The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion is set to be crowned this Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as well as Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron set to battle for the title in the Championship 4.
But even the non-playoff drivers are still able to compete in Sunday's 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona, and this weekend's entry list includes two part-time cars.
Casey Mears has competed in each of the two most recent races at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway for Garage 66, the team previously known as MBM Motorsports.
At Talladega, he finished in 18th place, good for the team's best finish in five years and his own best finish since 2016. At Martinsville, where he made his first start since 2019 back in March, he placed 33rd after being knocked out with a late electrical issue.
NASCAR lineup change confirmed for Phoenix race
At Martinsville, the No. 66 Ford was the only part-time car on the entry list, but at Phoenix, it is one of two. NY Racing Team, like Garage 66, have competed on a fairly regular basis during the 2025 season, and they are set to return this weekend.
Phoenix, Arizona native J.J. Yeley is set to drive the No. 44 Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. He most recently competed at the track in the 2024 season finale and finished in 35th place.
Yeley has made 10 appearances (nine starts) so far this season, with the most recent of those starts coming in the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway three weekends ago. He finished in a season-high 30th place, which was his best finish since he placed 27th at Talladega in October 2024.
The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is set to be shown live on NBC from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 2. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action from the 2025 season finale!