There’s lower than two months till the 2026 NASCAR season begins, and had Santa Claus obtained letters from the Cup Collection subject, there would’ve been quite a lot of requests. Here’s what a couple of of NASCAR’s greatest stars would’ve prefer to have woken as much as underneath their Christmas tree.
Denny Hamlin: A unique ending to the 2025 championship race
The heartbreaking, gut-wrenching story of how Hamlin misplaced the 2025 Cup Collection championship has been informed lots already, however it’s unimaginable how shut the 60-time Cup Collection winner lastly got here to hoisting the Invoice France Cup.
Hamlin was main the title race with three laps to go when a warning flag flew, re-racking the sector and resulting in Kyle Larson profitable the championship and Hamlin developing shy for the twentieth straight 12 months.
Kyle Larson: A redo of what could possibly be his ultimate “double”
2025 marked the second straight 12 months that Larson tried to finish the Coke 600-Indy 500 “double” — an try to run each main races in the identical day. And whereas his 2024 try was disappointing, it did not examine to his second strive.
Larson crashed in each the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, and whereas he ended the 12 months by profitable his second NASCAR Cup Collection championship, he possible would not thoughts getting one other crack at historical past — particularly given the truth that he could by no means try the “double” once more.
Kyle Busch: Pace, in any kind or trend
Not a lot has gone proper for Busch over the past two years, because the two-time Cup Collection champion has missed the playoffs and gone winless over the previous two seasons. After a sizzling begin in 2023, his pairing with Richard Childress Racing has not aged nicely in any respect.
2025 noticed Busch document the second-worst common begin of his profession (17.5) and the third-worst common end of his profession (17.9). Even when Busch cannot constantly compete for wins or a championship, the longer term Corridor of Famer ought to at the least discover himself with a quick automotive as soon as in a blue moon.
Brad Keselowski: A single stroke of luck
Keselowski’s 2025 season was traditionally unfortunate. The 2012 Cup Collection champion was the motive force handed for the win in seven of 36 races in a winless 2025 marketing campaign. He then broke his leg in a ski accident and can face a tough restoration going into 2026.
Keselowski continues to be succesful behind the wheel, however a single occasion of excellent fortune would do him good.
Alex Bowman: One week with out hypothesis about his job
Bowman, a seven-time Cup Collection winner, has seven playoff appearances and his seven aforementioned victories in eight seasons driving for Hendrick Motorsports. But, at a workforce like HMS with perennial championship expectations and a boatload of star energy, he appears to shrink into the shadows.
That takes away from the truth that Bowman is an excellent driver. There often appears to be hypothesis about Bowman’s job safety at HMS — his present contract runs via 2026. And hotshots equivalent to Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love and Carson Hocevar being within the Chevy pipeline in the meanwhile do not assist the narrative that Bowman may quickly discover himself job buying, even when stated narrative is unfair.
