Latest updates on NASCAR silly season for Cup Series in 2025

NASCAR silly season is almost complete for the Cup Series in 2025. Check out the latest announcements and which rides are still open!

NASCAR silly season has been off the rails over the last week for the Cup Series. RFK Racing announced that Kroger and Ryan Preece will join the race team in 2025, while Riley Herbst moves to a third 23XI Racing car. Meanwhile, Front Row Motorsports will move Todd Gilliland into the No. 34 Love’s Ford, replacing Michael McDowell. So, which rides are still open in the Cup Series?

As of November 21, 2024, there are not many rides left. Front Row Motorsports will have a third entry for the 2025 NASCAR season, but a driver hasn’t been announced. Zane Smith, a former Front Row Motorsports driver, has been labeled the favorite. As for another Ford team, Rick Ware Racing has one seat open after leasing a charter to RFK Racing.

Rick Ware Racing has two drivers that would make sense for the No. 51 car. Corey LaJoie, who replaced Justin Haley after he moved to Spire Motorsports, and Cody Ware, who returned in 2024 after his lengthy suspension. Both drivers would be solid options for Rick Ware Racing during the 2025 Cup Series season.

NASCAR silly season has been exciting throughout this year’s process, but most of the Cup Series drama is ending. Now, the focus will be on the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series as teams finalize their driver lineups.

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How to listen, watch NASCAR’s Awards Ceremony in 2024

Check out how you can listen and watch NASCAR’s Award Ceremony for the 2024 season as the sport goes to Charlotte on November 22nd!

The NASCAR family will congregate in Charlotte, North Carolina, for its yearly Champion’s Week that takes place after the season. This is the first year NASCAR will crown the champions at every level in Charlotte after spending the last four years in Nashville. Most notably, it features a banquet where the sport reveals the Most Popular Driver award winners and lets the champions speak.

The banquet will take place on Thursday, November 22nd, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, for those who want to watch the banquet live, it will not be covered on the night of the event. The first opportunity for a telecast will take place on Sunday, November 24th, at 3:00 p.m. ET on The CW. Unlike last year, the banquet is not behind a paywall, so a subscription will not be required to watch.

It was an exciting 2024 NASCAR season, and the sport is ready to officially close out the year. You don’t want to miss the action in Charlotte as NASCAR closes the book on another wonderful season.

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Brad Keselowski’s new crew chief revealed for 2025 NASCAR Cup season

Brad Keselowski’s new crew chief at RFK Racing has been revealed for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Find out who is joining RFK Racing!

[autotag]Brad Keselowski[/autotag] has reunited with a familiar face for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Thursday morning, RFK Racing announced that [autotag]Jeremy Bullins[/autotag] will rejoin Keselowski and become the crew chief of the No. 6 team in 2025. Bullins was recently with Harrison Burton and Wood Brothers Racing before leaving near the end of the 2024 season.

Keselowski was paired with Bullins in 2020 and 2021 at Team Penske and made the Championship 4 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the course of his career, Bullins has 10 Cup Series victories, including the 2020 Coca-Cola 600 with Keselowski and the 2022 Daytona 500 with Austin Cindric in the NextGen car’s debut.

Overall, this is brilliant move for RFK Racing, as Keselowski and Bullins have a history of success together. Matt McCall, the former crew chief of the No. 6 car, did a good job guiding Keselowski to his first Cup Series victory with RFK Racing, but the speed wasn’t present in the playoffs. Now, Keselowski hopes that Bullins can help him get back to the Championship 4.

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Circuit of the Americas track layout changed for the 2025 NASCAR season

Circuit of the Americas will have a new track layout for the 2025 NASCAR season. Check out COTA’s new course layout for 2025!

