The NASCAR offseason is still in its early stages after Kyle Larson won his second Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway earlier this month, adding even more championship heartbreak to Denny Hamlin's career.
While there is a good chance Larson is far from finished in his title pursuit as the championship race prepares to shift back to Homestead-Miami Speedway next season, Hamlin is one of several drivers left wondering what could have been after coming up short.
Hamlin could easily find himself on this list, but he even said after the Phoenix race that he needed some time to get over the way the 2025 season ended before he thinks about getting back behind the wheel. It drew similarities to former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards, who abruptly retired from competition after his 2016 championship heartbreak.
Although Hamlin may need some extra time and is in no hurry for the 2026 season at the moment, these five drivers should be eager for a new season.
Whether due to inconsistent seasons and blown opportunities at wins to an inability to take advantage of their in-race speed, the 2026 season cannot get here soon enough for these five drivers.
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
The two-time champion is set to enter a contract year with Richard Childress Racing after failing to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. He had previously found victory lane in a record-breaking 19 straight campaigns.
An average finish of 17.9, just three top five finishes, and a career-worst 21st in points were not what fans have grown accustomed to seeing from Busch, but he ended the season with a fifth place finish at Phoenix to at least build some momentum going into the offseason.
On top of that, Jim Pohlman, who led Justin Allgaier to the 2024 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity Series) title, is set to take over as Busch's crew chief next season, replacing Randall Burnett, who was in the role until Andy Street took over for the final five races of 2025.
When the Daytona 500 rolls around, it will be a much-needed fresh start for Busch, as the entire No. 8 group look to rekindle their spark.
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
It was announced back in October that Suarez would be joining Spire Motorsports for the 2026 season to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet, formerly driven by Justin Haley, as Haley moves to Kaulig Racing's new Ram Truck Series operation.
Suarez was the first driver for Trackhouse Racing in the No. 99 Chevrolet and won two races for the Justin Marks-owned team, the second in 2024 at EchoPark Speedway. But since then, there have not been a lot of positives for the Monterrey, Mexico native.
While teammates Ross Chastain and Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen advanced to the playoffs this year, Suarez missed out with only two top five finishes and seven top 10 finishes all season.
He was runner-up in the spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the summer race at Daytona International Speedway, but nine DNFs ultimately proved to be too costly. Perhaps a fresh start is exactly what Suarez needs heading into his 10th full Cup Series season.
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
The 2025 season was a story of what-ifs for Hocevar in his second full-time Cup Series season. You could easily make the case that he could have won the spring race at EchoPark Speedway, the Coca-Cola 600, or even the race sat Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway.
However, whether it be ill-timed mechanical issues or on-track moves that rubbed his competitors the wrong way, Hocevar finished the 2025 season with zero wins, eight DNFs, and only two top five finishes, despite the speed.
Most fans remember his feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., specifically, which drug on throughout the summer and continued all the way to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. If Hocevar can make fewer enemies on the track and fully take advantage of the speed in his Chevrolet, a win is a realistic possibility next season.
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Cindric's overall numbers from 2025 were actually down from 2024. While he had the one win at Talladega Superspeedway, his two top five finishes, five top 10 finishes, 20.9 average finish, and final points position (14th) were each a step back in his fourth full-time season. But that did not tell the entire story.
He had an average starting position of 13.3, led a career-high 325 laps, scored at least 40 points four times, and rolled off 10th or better in six of the 10 playoff races, only to finish outside the top 10 in each one. If Cindric can maintain his track position and start to get the finishes to pair with the qualifying speed, he could be worth keeping an eye on.
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
One year removed from his first Championship 4 appearance, Reddick experienced a frustrating 2025 on multiple levels. After equaling his career-high with three wins in 2024, Reddick failed to win a single race this year and only led 169 laps, down from a personal-best 597 in 2024.
Internal mistakes were a common theme all season for the No. 45 team, which ultimately finished ninth in points and looked nothing like they did the year prior.
In addition to the on-track miscues, Reddick's younger son, Rookie, dealt with serious health issues away from the track, making for a whirlwind of emotions unimaginable for most. A clean slate may be what Reddick needs to put a difficult 2025 behind him.