most dominant teams in the sport.

Started by Jack Roush in the late 1980s, it rose to power with Mark Martin as its lead driver, then a stable of strong teammates were added that made it an annual championship contender — including Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch (2004 Champion), Matt Kenseth (2003 Champion), and Greg Biffle.

Michigan Speedway was unofficially known as the House of Roush, with the team almost always guaranteed to have the horsepower and driving talent to compete for the race win in Brooklyn. Heading into this weekend, they had a total of 13 wins at the two-mile oval.

And after watching Chris Buescher — driver of the No. 17 car for the newly renamed RFK Racing — win a thrilling battle against Martin Truex. Jr. Monday to claim his second straight Cup series victory (and the RFK camp’s 14^th win at the track), it’s safe to say the team has definitely got its groove back and is reinvigorated by the arrival of Rochester Hills, Michigan, native Brad Keselowski as a co-owner last year.