5 NASCAR stars whose 2025 season is off to a nightmare start ft. Denny Hamlin

Modified Mar 08, 2025 21:02 GMT

Three races have been completed in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. For some drivers, it's been a season of success while others have struggled.

Some such as Christopher Bell are off to a hot start as he's won the last two Cup events. Others, however, haven't been as fortunate. Let's look at five drivers who have been off to a nightmare start in the 2025 campaign.

1. Ty Gibbs

Ty Gibbs' 2025 Cup Series season has been off to an underwhelming start. The driver of the #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sits 36th in the points standings after three races.

The 2022 Xfinity Series champion recorded a 16th-place finish at Daytona. However, Gibbs wouldn't see a top-30 finish in either of the next two races as he finished 32nd at Atlanta and 34th at CoTA. After three races, Gibbs is still seeking his first top-15 finish of the season.

2. Austin Cindric

NASCAR: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix - Source: Imagn

While he's shown speed through the first three races, Austin Cindric hasn't had the results to back it up. Aside from finishing eighth in the Daytona 500, Cindric sits 35th in the points standings after failing to finish inside the top 20 at Atlanta and CoTA.

On top of that, the driver of the #2 Team Penske Ford lost 50 driver points after CoTA when it was deemed he intentionally wrecked Ty Dillon on the fourth lap of the event. The two-time Cup Series winner has shown promise for this season but hasn't produced the results.

3. Ryan Preece

Amid his first season with RFK Racing, the 2025 campaign hasn't started the way Ryan Preece envisioned. After three races, the driver of the #60 sits 30th in points and without a top-15 finish to his name.

Preece had a bright spot when he won a stage at CoTA last week, but a 33rd-place finish essentially made his effort a waste. His best finish of the season is 18th at Atlanta. It's still early in the season, but Preece will be searching for better results as the year continues.

4. Daniel Suarez

NASCAR: Ambetter Health 400 - Source: Imagn

Aside from a decent 13th-place effort in the Daytona 500, Daniel Suarez's start to the 2025 season has been one to forget. The driver of the #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet recorded back-to-back finishes outside of the top 30 at Atlanta and CoTA, leaving him 29th in the points standings after three races.

Amid his fifth season with Trackhouse Racing, Suarez will aim to make another playoff appearance with the organization this season. Unfortunately for him, his quest to do that isn't off to a great start.

5. Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin's 20th full-time Cup Series season hasn't started great for him. The driver of the #11 recorded a sixth-place finish at Atlanta but his finishes outside the top 20 at Daytona and CoTA have the Virginia native ranked 17th in the points.

One of those poor finishes was the Daytona 500, which saw Hamlin leading on the final lap until he was collected in a multi-car crash on the backstretch. Seeking that elusive first Cup title in 2025, Hamlin is off to a slow start.

Edited by Rupesh Kumar