Circuit of the Americas will have a new look for the 2025 NASCAR season. On Wednesday morning, COTA revealed its new track layout for NASCAR, which will see the circuit shift from its 3.41-mile, 20-turn Full Course layout to the venue’s 2.3-mile, 20-turn National Course. The NASCAR Cup Series race will be roughly 30 laps longer due to the change.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also utilize the new road course layout, as it will return for another year. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Truck Series won’t return to Circuit of the Americas, which will be the first time since the venue was added for the 2021 season. In 2024, William Byron (Cup), Kyle Larson (Xfinity), and Corey Heim (Truck) were the winners.

This new course layout will provide a new challenge for NASCAR competitors moving forward. The National Course layout will be equally challenging as it will be a completely new scene. NASCAR hasn’t finalized every detail surrounding the events at COTA in 2025, but it will be exciting to see the new layout in action.

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Riley Herbst joins 23XI Racing full-time for 2025 NASCAR Cup season

23XI Racing announced that Riley Herbst will drive the No. 35 car full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

[autotag]Riley Herbst[/autotag] has a new home in NASCAR for the 2025 season. On Wednesday morning, [autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] revealed that Herbst will drive the No. 35 car full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series during the 2025 season. This comes as 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports go through their lawsuit against NASCAR regarding the charter agreement.

Herbst will bring Monster Energy as a sponsor, making him the third driver with that partnership in the Cup Series. The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver ended the 2024 season on a high note after winning the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, sending the organization off with one final victory.

Over the weekend, NASCAR removed a clause allowing 23XI Racing to continue with its lawsuit while racing without charters in the Cup Series. Herbst’s future has been up in the air with the ongoing lawsuit, but he has landed with one of NASCAR’s best teams for now. This is an amazing opportunity for Herbst and one that could lift his career to new heights.

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Kroger, Ryan Preece join RFK Racing for 2025 NASCAR Cup season

RFK Racing announced that Kroger and Ryan Preece will join the NASCAR Cup Series program for the 2025 season.

[autotag]RFK Racing[/autotag] has revealed two significant pieces of news for the 2025 NASCAR season. On Tuesday morning, RFK Racing revealed that [autotag]Ryan Preece[/autotag] will drive the No. 60 car full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2025. Also, [autotag]Kroger[/autotag], which has been the main sponsor at JTG Daugherty Racing, will move to the NASCAR team with sponsorship on all three cars.

Preece was the last Stewart-Haas Racing driver in the Cup Series without solidified plans for the 2025 season. Meanwhile, Kroger has been long expected to join RFK Racing since August. This is a major move for RFK Racing, which will lease a charter from Rick Ware Racing, putting them down to one chartered entry.

In the Modern Era of NASCAR, sponsorship has become very important, and Kroger will tremendously help the organization. Preece also closed out the 2024 season on a high note, providing optimism for his future in better equipment. RFK Racing didn’t have a great playoff run, but the start of the 2024 NASCAR offseason couldn’t be going any better.

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Christopher Bell reacts to Joe Gibbs lifting dirt racing restrictions in 2024

Christopher Bell reacts to Joe Gibbs Racing lifting its dirt racing restrictions in 2024. Find out what Bell had to say about the decision!

[autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] drivers will be able to compete in more dirt racing events moving forward. On Monday, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck reported that Joe Gibbs Racing will lift dirt racing restrictions for its NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Of the four drivers, [autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag], who has won three Chili Bowl Nationals, is the most notable.

Bell spoke to Gluck through The Athletic about Joe Gibbs Racing’s decision to allow its drivers to race in approved dirt racing events moving forward. Needless to say, the driver of the No. 20 Cup car is excited.

“I was definitely caught off guard by the change of policy,” Bell said. “I was super shocked, but with [Chase Briscoe] coming on board and [Ty Gibbs] growing an interest in dirt racing, it’s nice we have the majority of our team aligned with it now…It’s refreshing knowing I’ll be able to do whatever I want to do. I’m super excited to reconnect with my dirt fan base and see everybody at a dirt track soon.”

