Three teams might learn a lot from the 2025 NASCAR Cup season of new era
In the era of Next Gen cars, the 2025 NASCAR Cup season may offer an insightful analysis of three teams with disparate histories but comparable results. Although RFK Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and 23XI Racing come from distinct backgrounds, their results since 2022 serve as a useful benchmark for each. In 2025, all three teams intend to grow to three full-time Cup squads. They have all been on a similar path since 2022, even though RFK Racing was founded in 1988 and Trackhouse and 23XI Racing had their Cup debuts in 2021. In that same year Brad Keselowski became co-owner of RFK Racing — leading a resurgence at that organization — and when both Trackhouse and 23XI Racing expanded to two Cup teams.
…NASCAR President Steve Phelps vows that fans will know where to watch Cup races in 2025
…The NASCAR president also discussed the cost and value of the Chicago Street Race and upgrades to NASCAR-owned tracks for fans.
“I’m not, at least, looking to avoid comparisons against Trackhouse or 23XI,” Keselowski said in response to a question from NBC Sports. “In fact, I think they’re a great measuring stick for us.
“If I look at 23XI, Trackhouse and RFK, each one of us (in 2024) was two cars. Each one of us, at times, ran a third car part time. The three of us are going to three cars in ’25. We’re both kind of second in the pecking order of manufacturers. I think they’re a very fair barometer for us.
“I don’t want to get caught up and ‘hey, we’re only racing 23XI and Trackhouse.’ That’s not right, but I would say it’s natural and healthy to compare ourselves to each other.”
A key difference between those teams over the past three seasons is that RFK Racing is the only team not to have a driver reach the Championship 4. Ross Chastain finished second in 2022. Tyler Reddick placed fourth this year.
23XI Racing’s growth has come ahead of schedule for co-owner Denny Hamlin. He talked about a five-year plan for the team he co-owns with Michael Jordan to be title contenders. This year, the focus is on maintaining that level of success with Reddick and having Bubba Wallace — who had career highs in top fives and top 10s — continue that progress.
A challenge for 23XI Racing will be what happens in the lawsuit it filed with Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR. Depending on what happens could have an impact on 23XI Racing.
NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220
Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks hints at return of Project 91 car to NASCAR
Shane van Gisbergen, who won the 2023 Chicago Street Race in a Project 91 car, will run full-time in Cup with Trackhouse in 2025.
Dustin Long
Trackhouse Racing saw a decline in top fives and top 10s this past season. The organization had 10 top fives (down from 14 and 21 the previous two years) and 23 top 10s (down from 26 and 34 the previous two years).
Car owner Justin Marks knows that needs to change.
“There’s good moments (in 2024) and things we need to improve on,” Marks said this week during the Fifth Annual Race Industry Week sponsored by Racer.com, epartrade.com and Speed Sport.
“We’re at an interesting points right now in the NASCAR Cup Series. We’re toward the end of the early stage of the development cycle of the Next Gen car. What I mean by that is that the car is not new anymore. A lot of these teams, especially the legacy teams that have very, very deep workforces and tooling and technologies (and) have really found a way to make the cars go fast, to really exploit all of the speed out of the cars.
“When you look back at 2022, everything was new, it was a bit of a different competitive set that made the car go fast than it does now. We had a great year in ’22. We had a great year in ’23.
“In ’24, obviously high points, we got a car in the playoffs … both cars got to victory lane. That’s incredibly important for our business is to be in victory lane. More than anything, we want to be winners.
“Certainly, it was disappointing that the 1 (car of Ross Chastain) didn’t make the playoffs. I think there was some bad luck and some performance stuff. The win came too late to be able that happen (and make the playoffs).
“It was from a competitive standpoint, a year that leaves some to be desired. Really, honestly, it stoked the fire a little bit inside the company of doing a pretty deep internal audit and saying we won’t want to slide into mediocrity.”
Trackhouse Racing adds a third car with Shane van Gisbergen, who joins Chastain and Daniel Suarez. 23XI Racing is scheduled to add a third car with Riley Herbst, teaming with Reddick and Wallace. RFK Racing will add a third car with Ryan Preece, who will be teammates to Keselowski and Chris Buescher.
“This year coming up for us, year four (of becoming co-owner of RFK Racing), it’s a big transition, going to a third team and adding some more talent and players,” said Keselowski, who will be reunited with crew chief Jeremy Bullins. “I’m really curious how we’re going to perform.”
The same could be said at Trackhouse Racing and 23XI Racing for the 2025 season.
