NASCAR Draft Kit: 2025 Track Specialists

The NASCAR Cup Series presents as diverse a set of tracks as any racing series in the world. From intermediate ovals to winding road courses, each track has its own special configuration and special set of characteristics. This lineup of tracks is designed to test the NASCAR driver's ability in virtually every racing condition. From the fantasy racing standpoint, it helps to know which drivers succeed at certain facilities. Recent historical information gives us an edge, but we also need to be mindful of current trends and past statistical information in context. We've taken a long look at both and come up with the drivers you need to have at certain style tracks in 2025 for fantasy racing success. Here is our breakdown of track specialists to watch closely in the upcoming season. This analysis is particularly helpful for weekly lineup leagues and daily fantasy racing.

Short Track Specialists

These stats are based on tracks ¾ of a mile in length or less and include: Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.

1. Kyle Larson                  

Car No. 5                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports              

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Larson just continued building what it is fast becoming an epic short track resume in NASCAR's top division. The Hendrick Motorsports star racked up a pair of pole positions at Richmond and Martinsville. He also grabbed an impressive victory at Bristol. Aside from that hardware, Larson collected a staggering five Top-5 finishes in these six races and was a perfect six-for-six in Top 10's in the Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond events. Anything that he lacked earlier in his career on these bullrings is now coming full circle. Now with a 32-percent Top-5 rate and 53-percent Top-10 rate on these small ovals, Larson is building quite a resume. He should continue to be one of the more productive and dangerous drivers on these style tracks.

2. Denny Hamlin                  

Car No. 11                    

Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing             

Manufacturer: Toyota

Hamlin is nearing legendary status on these small tracks. His 14-career victories between these three tracks leads all drivers ranked in this article. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota reminded everyone how good he is in this style of racing by grabbing his fourth-career Bristol victory and fifth-career Richmond victory, both last spring. He also finished runner-up in the late summer race at Richmond, adding to his impressive stats there. That was one of five Top-5 finishes the Joe Gibbs Racing star fetched on the bullring circuit in 2024. All the laps led and sterling 8.4 average finish speaks volumes of Hamlin's skill in this style of racing at age 44. We don't see the skilled veteran Hamlin slowing down in the upcoming season. The short tracks will always be among his best ovals on the circuit. 

3. Chase Elliott                 

Car No. 9                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports           

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

While Elliott was held out of victory lane on these small tracks in 2024, he produced some very consistent and enviable stats on these style ovals. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet grabbed runner-up finishes at both Bristol and Martinsville late in the season and those were just two of four Top-5 finishes he grabbed on these tracks last season. In addition, Elliott racked up six Top 10's in all six short track events and a razor sharp 6.3 average finish. Hopefully, the upcoming season will yield Elliott some more wins on these size tracks. He was very close to closing the deal on more than one occasion last year. His 57-percent Top-10 rate on these ovals is now a difficult statistic to ignore. Elliott is a top short track specialist.

4. Ryan Blaney                 

Car No. 12                   

Owner: Penske Racing           

Manufacturer: Ford

We don't normally think of Blaney when it comes to short track racing, but he's continuing to carve out a reputation on these small ovals. That has kicked into high gear since NASCAR introduced the newest generation stock car in the Cup Series. Blaney accumulated one victory (Martinsville) and three Top-10 finishes on the bullring circuit. It wasn't a stellar campaign in 2024 on the short tracks, but it was certainly very good and much better than he's accomplished in past seasons. Success on these style tracks is one of the reasons Blaney made a deep drive into the playoffs and contended for another championship. The Penske Racing youngster will continue to be a driver to watch closely in 2025 on the circuit's smaller ovals.

5. Christopher Bell                

Car No. 20                   

Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing           

Manufacturer: Toyota

Bell is quickly gaining ground on the veteran drivers ahead of him in this ranking. He led a lot of laps and collected four Top-10 finishes on these small ovals last season. While the Joe Gibbs Racing youngster doesn't boast the wins just yet they will be coming. Maybe 2025 is when Bell breaks through for multiple short track victories as he continues to become more skilled. He's pushed his career Top-10 rate on these ovals to a quite respectable 58-percent. As Bell and the No. 20 Toyota team continue to improve, we expect more Top 5 and wins to come. With more drivers stepping aside and retiring, Bell is ascending into the NASCAR Cup Series' elite tier.

