From a NASCAR Fan’s View
And so it all comes down to this… The Final Four go for the Championship at Phoenix, and there is a good chance there could be a surprise victor when the final black and white checkered flag drops to close out the 2025 NASCAR Cup Season. Of course there are only four drivers and teams to choose from and the winner will come from those four, but it may not be the one everyone expects.
There is an interesting circumstance that takes place every time they have a playoff race, including the one for the Championship. I’m sure you already know what I’m going to talk about, but I’m going to talk about it anyway. The interesting circumstance in every playoff race and the final race for the Championship is that there are always two races happening at the same time. There may actually be two winners when this one is over, although it is possible that there will only be one winner.
First, let me take a look at the obvious. There are two ways to look at the plight of Denny Hamlin. He has been around for a long time, and in the past, he was often the one people thought would have won the championship. The problem in those days in the past was that something generally happened to keep him from the championship. Whether it was some kind of equipment failure or a driver error, there has always been something that has stood in his way. I won’t speak for Denny, but I will say that he probably is looking over his shoulder, wondering if something will once again happen to take him out of the mix for his first NASCAR Championship. It has definitely happened to him before and sometimes it is something unexpected and a little strange.
This time, he starts from the pole position and has a great choice for a pit stall. He is also the top choice to win the Championship. He has been running strong and could very well pull it off. But he did have an engine blow last weekend, and he didn’t run all that well the week before. It doesn’t really matter where he finished these last two weeks because he was locked in because of his win at Las Vegas three weeks ago. Now tell me… what could possibly go wrong?
Getting back to the two races in one thing, there is the race to win the Championship and the race to win the regular race at Phoenix. I admit most of the time the winner does come from the four racing for the Championship. There is also the opportunity for someone outside of the Final Four to win the race. As for those in the Final Four, one of them only has to finish ahead of the other three when the final flag drops and they become the 2025 NASCAR Champion. So, does that mean if the four of them finish in the last four spots the one ahead of the other three is the Champion? Yep, that’s the way it works.
Gee, that sounds a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Yeah, and if it happens that way, it kinda puts a damper on the whole race thing, doesn’t it?
In the meantime, there are three others besides Denny who have every bit of the same opportunity as Denny. Chase Briscoe, William Byron, and Kyle Larson are just as capable of winning this Championship, and any one of the four of them could win not only the race but the championship as well.
Of the four drivers in the Final Four, I find it interesting that three of them qualified to start the race in the first, second, and third starting positions. Since they qualified so well, it is possible one of them could end up with the race trophy and the Championship trophy. Without choosing any one of them to win, it is definitely something to think about and wonder if the JGR teams or the Hendrick teams will overcome in the end.
Unfortunately, things are not that simple. There are several other drivers of the remaining thirty-four in this race who also want to win. Some are quite capable, while others may simply lack the speed. I can think of several that may win that are not in the playoffs, and they are definitely threats to win it all except the Championship. That’s the part that will not change. Either Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, or Kyle Larson will end up as the 2025 NASCAR Cup Champion. Would you care to offer a suggestion for your choice of which of the drivers will win one or both of the two races in one?
Yeah, that’s kinda what I thought you would say. Me neither…
Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© November 2, 2025 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
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