Several veteran NASCAR drivers are under immense pressure to deliver strong performances in the 2025 Cup Series season. Their careers could face significant shifts depending on how their seasons unfold. Let’s examine three drivers for whom 2025 could be a make-or-break year.
Kyle Busch
After enduring the worst season of his career in 2024, Kyle Busch heads into 2025 seeking redemption in his third season with Richard Childress Racing (RCR). For the first time in his storied career, the two-time Cup Series champion failed to win a single race in a season. He also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Busch’s sophomore campaign in the #8 RCR Chevrolet was riddled with disappointment, prompting major personnel changes within the organization. The Las Vegas native, with 63 career Cup Series wins, faces immense pressure to turn things around in 2025. However, at 39 years old and entering his 21st full-time season, the question looms: Are we witnessing the final chapter of Busch’s NASCAR career?
The upcoming season could determine whether Busch will retire or continue competing at NASCAR’s highest level.
Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace enters 2025 in need of a breakthrough season after missing the playoffs in 2024 and enduring his second consecutive winless year. The #23 23XI Racing Toyota driver hasn’t won since October 2022 at Kansas Speedway, leaving him stuck at two career Cup Series victories.
In contrast, his teammate Tyler Reddick thrived in 2024, capturing three wins, winning the regular-season championship, and reaching the Championship 4. Meanwhile, Wallace finished 18th in the standings with six top-fives and an average finish of 15.3—far below the level expected from a driver at 23XI Racing.
While Wallace has job security thanks to a multi-year contract extension signed ahead of the 2025 season, the Alabama native must elevate his performance. Simply put, 2025 is critical for Wallace to prove he can consistently contend with NASCAR’s elite.
Ross Chastain
Since joining Trackhouse Racing in 2022, Ross Chastain’s performance has noticeably declined. His 2022 season was stellar, with two wins and a runner-up finish in the Championship 4. In 2023, Chastain managed two wins again but was eliminated in the Round of 12. By 2024, he failed to even qualify for the playoffs, though he did win during the postseason at Kansas.
Meanwhile, his teammate Daniel Suárez made strides, winning at Atlanta and advancing to the Round of 12 in the playoffs. Chastain, on the other hand, posted six top-fives with an average finish of 14.9, signaling regression.
Now 32 years old, Chastain needs to prove he can return to being a serious playoff contender in 2025. While he has managed at least one win in each of his three Trackhouse seasons, 2024 marked a step backward, making the upcoming season pivotal for his future in the sport.
2025 will be a career-defining year for these drivers, as their legacies and future opportunities in NASCAR hang in the balance.
