2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 33 of 33 of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | November 1, 2025 | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.022 miles (1.645 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 200 mi (320 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 200 laps, 200 mi (320 km) | ||
| Average speed | 98.509 mph (158.535 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 27.490 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 83 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Time | 28.165 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | The CW | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Parker Kligerman, and Jamie McMurray | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley and Todd Gordon | ||
| Turn announcers | Dave Moody (1 & 2) and Kurt Becker (3 & 4) | ||
The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race was the 33rd and final stock car race of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series. The race was held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, a 1 mile (1.6 km) tri-oval track. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete.
In an action-packed race that sparked controversy, Jesse Love, driving for Richard Childress Racing, would survive from early car struggles, and made the championship winning pass on Connor Zilisch with 24 laps to go, leading the remainder of the race to earn his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his second of the season, clinching his first career Xfinity Series championship.[10] Zilisch fell back to third and finished second in the championship despite a dominating season.[11] Justin Allgaier dominated the majority of the event, leading a race-high 83 laps but fell back on a late restart and was unable to recover, finishing fifth and ranking third in the championship.[12] Carson Kvapil had a struggling day and finished 13th, ranking fourth in the championship. Aric Almirola, who finished in second, would clinch the 2025 owner's championship for the No. 19 car.[13]
This was the fifth and last consecutive championship race held at Phoenix as the event will move to Homestead–Miami Speedway for the first time since 2019. Phoenix will continue to serve as the championship race in future, but on a rotational deal.[14]
This was the final race with Xfinity as the title sponsor. Starting in 2026, O'Reilly Auto Parts will serve as the new series sponsor.[15] Xfinity and The CW also aired the final stage of the race commercial free.[16]
Report
Background
Phoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991, the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Phoenix Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth, and hosts the championship race on the schedule. In 2026, Homestead-Miami would host the championship race, while Phoenix would retain its second date in the Round of 8.[14][17]
Championship drivers
- Connor Zilisch was the first of four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 at Talladega.[18]
- Justin Allgaier clinched the second spot in the Championship 4 at Talladega.[18]
- Jesse Love clinched the third spot in the Championship 4 at Martinsville.[19]
- Carson Kvapil clinched the final spot in the Championship 4 at Martinsville.[19]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
- (CC) denotes championship contender.
- (OC) denotes owner's championship car.
Practice
The first and only practice session was held on Friday, October 31, at 1:35 PM MST, and would last for 50 minutes.[20] Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.045, and a speed of 128.365 mph (206.583 km/h).[21]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.045 | 128.365 |
| 2 | 11 | Brenden Queen | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 28.070 | 128.251 |
| 3 | 2 | Jesse Love (CC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.082 | 128.196 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, November 1, at 12:30 PM MST. Since Phoenix Raceway is a mile oval, the qualifying procedure used is a single-car, one-lap system with one round. Drivers will be on track by themselves and will have one lap to post a qualifying time, and whoever sets the fastest time will win the pole.[20]
Brandon Jones, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 27.490, and a speed of 130.957 mph (210.755 km/h).[22]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Qualifying results
Race
Note: Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and Carson Kvapil were not eligible for stage points because of their participation in the Championship 4.
