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The final weekend of the 2025 NASCAR season provided plenty of fireworks, drama and a few surprises as all three of the sport’s top circuits crowned their respective champions at the intermediate track of Phoenix Raceway.
The Craftsman Truck Series started off the weekend of racing in the desert with their Championship Race. Three of the Final Four drivers all battled it out into Overtime, before one man stood tall. In the end, it was the driver we predicted to win the race and the championship.
On Saturday, the Xfinity Series Championship Race took the on-track excitement to another level as all four drivers took turns challenging for the lead throughout the race. A few late restarts helped deliver an unexpected winner and derailed what could’ve been a Hollywood ending.
The Cup Series closed out the Phoenix weekend by crowning their 2025 Cup Champion. Like the Truck and Xfinity Series races, the Cup Series race delivered where it mattered the most – intense racing and a dramatic conclusion. While one driver slumbered in heartache, another celebrated in glory.
If you missed any of the racing action from Phoenix this weekend, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading our NASCAR results, race recaps, and catch up on all of the weekend’s stockcar excitement.
Additionally, check out how our NASCAR picks fared for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series races.
NASCAR Truck Series Results
The following NASCAR Truck Series results are for the Championship Race:
| Truck Series Results | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Race Winner | Corey Heim | Tricon Garage |
| Stage 1 Winner | Corey Heim | Tricon Garage |
| Stage 2 Winner | Corey Heim | Tricon Garage |
| Led Most Laps | Corey Heim (100/161) | Tricon Garage |
| Pole Position | Layne Riggs | Front Row Motorsports |
For the second straight week, Layne Riggs started on the pole but it was Corey Heim who would finish with the checkered flag. However, despite winning both Stages and leading the race, Heim was faced with a difficult challenge in the final OT laps. In fact, this was one of the closest wins for Heim this season.
In the second OT, Heim had to make a remarkable restart to overtake Ty Majeski and punctuate what was a magical season with his 12th victory of the year and the Truck Series Championship.
Not only did Heim extend his record setting total of wins to 12, but he also set a new mark for the most laps led in a season at 1,627. Furthermore, Heim led laps in all 25 of the races held this year which no other driver has ever done before. In fact, no driver in the history of NASCAR’s top circuits has ever accomplished that feat before.
After his thrilling victory, Heim made the following post-race comments:
“I just am so grateful to be where I’m at… I was so stressed out ever since we went to the (Charlotte) Roval (where Heim won from the pole Oct. 3 to advance to the Championship 4). I’ve been, like, so terrible to talk to as a person, so stressed out. This is just such a relief, to say the least. So thankful for everybody.”
Majeski, last year’s champion, finished in runner up as he came home just under one second behind Heim. The improbable Playoff run of Kaden Honeycutt came home third as he overcame and early penalty. The last member of the Final Four, Tyler Ankrum, finished 14th and never was a factor in this race.
With that said, Friday’s final Truck Series event of the year capped off what I would describe as the most dominant season by a truck driver in the history of this Series.
In addition to the stats mentioned above, Heim also tallied a 1.4 average finish across the seven Playoff races and he led all drivers with seven poles, 19 Top 5s (new record), 21 Top 10s, and 23 Stage wins.
Heim had a 5.0 average finish on the season, which was one of the best ever. Yet, it came up short of eclipsing Ron Hornaday’s mark in 1996, which was a 4.5 average finish. His 21 Top 10s was second to Christan Eckes mark of 22 set last year.
As for his future, Heim is facing a little bit of uncertainty. He wants to race full-time in the Xfinity Series and eventually the Cup Series. However, there are some hurdles to a full ride in the no.2 Series. Furthermore, Heim only wants to do a select number of Truck races next year.
Realistically, he’s probably a year or two away from jumping up to the Cup Series full time. With that said, his 2025 Truck Series season is one of the record books and proves that there are Hollywood endings to this sport.
In total, there were seven cautions for 42 laps and 10 lead changes. Heim took the last lead on the final lap of the race, which came in the second OT restart.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Results
The following NASCAR Xfinity Series results are for the Championship Race:
| Xfinity Series Results | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Race Winner | Jesse Love | RCR Racing |
| Stage 1 Winner | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Stage 2 Winner | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports |
| Led Most Laps | Justin Allgaier (83/200) | JR Motorsports |
| Pole Position | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing |
With three drivers in the Final Four, the odds favored JR Motorsports to take home the Xfinity Series Championship. However, that did not happen.
The 2024 champ Justin Allgaier came home in 5th place. The best driver this season, Connor Zilisch, finished third. And, the wild card Carson Kvapil finished 13th. In the end, it was RCR Racing’s Jesse Love who pulled off the remarkable feat of winning his first title.
