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2024 was one of the best seasons in recent memory for many NASCAR fans. And as sad as we were to have the season end, we’re very much so looking forward to 2025. The 2025 season will be here before we know it. Who knows what the excitement next year will bring? Across the three nationally touring series, there are a lot of races to look forward to. Here are just a handful of the most anticipated races of the 2025 NASCAR season.
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For the first time since 1971, the NASCAR Cup Series will race at Bowman Gray Stadium. The quarter-mile bullring is located in Winston-Salem, just over an hour outside of Charlotte, so many industry insiders, teams, and drivers alike are excited that the opening race of the year will be a “home game”. The race will take place on February 2, 2025, which is a Sunday night. It will be aired on primetime FOX.
What makes this race so special is that Bowman Gray is one of NASCAR’s oldest venues. It is a legit racetrack rather than an artificial one like what we had at the Coliseum the last three years. Despite the current short track package being far from ideal, the hope is that the size of the track will provide some beating and banging racing. While NASCAR going Hollywood was fun for a few years, it’s nice to have them returning to their roots.
Of course, this list can’t exist without some mention of the crown jewels of NASCAR. The Great American Race is consistently the race with the biggest numbers in terms of TV viewership. This year, the Daytona 500 will air on Big Boy FOX on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The scheduled start time is 2:30 PM. There’s always something exciting about the first legit race of the season, and there will be many storylines to follow as we head into speedweeks.
The next crown jewel on the schedule is the Coke 600, which will be Amazon Prime’s first race covering NASCAR. It also marks the return of fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the broadcast booth. The race will take place on May 25, 2025, and the start time is scheduled for 6 PM. One of the big storylines heading into that race is whether Kyle Larson can complete the double this year. Also, the racing at Charlotte has been some of the best the series has had to offer in the NextGen era. That’s what makes this race something to look forward to.
The next crown jewel is arguable because it was left off the schedule in recent years. But, after making a return in 2024, the NASCAR Cup Series will hopefully put on a better show in 2025 than they did in 2024. Whatever the case, the Xfinity Series race is virtually guaranteed to be a barn-burner. Then, of course, we have the Southern 500. Darlington is consistently one of the best tracks on the NASCAR circuit and it will be back in the playoffs for 2025.
Rockingham Speedway will return to the NASCAR schedule in 2025. While the Cup Series will not return, the Xfinity teams will take to the newly repaved Rock for the first time since 2004. It will be the trucker’s first start at the Rock since 2013. The Rock has always been a popular venue amongst fans and we’re all looking forward to its return. Hopefully, with the recent renovations at the track, this can be a steppingstone for a Cup return to the facility.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Rock will occur on Saturday, April 19th, at 4 PM and will be aired on the CW. The Truck race will take place the Friday before and will be aired on FS1.
The NASCAR Cup Series has raced outside the United States a few times but never with any points at stake. Back in the 90s, NASCAR ran three races in Japan, two at a road course and one at the now-demolished Twin Ring Motegi oval. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at the Mexico City road course from 2005-2008. Building off these events, NASCAR will make history as the Cup Series will travel below the border to Mexico City for the first time.
I remember those Xfinity Races from back in the day, and I look back on them fondly. This is a great building block for NASCAR to run more international races in the future. The race will take place on June 15th and will be aired on Amazon Prime. One of the big storylines heading into this race will be “Can Daniel Suarez triumph at his home track?”
For the first time in 14 years, NASCAR will return to Lime Rock Park…and, for the first time, it will be with one of the three nationally touring series. That’s right, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will make their debut at Lime Rock Park on June 28, 2025. And, a rarity for the Truck Series, the race will air on Big Boy FOX. It’s always fun when NASCAR goes to a track they don’t typically race at in an attempt to have a diverse schedule. We, and so many other fans, are definitely looking forward to this one.
That does it for us, NASCAR fans. What races are you looking forward to the most? Do you agree with our list? What would you add or take off? Let us know what you’re thinking! And be sure to keep tuning in back here at DailyDownforce.com for all the latest news and stories in NASCAR.