Race results
Stage results
Stage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | Taylor Gray (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 4 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 5 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 7 | 39 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 19 | Aric Almirola (OC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 2 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 3 | 19 | Aric Almirola (OC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 2 | Jesse Love (CC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 6 | 54 | Taylor Gray (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 10 | 41 | Ryan Sieg | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 1 |
Final Stage results
Stage 3 Laps: 110
| Fin[23] | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 2 | Jesse Love (CC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 35 | Running | 40 |
| 2 | 7 | 19 | Aric Almirola (OC) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 0 | Running | 46 |
| 3 | 4 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 27 | Running | 34 |
| 4 | 1 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 10 | Running | 38 |
| 5 | 5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier (CC) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 83 | Running | 32 |
| 6 | 18 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 33 |
| 7 | 2 | 54 | Taylor Gray (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 44 | Running | 45 |
| 8 | 3 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 200 | 0 | Running | 45 |
| 9 | 16 | 21 | Austin Hill (OC) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 13 | 18 | Justin Bonsignore | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 0 | Running | 27 |
| 11 | 12 | 25 | Harrison Burton | AM Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 17 | 39 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Running | 29 |
| 13 | 14 | 1 | Carson Kvapil (CC) (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 14 | 15 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 8 | 48 | Nick Sanchez (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 16 | 21 | 16 | Christian Eckes (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 9 | 26 | Dean Thompson (R) | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 200 | 0 | Running | 20 |
| 18 | 24 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 19 |
| 19 | 20 | 11 | Brenden Queen | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 28 | 28 | Nick Leitz | RSS Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 30 | 71 | Ryan Ellis | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 16 |
| 22 | 22 | 99 | Connor Mosack (i) | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 23 | 27 | 42 | Anthony Alfredo | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 25 | 70 | Leland Honeyman | Cope Family Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 1 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 23 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | Running | 12 |
| 26 | 37 | 45 | Josh Williams | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 19 | 4 | Parker Retzlaff | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 33 | 10 | Daniel Dye (R) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | Running | 9 |
| 29 | 34 | 35 | Stefan Parsons (i) | Joey Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 30 | 36 | 53 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | Running | 7 |
| 31 | 32 | 14 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | Running | 6 |
| 32 | 26 | 91 | Josh Bilicki | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 196 | 0 | Running | 5 |
| 33 | 29 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 196 | 0 | Running | 4 |
| 34 | 35 | 5 | Glen Reen | Alpha Prime Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | Running | 3 |
| 35 | 31 | 07 | Patrick Emerling (i) | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 192 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 36 | 38 | 74 | Dawson Cram | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 191 | 0 | Running | 1 |
| 37 | 10 | 41 | Ryan Sieg | Haas Factory Team | Ford | 150 | 0 | Accident | 2 |
| 38 | 11 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 36 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 15 among 6 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 4 for 31 laps
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 2 hours, 1 minute and 49 seconds
- Average speed: 98.509 mph (158.535 km/h)
Playoff format controversy
Immediately following the race, NASCAR became the subject of controversy and blackish regarding the playoff system. Fans and media criticized NASCAR due to the single-race, championship deciding format that overshadows a driver's full season performance, sparking debate for a future change to the system. This came to attention after Connor Zilisch's dominant season with ten wins and 18 consecutive top five finishes, the most in series history, compared to Jesse Love's two wins and nine top five finishes throughout the season. Due to finishing third behind race-winner Love, Zilisch was unable to clinch the championship.[24]
Standings after the race
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References
- ^ "2025 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "Phoenix Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Phoenix Championship Race Page". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "Entry list" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 31, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "Practice Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 31, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "Qualifying Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Starting lineup" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Race Results" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Jesse Love wins 2025 Xfinity Series championship". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Rookie Connor Zilisch comes up short at end of remarkable season". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ Spencer, Reid (November 1, 2025). "Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier fall short of 2025 Xfinity Series Championship". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Wire Service. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "Joe Gibbs Racing wins 2025 Xfinity Series owner's championship". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ a b "NASCAR Championship Weekend to return to Homestead in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 7, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ Bianchi, Jordan (2025-08-16). "NASCAR adds O'Reilly Auto Parts as new series sponsor, ending Xfinity pact: Sources". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "Final stage of Xfinity Series Championship race airing commercial free". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 24, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Long, Dustin (October 18, 2025). "Austin Hill triumphs at Talladega; Justin Allgaier, Connor Zilisch advance to Xfinity title race". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Albert, Zack (October 26, 2025). "Sammy Smith one spot short of Championship 4; Love, Kvapil advance to Xfinity Series title race". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying Procedures". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (October 31, 2025). "NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race Practice Results (Phoenix)". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ Srigley, Joseph (November 1, 2025). "Brandon Jones Wins Phoenix Pole; Championship 4 Drivers Allgaier, Zilisch Tie for Fourth". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ "2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race - Racing Reference". Racing-Reference.info. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ Wilberforce, Dogli (November 2, 2025). "10 Wins, No Trophy": NASCAR Experts Blast Playoff Format After Connor Zilisch Loses Title". Heavy.com. Retrieved November 2, 2025.