Love was overlooked coming into this race by the duo of Zilisch and Allgaier. Yet, it was Love that took the lead on lap 176 and fought off both Zilisch and runner-up Aric Almirola for the final 25 laps to win at Phoenix.
Love’s victory was a dramatic conclusion to the season. The 2024 Rookie of the Year proved that he has the skills to not only win the title, but to get a look for a full-time ride in the Cup Series.
The no.2 car was fighting all night long with his best friend Zilisch. Yet, in the end, it was Love who bookend the season with a dramatic victory. He also won at Daytona to start the year. These were his only victories of the season.
Following the race, Love poured out his emotions:
“It really hasn’t set in yet. All these emotions, it doesn’t feel real, doesn’t feel real at all. He’s my best friend in the whole world, but not when we’re racing each other. We race each other hard but fair. … He ran a really great race tonight, but my car was just better tonight.”
Almirola’s runner-up result, netted JGR the Owner’s Championship. He competed in 17 races for the no.19 Toyota and scored three wins along with 11 Top 10s.
Both Allgaier and Zilisch were gracious in defeat as they acknowledged that Love had the better car and rose to the occasion. Yet, the stinging defeat left both men disappointed. While Zilisch will be heading to the Cup Series fulltime next year, Allgaier will return to the circuit that he’s been a mainstay in.
Speaking of the Xfinity Series, this circuit will gain a new sponsorship next year. After 11 seasons as its title sponsor, Xfinity is being replaced by O’Reilly Auto Parts for next season.
Race fans can see this new sponsor beginning on Saturday, February 14, as the O’Reilly Series kicks off its 2026 season at Daytona International. All of next year’s races will continue to be televised on The CW.
NASCAR Cup Series Results
The following NASCAR Cup Series results are for the Championship Race:
| Cup Series Results | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Race Winner | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| Stage 1 Winner | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
| Stage 2 Winner | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Led Most Laps | Denny Hamlin (208/319) | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Pole Position | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
In the end, “they” will say that Kyle Larson was the best driver at Phoenix on Sunday but that’s not entirely true. Yes, the no.5 car took the checkered flag but it was more so due to fortunate circumstances and a great pit strategy.
The best driver for most of the day was Denny Hamlin who looked like a foregone conclusion to win the race and the Cup Series Championship for the first time. Hamlin started on the pole, won Stage 2, led 208 of the 319 laps, and had the best car all day long.
Yet, the no.11 team’s strategy to take four tires put him back in the pack on the final caution of the day and he could not catch up to Larson who finished third and never led a lap on the day. Oh, and, Ryan Blaney won the race but it had zero impact on which driver won the Championship.
Larson won his second Cup Championship, with the first coming in 2021. Yet, it was a day of challenges as the no.5 team faced numerous setbacks throughout the race and appeared to be out of contention at various points.
However, this team showed the heart of a champion and why that previous experience was an advantage as I stated in my weekly NASCAR picks:
“With that said, I like Kyle Larson. He’s the only driver among the Final Four to have won a championship before. Plus, he can still raise his recent postseason success to another level. While I think this is the most wide-open Final Four in recent years, I am giving the edge to Larson to win the race and his second title.”
Larson had raced well in the previous nine races but had not won in the postseason like the other three drivers in the Final Four. They combined for five wins in nine Playoff races.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hamlin was in shock after the race. The no.11 car had come close to winning a championship in the past as this was his 5th Final Four appearance. And, despite dominating the race, Hamlin couldn’t close the deal. The runner up made these post-race comments:
“We were 40 seconds from a championship. It’s just unfortunate. The only difference before is the cautions came maybe a little sooner than that, but I don’t know. It’s just … gosh. You work so hard. It’s just this sport can drive you absolutely crazy because it’s just that sometimes speed, talent, all that stuff just does not matter.”
For Hamlin, his bad luck came when fellow Final Four contender William Byron hit the wall with a few laps left in the race. The caution changed the entire dynamic of the race. At that point, Hamlin would’ve won if the race stayed green.
After the race, Byron told the media that he felt awful for Hamlin and even apologized for causing that caution. This was despite the fact that his teammate Larson just won. Additionally, the newly crowned champion even said that he felt bad for Hamlin as the no.11 driver was the best on the day.
The sympathies kept rolling in following the race. Winner Ryan Blaney stated that he felt bad for Hamlin’s misfortune, as well.
In the end, there were nine cautions for 65 laps and 16 lead changes. Blaney took the final lead on lap 319 from former teammate Brad Keselowski who was on the cusp of his first victory this season.
With the conclusion of this race, the Cup Series will head into its offseason. The sport’s top drivers will return to action on February 15, 2026, for the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Two weeks prior, they will participate in the Cup’s “preseason” event – Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
