Cameron Bebeau

NASCAR has one of the longest seasons in professional sports, stretching from mid-February to mid-November with weekly racing that rarely lets up.

So you can imagine my surprise when Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway rolls around – typically in the first or second week of November – and I realize it’s already here. But this year, it hits different for me.

In my thirteen years of watching NASCAR, the 2025 season has genuinely been one of the best I’ve ever experienced. That might sound dramatic, but hear me out – we’ve witnessed absolute masterclasses from two young stars: Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity Series, and Corey Heim in the Truck Series.

Zilisch, a rookie who’s already being hailed as one of the best motorsports prospects since Formula 1’s Max Verstappen, has dominated the series with 10 wins in 32 races heading into the finale. He’s done this despite setbacks that would’ve derailed most drivers – a lower back injury at Talladega in April, and a broken collarbone in August after a fall mid-celebration at Watkins Glen.

Then there’s Heim – a three-year Truck Series veteran who’s reached the Championship Four in all three seasons. He’s won an incredible 11 of 24 races, breaking a record that’s stood since 1999, when future Hall of Famer Greg Biffle set the standard. Normally, that kind of dominance turns fans off. We saw it happen in 2018 when the “Big Three” won 20 of 36 Cup Series races. An era of predictability, combined with a low horsepower rules package that made passing impossible, and many famous drivers of the previous era retiring, led to a stagnation in viewership.

Somehow, though, this year feels different. I don’t feel burned out seeing Zilisch and Heim in Victory Lane, because we know that what we’ve witnessed is historic. It’s not corporate or manufactured – it’s raw talent. Zilisch feels like a breath of fresh air. He’s just 19, but he carries himself like a veteran. He’s respectful, honest, and thoughtful in interviews, which is a rare combination in a field of pay-drivers with the personality of wet cardboard.

Heim, while a bit more confident and outspoken, is still easy to root for. He knows he is talented, but he doesn’t come across as arrogant. Compare that to drivers like Sam Mayer – who’s been suspended this weekend after what I’d classify as a temper tantrum over being raced hard – and you can see why fans gravitate towards guys like Heim and Zilisch.

On the Cup Series side, things have been more balanced too, and I think that’s played a role. Shane van Gisbergen has won five road course races and is improving on ovals weekly. Denny Hamlin has won six races this year, Christopher Bell has won four, and we’ve seen Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Larson all score three victories each. There’s been parity, storylines (such as Hamlin’s team suing NASCAR), and genuine competition – the kind of season that reminds me why I fell in love with NASCAR in 2012.

So if there’s ever been a time to get into NASCAR, it’s now. The energy is back. The personalities are shining again. The on-track product is the best it’s been in years, and next season looks even more promising with major free agency moves on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of fusionmonkey. Flickr. 2024.

Originally Published at: https://www.fsuthevoice.com/opinion-nascars-2025-season-just-hit-different/