Top 5 2025 NASCAR Cup Series races in Jeff Gluck’s ‘Was It A Good Race?’ poll

Every week since 2016, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck has posted one of NASCAR’s most-followed fan polls on X with a simple question - “Was it a good race?” The results, based purely on fan votes, often serve as a good indicator of how the audience felt about the on-track action.

From last-lap passes to fuel-mileage gambles, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series reminded everyone why fan engagement remains one of the sport’s strongest assets. The season was full of drama. Kyle Larson ultimately emerged as champion, surviving a tense finale at Phoenix Raceway, fending off Denny Hamlin in a two-tire gamble that sealed Hendrick Motorsports’ 16th title.

With the current 3–3–3–1 playoff format completing its final year before a major rules overhaul, the 2025 season produced some of the most thrilling races of the decade. And according to Gluck’s annual fan poll, here were the five that stood above the rest.

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5 best NASCAR Cup Series races according to Jeff Gluck’s X poll:

#5. Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (88.2% Yes, 11.8% No)

Ryan Blaney (12) leads in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Source: Imagn

The regular-season finale at Daytona delivered the kind of chaos and emotion that only a superspeedway can produce. Ryan Blaney came from 12th with three laps to go, cutting through the draft to edge Daniel Suarez by 0.031 seconds at the line.

The race also kept Alex Bowman’s playoff hopes alive. With 44 lead changes among 19 drivers and a late surge to the checkered, fans overwhelmingly agreed that Daytona delivered pure NASCAR unpredictability once again.

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#4. Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (90.2% Yes, 9.8% No)

Ross Chastain after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

Ross Chastain started from the rear in a backup car and drove through the field to steal the win from William Byron, who led 283 laps and swept all three stages before fading late. The finish locked Chastain into the playoffs, completing one of the most unlikely comebacks of the year.

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#3. Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) (90.5% Yes, 9.5% No)

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart - Source: Getty

Chase Elliott’s long-awaited victory on home soil was an emotional high point for both the driver and the Atlanta crowd. The Georgia native timed his last-lap move to perfection, edging Brad Keselowski to end a 44-race winless streak.

Rain delays, massive multi-car wrecks, and 46 lead changes kept tension levels high throughout. The race was the first-ever venue of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

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#2. Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway (90.7% Yes, 9.3% No)

Playoff chaos reigned supreme at Kansas. In a race that saw 20 lead changes and two overtimes, Chase Elliott somehow stole victory from Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace in the final yards.

As Hamlin’s power steering faltered and Wallace bounced off the wall, Elliott dove beneath both cars to win by 0.069 seconds and reach the Round of 8.

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#1. FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (92.2% Yes, 7.8% No)

Denny Hamlin after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan. Source: Imagn

Michigan’s summer showdown earned the highest fan score of 2025, and with good reason. Denny Hamlin won a fuel-saving masterclass, passing William Byron in the closing laps and coasting to victory only to run out of gas during his celebratory burnout.

The 44-year-old’s calculated drive and Byron’s heartbreak combined to produce one of the season’s purest racing finishes. Fans praised the tension, strategy, and skill on display, crowning it the best race of the year in Jeff Gluck’s poll.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam