In a sport obsessed with speed and championship races, it’s easy to define the “Most Valuable Player” (MVP) by who lifts the NASCAR Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway. But if the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season taught us anything, it’s that the championship hardware doesn’t always tell the full story of the season.
The real NASCAR MVPs of 2025 weren’t just the ones fighting for the title in the desert; they were the drivers who outkicked their preseason expectations, reshaped their teams’ trajectories, and quietly became indispensable within NASCAR’s ecosystem.
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Last year, when Stewart-Haas Racing announced its departure from the sport, Chase Briscoe wasn’t just looking for a new team—he was looking for a new identity. The move to championship-winning team Joe Gibbs Racing in place of former champion Martin Truex Jr. in the #19 car was a ‘sink or swim’ moment.
While teammates like Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin were expected to dominate, Briscoe’s 2025 first season with JGR was a masterclass in adaptation. The 31-year-old driver first underwent a physical transformation—dropping 15 pounds at the team’s request—and then showed remarkable consistency throughout the season, making the first championship appearance of his career.
Briscoe wrapped up the season with a career-best three wins and 15 top-5s and proved he wasn’t just a fill-in for a retiree; he was a cornerstone for the future of JGR.
For years, the narrative at Team Penske was dominated by Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Austin Cindric was often viewed as the steady, reliable third man who would occasionally pop up on superspeedways (like Talladega and Daytona).
But that wasn’t the case in the 2025 season; Cindric didn’t just survive the playoffs, he became a weekly threat. He silenced critics who picked him to be an easy out from the playoffs. Even though he didn’t advance to the Round of 12, his victory at Talladega, average start position of 13.3, and a career-high 325 laps signaled a shift: Cindric is no longer just a specialist. He is becoming a threat to deal with every weekend.
In the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. contributed to Hyak Motorsports (the rebranded JTG Daugherty Racing team) by competing in the full schedule, securing sponsorship deals, and working to improve the team’s overall performance as a single-car entity.
While Stenhouse Jr. didn’t win this season, his ability to punch above his weight class—including a dramatic top-5 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and incredible individual efforts—made Hyak relevant.
Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry also outkicked their 2025 NASCAR pre-season expectations
Heading into his first full-time Cup Series season, everyone knew Shane van Gisbergen would be good on road courses, but few predicted he would turn the Cup Series schedule into a near-monopoly. SVG dominated the 2025 road course races, winning five of the six, including the inaugural event in Mexico City.
However, the New Zealander’s MVP case rests on the second half of his season. At Kansas Speedway, he achieved his maiden career oval top-10. He also secured Rookie of the Year honors.
After SHR shutdown, Josh Berry found a lifeline in the iconic #21 for Wood Brothers Racing. Expected to be a rebuilding year for the longest-running team in NASCAR, Berry instead delivered the team’s 101st victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fifth race of the season.
Berry didn’t just win a race; he showed consistency behind the wheel of the #21 car. With three top-5s and 8 top-10 finishes, he finished the season at 16th place in the final standings—much better than last year. The 35-year-old proved he is a genuine Cup Series factor.
Edited by Yash Soni
