It’s been nine months since the NASCAR Cup Series grid kicked off the 2025 season in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Thousands of miles of hard racing later, it’s all come down to the Championship Race in Phoenix.
William Byron’s win in Martinsville last week secured his spot in the season finale. Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin already punched their ticket to the most important race of the season.
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A fifth-place finish for Kyle Larson makes him the fourth contender on Sunday in Phoenix.
Contenders in Phoenix: Four top drivers chase 2025 NASCAR championship as possible format changes loom
Larson’s the only one of the four who has won a championship before. He took home the title with a win in Phoenix in 2021 but hasn’t made it to victory lane since then at the track.
Hamlin’s one of the most successful drivers in Cup Series history. He’d finally lose the title of “best Cup Series driver without a championship” with a victory on Sunday.
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Larson’s teammate Byron and Hamlin’s teammate Briscoe means it’ll be Hendrick Motorsports versus Joe Gibbs Racing for the title come Sunday. For the first time since Larson’s title in 2021, a non-Team Penske driver will win the championship.
And then there were four: NASCAR Championship race predictions, picks and odds for Sunday
Will it be a repeat champion or a new one crowned at Phoenix Raceway? Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, Nov. 7:
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Aug. 23: Ryan Blaney celebrates winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Aug. 23: Ryan Blaney celebrates winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Aug. 16: Austin Dillon celebrates after winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Aug 10: Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Aug. 3: William Byron (24) celebrates after winning the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
July 27: Bubba Wallace and his wife Amanda celebrate with the trophy on the yard of brick at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning the Brickyard 400.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
July 20: Denny Hamlin celebrates in victory lane after winning the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
July 13: Shane van Gisbergen celebrates after winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
July 6: Shane van Gisbergen celebrates after winning the Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Race.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
June 28: Chase Elliott celebrates in victory lane after winning the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
June 22: Chase Briscoe celebrates winning The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
June 15: Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates winning the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
June 8: Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
June 1: Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
May 25: Ross Chastain celebrates after winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
May 11: Kyle Larson celebrates winning the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
May 4: Joey Logano celebrates after winning the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
April 27: Austin Cindric celebrates in victory lane after winning the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
April 13: Kyle Larson celebrates winning the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
April 6: Denny Hamlin celebrates with his Joe Gibbs Racing crew after winning the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
March 30: Denny Hamlin celebrates after his win at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
March 23: Kyle Larson celebrates with his son after winning the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
March 16: Josh Berry celebrates after winning the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
March 9: Christopher Bell celebrates winning the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Feb. 23: Christopher Bell celebrates winning the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
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Every NASCAR Cup Series race winner of 2025 in photos
Feb. 16: William Byron, center, celebrates winning the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
What time does the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race start?
The Cup Series Championship Race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway in Phoenix.
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What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race?
The Cup Series Championship Race will be broadcast on NBC, the home of the final round of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 2 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the Cup Series Championship Race?
Yes, the Cup Series Championship Race will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream the NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix on Fubo
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How many laps is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race?
The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is 312 laps around the one-mile track for a total of 312 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 137 laps.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship contenders
There are just four drivers who can win the title on Sunday in Phoenix. They are:
William Byron (24) and Joey Logano (22) lead the field on a restart out of Turn 1 during the 2025 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.
Who won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race last year?
Joey Logano won just one race during the regular season in 2024 but stormed to three victories in the playoffs – crucially, the Championship Race in Phoenix. He captured his third Cup Series title, becoming the 10th driver in history to do so. He took the lead during the final stage and held off Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to take home the title. William Byron, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five.
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NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race starting lineup
Denny Hamlin, No. 11Â Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Cindric, No. 2Â Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney, No. 12Â Team Penske Ford
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Alex Bowman, No. 48Â Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, No. 9Â Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20Â Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Zane Smith, No. 38Â Front Row Motorsports Ford
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Dillon, No. 3Â Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR race today: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for championship