Plenty of vroom The 2025 NASCAR season will provide plenty of thrills starting in February with the Daytona 500. There has been shuffling among many drivers and teams. That has led to different people in different seats for the Cup Series season.

NASCAR’s return to Bristol has many excited for what’s to come after an entertaining start to the season. Hamlin has won at the track four times, while Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with eight checkered flags at The Last Great Coliseum.

Full-time in the Cup Series for 14 seasons, Mears had run one Cup race — the 2019 Daytona 500 — after the conclusion of his last full-time Cup season in 2016. Mears, now 47, is back for 2025 in pursuit of a coveted milestone: 500 career Cup starts.