NASCAR drivers in new rides for 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Although NASCAR fans got a taste of the upcoming season with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray earlier this month, it may take some time to get used to some of the driver and team changes for the 2025 campaign.

Longtime fans may remember the confusion caused by Kevin Harvick’s switch from No. 29 to No. 4 in 2014 or Matt Kenseth’s change from No. 17 to No. 20 in 2013. There certainly must have been some puzzled fans when No. 43 was driven by someone other than Richard Petty starting in 1994.

More recently, Kyle Busch’s change from No. 18 to No. 8 was tough to get used to in 2023.

Fans typically get accustomed to new faces in new places by a few races into a season but let’s review these changes and get ahead.

The four drivers displaced by the Stewart-Haas Racing closure will each have Cup Series rides in 2025. Gragson will race the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports (FRM). This will be Gragson’s third team in three full-time seasons. He will be sponsored by Rush Truck Centers, Miller Tech, and Zep, among others.

Gragson has two top fives and eight top 10s in 75 Cup Series starts. He finished second in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings. Gragson has 13 wins in that series.

FRM is running a third car for the first time in several years.

The Rick Ware Racing-Spire Motorsports driver swap in mid-2024 will still be in play for Haley, who will continue racing the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire with sponsorship from Celsius and Gainbridge.

Haley had one top-10 in seven starts with Spire in 2024. He has one Cup Series win.

The younger grandson of Richard Childress will once again have a full-time Cup Series ride in 2025. Dillon will compete for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Chevrolet. The team will be sponsored by Grizzly Nicotine Pouches and Sea Best. 

Dillon has two top fives and seven top 10s in his 245 Cup Series starts. This will be his seventh full-time season in the series.

This team was formerly Kaulig’s No. 31 entry.

After a one-year absence, Allmendinger will return to full-time Cup Series action. The road course specialist will once again pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet. Celsius and LeafFilter will sponsor the ride.

Allmendinger raced full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 and finished third in the championship standings.

He has three Cup Series wins, all of which are on road courses. His most recent win was at the Charlotte Roval in October 2023.

Possibly the biggest change for 2025 is Briscoe’s move to Joe Gibbs Racing. Briscoe will race the team’s No. 19 Toyota with sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops.

The ride was made available with Martin Truex Jr.’s retirement announcement in 2024. Briscoe was in need of a ride after the Stewart-Haas Racing fallout.

Briscoe has two Cup Series wins, including the 2024 Southern 500 at Darlington. 

Another Stewart-Haas driver on the move is Berry, who will race the iconic No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing in 2025. 

Berry had two top fives and four top 10s in 2024. He won five races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after an impressive career in the CARS Tour and NASCAR Weekly Series.

Gilliland is moving from FRM’s No. 38 Ford to its No. 34 Ford for the 2025 season. Gilliland will have sponsorship from Love’s Travel Stops and A&W Restaurants, among others.

Gilliland had four top 10s in 2024, bringing his career total to 10.

23XI Racing will have a Rookie of the Year candidate. Herbst will race the team’s No. 35 Toyota with sponsorship from Monster Energy and Chumba Casino.

Herbst has two top 10s in his eight Cup Series starts. He has three Xfinity Series wins and finished seventh in the 2024 standings.

Smith returns to FRM in 2025, the team he won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with in 2022. 

Smith will drive the No. 38 Ford with sponsorship from Speedy Cash, TitleMax, and Benebone, among others.

He had two top fives and four top 10s in his 2024 rookie campaign with Spire Motorsports. Smith has nine wins and three top-two points finishes in the Truck Series.

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Custer returns to full-time competition in 2025. He will drive the No. 41 Ford for the Haas Factory Team. 

Haas Factory Team will be a one-car operation under Gene Haas, one of the two co-owners of the defunct Stewart-Haas Racing.

Custer has one Cup Series win. He won the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Ware will continue driving for his father’s team, Rick Ware Racing (RWR). He will pilot the No. 51 Ford with sponsorship from Jacob Companies.

Corey LaJoie raced the No. 51 after the Spire-Ware swap in 2024. LaJoie will race part-time in the No. 01 Ford for RWR.

Ware has one top five and two top 10s in his 106 starts.

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing expands to three teams in 2025, with Preece driving the No. 60 Ford. 

Preece raced the No. 41 with SHR last season. He has four top fives and 16 top 10s in 187 Cup Series starts. 

After a seven-year partnership with FRM, McDowell moves to Spire Motorsports in 2025. McDowell will race the No. 71 Chevrolet with sponsorship from B’laster and Workforce, among others.

McDowell won two races with FRM in the No. 34 Ford, including the 2021 Daytona 500. He pushed the team to new heights during his tenure and consistently was running for top 10s.

Van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion, is a candidate for Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He will race the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing.

The New Zealand native has one Cup Series win in his 14 starts in the series. He won three races in the Xfinity Series in 2024, all on road courses. He will be a favorite at the Charlotte Roval, the Chicago Street Course, Watkins Glen, and the other road courses.

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