NASCAR: Early 2025 championship favorite revealed (two drivers tied)

As a seasoned NASCAR enthusiast with over two decades of watching paint scuff and tires squeal under the blazing sun, I must say, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is shaping up to be an exhilarating ride! The co-favorites, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, both having their unique strengths, make for a fascinating duel. While Larson’s dominance in the regular season was unparalleled, Bell’s tenacity to fight his way into the Championship 4 despite an unfortunate incident at Martinsville is commendable.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series concluded at Phoenix Raceway a fortnight ago, and we’re almost three months from the start of the 2025 season. Yet, before the dust has even settled, DraftKings Sportsbook has already released preliminary championship odds for next year.

For a series that had 18 champions over the year 2024 and selects its annual winner through a four-round, ten-race playoff system during the postseason, it’s not surprising that there isn’t a clear front-runner for the 2025 title. In fact, at this point in the offseason, two drivers are currently considered equally likely to take home the trophy.

In a twist that mirrors the ongoing debate about the playoffs, neither of the two front-runners failed to make it to the 2024 Championship 4. This unexpected turn of events is, in a way, symbolic of the ongoing discussion about who should qualify for the championship.

As a gamer, I’ve been dominating this racing season with six wins under my belt, leading every driver out there. If not for that one missed race, I could have clinched the regular season championship. Unfortunately, things took a turn for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell at Martinsville Speedway. His last-lap move was ruled illegal, costing him his spot in the Championship 4.

Larson and Bell lead the pack at +550.

In the rear are William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports and Ryan Blaney from Team Penske – these two drivers have qualified for the Championship 4 in both 2023 and 2024. Blaney emerged victorious in 2023, but narrowly missed out in 2024. As for the odds, Byron stands at +600, with Blaney following closely behind at +650.

Denny Hamlin, who races for Joe Gibbs, is currently ranked fifth with odds of +750 as he works towards breaking free from being known as the most successful driver without a NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Joey Logano from Team Penske, who clinched the 2024 title despite his season-long points placing him outside of the top 10, currently holds odds of +850. Interestingly, he has reached the Championship 4 in every even year since the current playoff format was implemented in 2014. However, he’s yet to make it during an odd year. He shares this position with Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing.

Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports ranks seventh in the top nine, followed closely by the two Chases. Their odds are respectively set at +1100 and +1800. Interestingly, there is a tie for tenth position between Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing, who had his first winless season and missed the playoffs since 2012, and Ty Gibbs from Joe Gibbs Racing, with both having odds of +2200 each.

Full odds can be found at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The upcoming 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off on February 16, a Sunday, with the 67th running of the Daytona 500. Fox will broadcast this exciting event live from Daytona International Speedway, starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

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