The 2025 NASCAR Cup season could provide an eye-opening study of three teams with different backgrounds but similar performances in the Next Gen car era.
RFK Racing, Trackhouse Racing and 23XI Racing all have different origins but their performance since 2022 is a good indicator for each. All three teams also plan to expand to three full-time Cup teams in 2025.
Although RFK Racing can trace its beginnings back to 1988 and Trackhouse and 23XI Racing made their Cup debut in 2021, they have all been on a similar path since 2022. That’s the year Brad Keselowski became part owner of RFK Racing , leading a resurgence in this area. organization – and when Trackhouse and 23XI Racing expanded to two Cup teams.
As of 2022, Trackhouse has eight Cup victories, 23XI Racing seven and RFK Racing six.
As of 2022, Trackhouse has 45 top-five finishes, 23XI Racing has 43, and RFK Racing has 36.
As of 2022, Trackhouse has 83 top-10 finishes, 23XI Racing has 80, and RFK has 79.
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“I’m not, at least, trying to avoid comparisons to Trackhouse or 23XI,” Keselowski said in response to a question from NBC Sports. “I actually think they’re a great measuring tool for us.
“If I look at 23XI, Trackhouse and RFK, each of us (in 2024) was two cars. Each of us sometimes drove a third car part-time. The three of us are going to take three cars in 25. We’re both sort of second in the pecking order of manufacturers. I think they are a very fair barometer for us.
“I don’t want to get caught up and say ‘hey, we only run 23XI and Trackhouse.’ This is not true, but I would say that it is natural and healthy to compare ourselves to each other.
A key difference between these teams over the past three seasons is that RFK Racing is the only team without a driver reaching the Championship 4. Ross Chastain finished second in 2022. Tyler Reddick placed fourth this year.
23XI Racing’s growth has been faster than co-owner Denny Hamlin expected. He talked about a five-year plan to make the team he owns with Michael Jordan a title contender. This year, the focus is on maintaining that level of success with Reddick and having Bubba Wallace – who has career highs in the top five and top 10 – continue that progression.
A challenge for 23XI Racing will be what happens in Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit against NASCAR. Depending on what happens, this could impact 23XI Racing.
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Shane van Gisbergen, who won the 2023 Chicago Street Race in a Project 91 car, will race Cup full-time with Trackhouse in 2025.
Trackhouse Racing experienced a decline in top 5 and 10 finishes last season. The organization had 10 top 5s (compared to 14 and 21 the previous two years) and 23 top 10s (compared to 26 and 34 the previous two years).
The car’s owner, Justin Marks, knows that needs to change.
“There are good times (in 2024) and things we need to improve on,” Marks said this week at the fifth annual Racing Industry Week sponsored by Racer.com, epartrade.com and Speed sport.
“We are at an interesting time in the NASCAR Cup Series right now. We are towards the end of the first stage of the Next Gen car development cycle. What I mean by that is that the car is no longer new. A lot of these teams, especially the legacy teams that have very, very deep manpower and tools and technology (and) have really found a way to make the cars go fast, to really exploit all the speed of the cars.
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“When you look at 2022, everything was new, it was a bit of a different competitive environment which made the car go faster than it is today. We had a great year in ’22. We had a great year in ’23.
“In ’24, obviously highlights, we had a car in the playoffs…both cars made it to victory lane. It is extremely important for our company to be on the path to victory. More than anything, we want to be winners.
“Certainly, it was disappointing that the 1 (Ross Chastain car) didn’t make the playoffs. I think there was some bad luck and performance issues. The win came too late for that to happen (and make the playoffs).
“It was from a competitive point of view, a year that left something to be desired. Honestly, it kind of fanned the fire within the company by doing a pretty thorough internal audit and saying we wouldn’t want to slide into mediocrity.
Trackhouse Racing adds a third car with Shane van Gisbergen, who joins Chastain and Daniel Suarez. 23XI Racing is expected to add a third car with Riley Herbst, teaming with Reddick and Wallace. RFK Racing will add a third car with Ryan Preece, who will be teammates with Keselowski and Chris Buescher.
“This year coming up for us, year four (of becoming co-owner of RFK Racing), it’s a big transition, moving to a third team and adding even more talent and players,” said Keselowski, who will return to the team leader. Jeremy Bullins. “I’m really curious how we’re going to play.”
The same could be said at Trackhouse Racing and 23XI Racing for the 2025 season.
