It's been the all-Blue Oval show in the Cup Series for the past three years. Two NASCAR Ford Mustang racers combined to take home three Cup Series titles since 2022 - but, unfortunately, the automaker won't get a shot at making it four-for-four in 2025. Every single Ford was eliminated from the 2025 Playoffs, meaning that they won't race for a championship next weekend at Phoenix.
For reference, Joey Logano guided his No. 22 NASCAR Ford to the Cup Series title in 2022 and again in 2024, split only by his teammate, Ryan Blaney, whose No. 12 Mustang won the 2023 championship. Blaney and Logano both entered the season's penultimate race in a must-win situation, meaning they were at risk of not advancing to the Championship 4 if they didn't pull off a victory at Martinsville on October 26th, 2025.
Logano just didn't have the car to run near the front, eliminating his hopes of bringing home back-to-back championships. Blaney, meanwhile, wheeled the No. 12 NASCAR Ford for all it was worth, never straying far from the leaders throughout the contest's 500 laps. Blaney gambled on pit strategy late in the race, hoping it would give him an edge over the No. 24 Chevy of William Byron, who was far and away the race's most dominant driver.
It worked in Blaney's favor for a little while, at least. However, as the laps ticked off, Byron's Chevy filled Blaney's mirrors. The damning pass came on Lap 456 when Byron muscled his way past Blaney, forcing the No. 12 NASCAR Ford out of the way, causing him to break loose in the process and ultimately costing Blaney the race.
"Thought I got a good restart, the last one," said Blaney. "Kind of entered up top, tried to carry speed and he just motored right around me on the bottom... A shame we’re not going to Phoenix as part of the Championship 4. We’ll be doing the best we can to finish the year out strong. But I’m just proud of the 12 guys. They gave 100 percent of what they had. That’s all you can ask for."
He added, "Wasn’t quite enough tonight. We’ll just move on."
Logano, who finished eighth, will also not advance. That leaves the Chevy teammates of Byron and Kyle Larson to do battle against two Toyotas - Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe - for the 2025 Cup Series championship. Whatever happens, it will be the first championship since 2021 that will be won by someone other than a NASCAR Ford driver.
Only for buyers in states where the 2026 Escape can be sold.
That's more than enough to move the hatchback.
It's the very last unfinished chassis to be completed.
Seriously. What was the point?
