It may seem just like yesterday that the rain-drenched Daytona 500 saw William Byron emerge with the checkered flag, but it’s been eight-and-a-half months since the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series began. After 35 races, including the first points race outside of the United States in over 60 years—courtesy of the Viva Mexico 250—the Cup Series has finally reached its endpoint. The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will take place on Sunday, with a new champion crowned.
Last year’s champ, Joey Logano, was eliminated from contention in the Round of 8, leaving just the quartet of Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Chase Briscoe in the Championship 4. They will battle over 312 laps at Phoenix Raceway, and while they’re the only ones who can claim the cup, NASCAR at Phoenix will have a full field of 38 drivers. Whichever of the four has the best finish will win the Cup Series championship, and there is more than just bragging rights on the line for the other 34 drivers in the field, as if any of them win, then they get the biggest share of the $12.4 million purse.
