The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway was a chaotic conclusion that ultimately saw Kyle Larson clinch his second career title with a third-place finish. Larson’s victory was a triumph of strategy and survival, as he was the only Championship 4 driver to escape the late-race chaos intact. His teammate, William Byron, was leading the race with just three laps to go when a flat tire sent him into the wall and to a 33rd-place finish. Title rival Denny Hamlin dominated the race, leading 208 of 319 laps, but a four-tire call on the final overtime pit stop put him behind the others, resulting in a sixth-place finish that cost him the title.

Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe’s championship hopes evaporated early after he battled multiple flat tires and major mechanical damage, finishing 18th. The race itself was won by Ryan Blaney, who held off a charging Brad Keselowski by just 0.097 seconds. But all of this tells us one thing. The Championship 4 featured a heavy tilt towards the established giants: two Chevrolets from Hendrick Motorsports and two Toyotas from Joe Gibbs Racing. The race demonstrated the sheer speed of both the Toyota and Chevrolet camps as the two manufacturers combined to lead a massive 260 of the 319 laps. And Brad Keselowski isn’t happy with this.

The non-championship race win by Ryan Blaney’s Ford, however, provided a crucial counterpoint, denying Hamlin the trophy and highlighting that while Ford has a single powerhouse in Team Penske, the manufacturer lacks the broader competitive depth of its rivals. And that is exactly the issue that Keselowski had with the race, offering a stark assessment of the sport’s power dynamics. In a blunt post on X, when asked, “Can someone other than Hendrick, Penske or Gibbs win the cup series championship?” he replied, “Not realistically with the current OEM rules.” 

Keselowski’s words make sense because currently, these powerhouse teams have a very strong technical alliance with their manufacturers, and that gives them an upper hand in the engineering resources, better data, and things like that. Smaller teams can show as much talent as they want, but they still fall behind because of this manufacturer-backed support that the ‘Big 3’ get.

Keselowski also adds how the massive financial and technical resources provided by Chevrolet and Toyota to their top teams effectively create a closed shop.

Historically, since 2004, all Cup Series champions have come from one of those three teams or a direct affiliate, like Kevin Harvick from Stewart-Haas Racing or Martin Truex Jr. from Furniture Row Racing, who received crucial engine chassis support from HMS and JGR, respectively.

Keselowski’s post resonated deeply with many fans, who have grown weary of the near-total dominance exhibited by HMS, JGR, and Penske, often feeling that the championship narrative is pre-written.

Fans echo Keselowski’s disappointment with the NASCAR OEM system

One fan suggested, “He is lobbying hard for more practice so that they can get their cars better. Simulation at the level the top 2 teams are operating it at probably costs 10x a year what they would spend on 2 more practice sessions per weekend. And fords simulation is pure shit anyway because they put all their resources into f1 and the upcoming car brad mentioned a few days ago. Spec racing has always made the field further spread apart between those that have funding and those that dont. Dirtbikes, superbikes, go karts. All the same shit. Spec = $$$$$$$$”

Keselowski himself has previously stated that the loss of practice has not resulted in significant cost savings for teams like RFK Racing, noting they were forced to invest heavily in highly sophisticated simulation models to bridge the knowledge gap. Another fan added to that sentiment, saying, “He’s a Dodge guy. Has said before he wouldn’t join a foreign make. I would love to see them court Dodge in the future. I’m sure he would love to have RAM if they had a Craftsman truck team.”

Keselowski famously drove the Penske Dodge Charger to the 2012 Cup Series championship, marking the manufacturer’s final victory and title before its withdrawal. Furthermore, his previous team, Brad Keselowski Racing, utilized Dodge/RAM trucks in the Craftsman Truck Series from 2010 to 2012. The deep tie became highly relevant when RAM officially announced its return to the Truck Series for 2026, creating a new fourth manufacturer slot.

While some fans opined, “If McLaren hangs on this year, F1 will have had more different championship teams in the past 6 years than NASCAR.” The Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship over the same 6-season period of 2020 through 2025 has been won by three different teams: Mercedes (2020), Red Bull Racing (2022, 2023), and McLaren (2024, 2025), which seized its second consecutive title this year. However, the trend of the Big 3 winning the NASCAR Championships follows the same pattern for a very long time.

Another fan’s reaction points to a critical challenge in internal team morale, saying, “I very much appreciate Brad’s openness, but I will say if I was an employee at RFK I’d be pretty discouraged if my boss basically said we can’t realistically achieve what should be our annual goal lol.” The long-term goal for any racing team is the championship, and the owner’s comment confirms that external, systemic barriers currently place a ceiling on their ultimate annual ambition, potentially leading to a feeling of futility among the dedicated staff.

Finale, one fan observed, “NASCAR hasn’t had a non Hendrick, Gibbs, or Penske car or associated car win the championship since Kurt Busch in 2004. The non Hendrick, Gibbs, or Penske winners were: Stewart in 11 backed by HMS equipment, Harvick backed by HMS equipment, and Truex backed by JGR equipment. Brad’s not wrong.” Since Kurt Busch’s 2004 title with Roush Racing, every single NASCAR Cup Series champion has been a driver from either HMS, JGR, or Penske, or from a team, receiving critical manufacturer support from one of those powerhouses.

As the dust settles, Keselowski’s words linger, a reminder that NASCAR’s balance of power remains as contested as ever.