6. Joey Logano               

Car No. 22                   

Owner: Penske Racing           

Manufacturer: Ford

While the 2024 campaign was inconsistent, Logano's performance was still good enough to rank in the short track specialists going into the upcoming season. The No. 22 Penske Ford team grabbed one Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes on these tracks last year. Logano didn't spend a lot of time out front, leading just 91 laps on these bull rings, but he was close on the heels of the leaders nearly every week. Logano may not have added to his tally of five-career wins on these small tracks, but he'll just need a nudge in performance in 2025 to start making those wins happen. With a 53-percent career Top-10 rate at these three ovals, you can't question Logano's short track racing ability.  

Road Course Specialists

Although road courses are a smaller percentage of the overall schedule, they can be a huge factor in a fantasy racing championship as NASCAR is shifting the schedule more in this direction.  The circuit's road courses in the 2025 schedule include: Chicago Street Course, Watkins Glen International, Sonoma Raceway, Charlotte Roval, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Circuit of the Americas.

1. Chase Elliott                  

Car No. 9                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports              

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

For the third straight season, Elliott remained zero in the win column on the circuit's road courses. Given his seven-career wins, that's highly unusual. Still, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet still had some highlights and good performances, collecting a pair of Top-5 finishes in the five road course events he would start in 2024. One of those would be in impressive fourth-place finish at Sonoma Raceway and the other an equally impressive fifth-place finish on the Charlotte ROVAL. We believe the victories will return at some point, maybe in the upcoming season. Elliott's level of performance on these style tracks is just too good to discount. He's a proven performer on the road course circuits.  

2. Tyler Reddick                  

Car No. 45                    

Owner: 23XI Racing              

Manufacturer: Toyota

Reddick didn't grab any wins last season, but he continued his stellar work. It started with his qualifying efforts, which are a big key to road racing success. The 23XI Racing star grabbed two outside poles and registered a microscopic 5.4 average start. That good track position set him up with two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes for a strong 10.6 average finish. Those stats padded his career-long totals and now Reddick breaks the Top 10 in 62-percent of his road course starts, which is a very strong rate. We expect more steady and impressive work from the driver of the No. 45 Toyota in the upcoming season. With the addition of another road racing event (Mexico) it's just another great opportunity for Reddick to win.    

3. Kyle Larson                 

Car No. 5                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports              

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

We don't normally think of Larson when it comes to road racing, but what he accomplished in 2024 is difficult to ignore. The Hendrick Motorsports star captured convincing victories at both Sonoma and the Charlotte ROVAL. He also captured the pole position at the Chicago Street Course. With 81 laps led in these five events, Larson spent a lot of time up front on the winding circuits. He's not attained the noteworthy 50-percent Top-10 rate yet on these tracks, but the six-career wins can not be ignored. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet is a dangerous competitor on these style tracks and is not to be underestimated in fantasy racing leagues.

4. William Byron                 

Car No. 24                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports              

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Byron scratched the win column for the second time in his Cup Series career on a road circuit in 2024. He staged a dominant victory from the pole position at Circuit of the Americas. Byron also registered a surprising third-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet fetched three Top-10 finishes in the five road racing events of last season (60-percent). While Byron's career averages in this form of racing pale in comparison to other drivers in these rankings, it's clear that the Hendrick Motorsports youngster is finding his groove in road racing. Now a two-time winner on the road circuits, we expect more excellence to come from this driver and team in 2025.

5. Chris Buescher                 

Car No. 17                    

Owner: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing             

Manufacturer: Ford

Buescher has really found his groove in road racing over the last couple seasons. It all culminated with his first-career road course victory after a thrilling battle with Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen last fall. The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver stacked up one win, two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes on these style tracks in 2024. He also led 51 combined laps on these challenging tracks. Buescher's career numbers don't compare to some other drivers in these rankings, but he has unmistakably found his way to excellence in this form of racing very recently. This driver and team will continue to lead laps, challenge for wins and pile up Top 10's on these style tracks in the upcoming campaign.  

6. AJ Allmendinger                 

Car No. 16                    

Owner: Kaulig Racing             

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

He was a part-time participant in the Cup Series last season but had his focus mostly on road course racing. Three of Allmendinger's five Top-10 finishes came on these circuits which have yielded the most success of his racing career. He returns to full-time racing in 2025 and that means Allmendinger will make all six starts on the road racing circuit in the upcoming campaign. He has three-career victories in this form of racing and breaks the Top 10 at a better than 50-percent rate. Allmendinger has enjoyed the most success at Watkins Glen, but he's also very dangerous on the other circuits that NASCAR competes. With his Cup and Xfinity Series wins on the Charlotte ROVAL he's become a bit of an ace on that track as well. 

