Exploring 8 Xfinity drivers set to compete for 2025 NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is set to field a stacked number of rookie drivers this year. Through different teams, the series will observe a total of eight rookies who will be competing for wins and the top ten, but more importantly, the 2025 NASCAR Rookie of The Year Award.

The Rookie of The Year is awarded to the driver who performs best in their first full-time season in the series. Although some of the drivers carry prior experience with part-time schedules in previous seasons, they are still given the rookie tag when heading into a full-time season for the first time.

The Xfinity Series, being the second-tier series in NASCAR, observes multiple rookies almost every season through different racing backgrounds. As mentioned, the 2025 season is set to witness eight such rookies. Here is the list of those drivers who will be battling for the Rookie of The Year Award.

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#1 Carson Kvapil; first full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series year

Kvapil has prior experience racing for JR Motorsports in the CARS Late Model Series, winning the championship consecutively in 2022 and 2023. He is set to extend his experience with the team, piloting the #1 Chevy on the field this year. He also raced for the team last year on a part-time schedule.

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#2 Daniel Dye

The 21-year-old was rather impressive and extremely consistent in the ARCA Menards series, where he finished second in the championship in the 2022 season. He also raced in the Truck Series for two years in 2023 and 2024, piloting the #43 Chevy. He was also on a part-time schedule for two seasons in Xfinity for different teams and is set to race for Kaulig Racing this year.

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#3 Christian Eckes

Eckes is an absolute rookie in the series with no prior experience whatsoever. He did win the ARCA Menards title in 2019 and then moved to the Truck Series later. He raced in the series for a few years, finishing the 2024 season in third place with four wins in his bag. He will also race for Kaulig this year.

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#4 William Sawalich

William Sawalich also shares very little experience in the NASCAR Xfinity series. He participated in three races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the series last year and will continue with the team this season. He also shared a part-time schedule for Tricon Garage for three years in the Truck Series, alongside his time spent with JGR in the ARCA Series.

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#5 Dean Thompson

Similar to Sawalich, Thompson participated in two races for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series last year and is set to pilot the #26 Toyota full-time in 2025. However, he also has three full years' experience in the Truck Series.

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#6 Nick Sanchez

Sanchez has raced two full-time seasons in the Truck Series for Rev Racing, with his second year being much more consistent alongside two victories. He will race for Big Machine Racing this year in the Xfinity Series.

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#7 Taylor Gray

Gray shares a little more experience in the series with 13 participations in the 2024 season for Joe Gibbs Racing. He has also previously raced for David Gilliland Racing and Tricon Garage in the Truck Series. He will pilot the #54 Toyota for JGR this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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#8 Connor Zilisch

Zilisch has a very impressive racing resume. He debuted in the series with JR Motorsports in 2024 and managed to win his first race. He then participated in three more races, finishing at P4 in two of them. He does not share an immense experience in the series but has proven to be a competitive driver.