Bell also posted a message on social media to his fans, saying, “See you guys at a dirt track soon.” With limited track time in the Cup Series, racing in other forms of competition has been beneficial to many NASCAR drivers in the top 3 levels. Now, Joe Gibbs Racing will see those same benefits once again as Bell, Briscoe, Gibbs, and Hamlin will be allowed to run approved dirt racing events.

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Latest updates on 23XI Racing’s lawsuit against NASCAR in 2024

What are the latest updates on 23XI Racing’s lawsuit against NASCAR in 2024? Check out the latest developments in the ongoing lawsuit!

[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] and [autotag]Front Row Motorsports[/autotag] are currently in the midst of a lawsuit against NASCAR regarding the charter agreement. Neither NASCAR Cup Series organization has signed the new agreement, making them open organizations starting in 2025. So, what are the latest updates on 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit against NASCAR?

Over the weekend, NASCAR removed a key clause, which will now allow 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to race as “open” organizations while pursuing the antitrust lawsuit. The two NASCAR teams wouldn’t receive the benefits of a charter, meaning they still need to qualify for every race, including the 2025 Daytona 500.

Meanwhile, NASCAR commented on 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ motion to expedite an appeal over the preliminary injunction on Monday. According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, NASCAR had this to say on the request.

“There is … certainly no urgency that would justify Plaintiffs’ extraordinary request to require NASCAR to file its opening brief within a mere 12 days, over a period that includes the Thanksgiving holiday…Moreover, Plaintiffs’ proposed schedule is highly unfair to this Court: it would give the Court only one week with that briefing before oral argument.”

The lawsuit continues to be an ongoing process with no end in sight. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit figures to be the top story throughout the 2024 NASCAR offseason.

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Joe Gibbs Racing lifts dirt racing restrictions for NASCAR Cup drivers in 2024

Joe Gibbs Racing will lift its dirt racing restrictions for NASCAR Cup Series drivers in 2024, allowing them to compete in approved events.

[autotag]Joe Gibbs Racing[/autotag] drivers haven’t been active in the dirt racing world lately; however, that is about to change soon. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, Joe Gibbs Racing will lift the dirt racing restrictions for its NASCAR Cup Series drivers. This means Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, and newcomer Chase Briscoe will be able to run dirt racing events moving forward.

This is a big deal for Bell, who has won the Chili Bowl Nationals three times, and Briscoe, who owns a dirt racing team. According to Briscoe through The Athletic, he brought up dirt racing in his initial talks about joining Joe Gibbs Racing. Out of the four Cup Series drivers, Denny Hamlin is the only competitor who hasn’t expressed an interest in dirt racing.

It is a welcomed development for dirt racing fans, who already see the likes of Kyle Larson race throughout the season. Bell and Briscoe are active members of the dirt racing community and will be able to compete in approved events moving forward. As of now, Bell and Briscoe don’t have any firm plans for the Chili Bowl Nationals in January 2025.

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TNT, Prime reveal new NASCAR Cup Series broadcast booths for 2025

TNT and Prime Video reveal their new NASCAR Cup Series broadcast booths for the 2025 season. Who will commentate with Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Warner Bros. Discovery and Prime Video have announced their NASCAR Cup Series booths for the 2025 season. On Monday, the two new NASCAR partners announced that Adam Alexander and Steve Letarte will join Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the broadcast booths. The trio of announcers will commentate 10 races between TNT and Prime from May 25 to July 27.

The Prime portion of the NASCAR schedule will begin with the Coca-Cola 500 and end with the race at Pocono Raceway, while the TNT portion begins with Atlanta Motor Speedway and ends with the Brickyard 400. Alexander will be the play-by-play announcer, while Letarte and Earnhardt serve as analysts. Letarte will also stay with NBC Sports in 2025.

TNT and Prime Video are newcomers to the NASCAR scene in 2025, as the sport begins its new TV rights deal at the Busch Light Clash. FOX Sports and NBC Sports have no new announcements as of now, which means half of the Cup Series broadcast booths are settled. Now, the primary story will be who joins The CW broadcast booth for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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