Superspeedway Specialists

As with the road courses, the superspeedways represent a small portion of the overall schedule.  However, these tracks are raced twice a season, so the stakes are much higher.  The circuit's superspeedways include: Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

1. William Byron                  

Car No. 24                    

Owner: Hendrick Motorsports              

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Byron has finished Top 5 in the driver points each of the last two seasons and a big part of that success has been his excellence in the four superspeedway events of each season. The Hendrick Motorsports star has grabbed one victory, one runner-up finish, three Top 5 and six Top 10's the last two seasons on these big ovals. Byron has been the big point scorer in this form of racing. While we'd like to see more wins in his resume, they will come in time. It seems that Byron has figured this form of racing out and is racing among the leaders in the final minutes of nearly every one of these races. While his statistical totals are a bit lacking compared to the other veteran drivers in these rankings, they should get only better with time considering his high level of performance.   

2. Ryan Blaney                  

Car No. 12                   

Owner: Penske Racing             

Manufacturer: Ford

Blaney had a down season in superspeedway racing in 2024, so we bumped him from the top of these rankings. He got rolled up in crashes in three of his four plate races last season and that was just very bad luck. However, we still consider Blaney the gold standard when it comes to performance in these style races. The last of his four superspeedway victories came in the fall of 2023 at Talladega so it's not been that long since his last big score. The Penske Racing star has some work to do in the upcoming season to get back to elite racing on the big ovals, but this driver and team are more than capable of rebounding back to form. Look for good speed and lots of laps led for Blaney and the No. 12 Ford team.     

3. Christopher Bell                  

Car No. 20                   

Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing             

Manufacturer: Toyota

The rising Joe Gibbs Racing star has really been coming on in this form of racing over the past two seasons. Bell's five Top-10 finishes during that time check in at a staggering 63-percent rate on the superspeedways which is abnormally high considering the risks. While he has yet to win on these big ovals, Bell has made his presence known. He logged 22 laps led in the season-opening Daytona 500 and registered two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes between Daytona and Talladega last season. That has boosted his career numbers which have not been very good to this point. Bell has shown an ability to come from deep in the field to score these finishes, so something has "clicked" for this driver and team. We expect the driver of the No. 20 Toyota to break through for his first-career superspeedway win very soon, possibly in the 2025 season.

4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.                 

Car No. 47                   

Owner: HYAK Motorsports           

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Stenhouse has been an up-and-down performer in this style of racing the past couple seasons, but he has shown his homerun potential with two victories (Daytona 2023 and Talladega 2024) in those campaigns. In addition, the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet scored a Top-5 finish at Talladega last spring. Over the years, this veteran driver has shown a knack to lead laps and battle at the front among the leaders when his team provides him with a good car. Stenhouse does carry the risk tag as he has crashed and DNF'd in three of his last six starts between Daytona and Talladega. Still, his "go for it" approach will yield laps lead and Top-5 finishes in this style of racing. Stenhouse is not to be overlooked in weekly lineup and salary cap games when the series visits these two ovals.

5. Joey Logano                 

Car No. 22                   

Owner: Penske Racing           

Manufacturer: Ford

Despite winning the Daytona 500 pole position and leading 120 combined laps last season on the big ovals, Logano had a down year. He would get rolled up in three crashes and DNF's much like his teammate, Ryan Blaney. Logano's stellar 4.3 average start across those four events show the speed and excellence the No. 22 Ford team had; it was just that Logano couldn't follow through with the finishes. He's a four-time winner in this style of racing and has been a top performer on superspeedways in recent years. Logano stayed out of trouble on these tracks in 2023 and collected a pair of Top-5 finishes as a result. We should see a return to that level of performance in the upcoming season. This veteran driver simply knows too much about this form of racing to disregard him because of one poor year, mainly due to bad luck.

6. Brad Keselowski                

Car No. 6                  

Owner: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing         

Manufacturer: Ford

One of the top veteran drivers on superspeedway tracks is Keselowski. His seven combined wins between Daytona and Talladega rank first among active drivers. While the owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford hasn't added to his win total over the past two seasons, Keselowski has registered three runner-up finishes, two of those coming in last season alone. His four Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes over the past two campaigns rank him among the elite in the Cup Series and his 70 laps led during that time are noteworthy as well. Keselowski has had more success at Talladega than Daytona in both wins and consistency, so that's worth noting. He should always been on your mind when filling out your fantasy lineups for both Daytona and Talladega next season.