56 days. Yep, just 56 days left until the 2026 NASCAR Daytona 500, the official reset button for everyone in the garage. This is the time of year when hope is undefeated, but the numbers don’t lie either. Looking back at 2025, some teams are clearly peaking, some are quietly sliding, and a few feel perfectly positioned to make a serious jump next season. So I’m stacking the field as it stands right now. Not on hype, not on vibes, but on what we all actually saw this year and what it tells us about the next.

Who’s peaking: Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports

If we’re talking about NASCAR teams hitting their stride at exactly the right time, it starts (and pretty much ends) with Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. Watching 2025 unfold, it never really felt like anyone else truly closed the gap. These two didn’t just win races; they controlled the season.

The Championship 4 told the whole story. Kyle Larson and William Byron flew the Hendrick flag, while Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe represented JGR. Larson ultimately sealed the deal with the title, but Hamlin was right there again, stacking wins and consistency like someone determined to remind the garage he’s not done yet.

Hendrick’s numbers were ridiculous: eight wins, 43 top-fives, and six poles. Larson alone brought three wins and 22 top-10s, while Byron quietly pieced together one of his most complete seasons with three wins and a rock-solid average finish. Even Chase Elliott, in a “down” year by his standards, still found Victory Lane twice.

JGR somehow matched (and in some areas exceeded) that pace. Thirteen wins, 48 top-fives, and 13 poles don’t happen by accident. Hamlin’s six-win season was vintage, Christopher Bell looked lethal with four wins, and Briscoe proved he belongs in championship conversations.

Heading into 2026, I don’t see momentum slowing for them. On short tracks, intermediates, superspeedways – you name it- these two organizations feel like the benchmark everyone else is still chasing.

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Who’s slipping: 23XI Racing and Richard Childress Racing

This is where things get uncomfortable, because on paper, both of these NASCAR teams should be rising. Instead, 2025 felt like a missed opportunity. Maybe even a warning sign.

Let’s start with 23XI Racing. Expectations were sky-high, but the results never quite matched the hype. Bubba Wallace did grab a win at Indianapolis, and to his credit, he fought his way into the playoffs with solid consistency. But once he got there, the run fizzled fast.

A Round of 12 exit for both Wallace and Tyler Reddick just doesn’t cut it for a team that wants to be mentioned alongside the elite. Reddick’s season especially stands out. No wins, decent averages, but no real punches landed when it mattered most. It felt like a team surviving weeks, amidst the antitrust lawsuit drama, instead of dictating them.

Then there’s Richard Childress Racing, and this one feels heavier. Kyle Busch going winless again and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. This would’ve sounded unthinkable a few seasons ago! Three top-fives, ten top-10s, and barely any laps led just isn’t the Kyle Busch standard. Austin Dillon’s early playoff exit only reinforced the sense that RCR is fighting uphill.

With Busch entering what’s essentially a prove-it year in 2026, the pressure is real. Right now, both 23XI and RCR feel like NASCAR teams searching for answers instead of shaping the future.

Who’s ready: Trackhouse Racing and Team Penske

If I’m looking for teams that feel dangerous heading into 2026, Trackhouse Racing and Team Penske jump off the page.

Trackhouse, in particular, feels like it’s standing on the edge of something big. The arrival of Connor Zilisch full-time in the Cup Series changes the ceiling entirely. What he did in Xfinity in 2025 was absurd. Ten wins, 20 top-fives, 23 top-10s, over a thousand laps led, and an average finish of 8.0 in his rookie season.

Now, that’s not hype, that’s domination. Yes, he lost the championship, but anyone watching knows the points result doesn’t tell the full story. Trackhouse has already shown it can win at the Cup level; now it’s adding a driver who knows how to control races. That’s a scary combination.

Team Penske, meanwhile, feels like the classic sleeping giant. Missing the Championship 4 in 2025 raised eyebrows, but I’m not reading panic there. It’s more like unfinished business. Penske’s drivers still showed speed every single week, and the organization’s engineering depth hasn’t gone anywhere. With 2026 marking Penske’s 60th anniversary season, motivation won’t be lacking.

And here’s the part nobody wants to admit out loud: with the playoff format likely staying in some modified form, Joey Logano becomes even more dangerous. He’s made a career out of understanding the system better than anyone else, and that’s how he ended up with three championships.

Trackhouse brings youth and momentum. Penske brings experience and precision. Both feel ready to punch up and possibly knock someone off the NASCAR throne.

The 2026 NASCAR landscape is taking shape

When we zoom out and look at all three tiers together, the picture is pretty clear. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are still the standard in NASCAR. Nothing changes there until someone actually takes them down. 23XI Racing and Richard Childress Racing sit at a crossroads, talented enough to rebound but running out of excuses.

And then there’s Trackhouse and Team Penske, two teams pointing straight at opportunity with very different weapons. One has fearless youth, the other has mastered experience. With Daytona approaching fast, 2026 feels less like a reset and more like a showdown that’s been quietly building all along.