NASCAR's 2025 Season Delivers a Thrilling Top 10 of Nail-Biting Finishes

As the checkered flag waved on the 2025 NASCAR season, Motorsport.com has meticulously compiled a retrospective of the ten closest finishes across the Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series. Stock car racing has long been synonymous with high-octane action and heart-stopping conclusions, and the past season proved no exception, delivering a series of races where mere inches separated victory from defeat.

Intriguingly, the closest finish of the 2025 season would have ranked only fifth in the preceding 2024 season, highlighting the consistently competitive nature of NASCAR’s national series. Nevertheless, the year was replete with breathtaking duels that captivated fans and tested the mettle of drivers and teams alike. The NASCAR Cup Series dominated the rankings, accounting for half of the top ten, with the Xfinity Series contributing three and the Craftsman Truck Series rounding out the list with two. However, it was the Truck Series that ultimately produced the most dramatic photo finish of the entire year. Phoenix Raceway emerged as an unexpected highlight, hosting three of these incredibly close encounters. As anticipated, the drafting-heavy superspeedways of Talladega, Daytona, and Atlanta featured prominently in the compilation.

The following is a detailed account of the ten closest finishes from the 2025 NASCAR season, supported by visual and statistical evidence:

10. NASCAR Xfinity Series – Talladega Superspeedway (Fall Race): Austin Hill vs. Carson Kvapil – Margin: 0.105 seconds

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The fall Xfinity Series event at Talladega Superspeedway concluded under overtime conditions, with Austin Hill demonstrating masterful control of a chaotic pack. While Nick Sanchez mounted a challenge, he was unfortunately collected into the wall by his pushing car as Hill expertly defended the lead. With the field tightly bunched and running side-by-side behind him, no competitor could muster the momentum to overtake the seasoned superspeedway competitor.

9. NASCAR Xfinity Series – Atlanta Motor Speedway (Summer Race): Nick Sanchez vs. Carson Kvapil – Margin: 0.104 seconds

Carson Kvapil found himself on the losing end of two exceptionally close finishes this season, continuing his pursuit of a maiden national series victory. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, Nick Sanchez secured his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Leading as the white flag waved, Sanchez maintained his position with rivals single-file behind him, preventing any opportunity for a decisive run to the finish line.

8. NASCAR Cup Series – Phoenix Raceway (Championship Finale): Ryan Blaney vs. Brad Keselowski – Margin: 0.097 seconds

The season-ending Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, while primarily focused on the championship battle, also delivered an extraordinary fight for the race win. Brad Keselowski, opting to stay out on older tires in hopes of securing RFK Racing’s first win of the 2025 season, unfortunately overshot the final corner. This miscue allowed Ryan Blaney to dive underneath and claim the checkered flag. The intense battle for second place saw three other cars running abreast behind them.

7. NASCAR Cup Series – Kansas Speedway (Fall Race): Chase Elliott vs. Denny Hamlin – Margin: 0.069 seconds

A tumultuous conclusion at Kansas Speedway saw Denny Hamlin, while battling Bubba Wallace, push up the track and send Wallace’s car into the outside wall. Capitalizing on the ensuing chaos, Chase Elliott surged from the inside line, engaging in a door-to-door duel with Hamlin as he snatched the victory on the final lap.

6. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Talladega Superspeedway (Fall Race): Gio Ruggiero vs. Corey Heim – Margin: 0.059 seconds

Gio Ruggiero, achieving his first victory in the Truck Series, had to fend off a fierce challenge from his teammate and newly crowned series champion, Corey Heim, in the closing moments. Heim made a bid for the lead on the outside as they approached the finish line, but Ruggiero executed an aggressive block, successfully holding on for the win.

5. NASCAR Cup Series – Phoenix Raceway (Spring Race): Christopher Bell vs. Denny Hamlin – Margin: 0.049 seconds

Phoenix Raceway proved to be a stage for multiple close finishes, including both Cup Series events held there. The spring race at Phoenix also culminated in a thrilling photo finish. Two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, battled intensely in the final laps. Bell ultimately edged out Hamlin at the stripe, marking his third consecutive victory of the season, a testament to his dominant form.

4. NASCAR Xfinity Series – Phoenix Raceway (Spring Race): Aric Almirola vs. Alex Bowman – Margin: 0.045 seconds

Another nail-biting finish occurred at Phoenix Raceway, this time in the Xfinity Series. In overtime, Alex Bowman executed a remarkable four-wide maneuver to seize the lead. Aric Almirola, however, managed to get back alongside Bowman, but Bowman held the momentum out of the final corner. In a controversial move, Almirola pushed up, making contact with Bowman and sending him into the wall, thereby reclaiming the lead and securing the win in the race’s dying moments.

3. NASCAR Cup Series – Daytona International Speedway (Summer Race): Ryan Blaney vs. Daniel Suarez – Margin: 0.031 seconds

An extraordinary finish at Daytona International Speedway saw Ryan Blaney surge from outside the top ten with just two laps remaining to capture the regular-season finale. At the finish line, an incredible four-wide battle unfolded for the win, with Cole Custer and Justin Haley also in contention alongside Blaney and Daniel Suarez. Suarez ultimately finished closest to Blaney as they crossed the stripe.

2. NASCAR Cup Series – Talladega Superspeedway (Spring Race): Austin Cindric vs. Ryan Preece – Margin: 0.022 seconds (Disqualified)

This particular finish carries a significant asterisk, as the second-place finisher, Ryan Preece, was subsequently disqualified following post-race technical inspection. However, prior to the disqualification, Preece was mere feet away from what would have been his maiden Cup Series victory. The two Ford drivers engaged in a drag race to the finish line, with Austin Cindric managing to stay just ahead, aided by the draft from several lapped cars as the field closed in.

1. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – Atlanta Motor Speedway (Spring Race): Kyle Busch vs. Stewart Friesen – Margin: 0.017 seconds

The closest finish of the entire 2025 NASCAR season occurred at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Craftsman Truck Series. Stewart Friesen was vying to end a winless drought that dated back to 2022, while Kyle Busch sought to extend his record as the winningest driver in Truck Series history. Friesen held a slight advantage exiting the final corner, but Busch persistently clawed his way forward, employing a side-drafting maneuver against the veteran Truck Series regular. At the finish line, Busch edged ahead by the slimmest of margins in his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, securing a truly remarkable victory.

These ten races represent the pinnacle of close-quarters competition and thrilling finishes that defined the 2025 NASCAR season, underscoring the unpredictable and captivating nature of the sport.