3 NASCAR teams with the most to prove in 2025 ft. RCR

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series ended with Team Penske's Joey Logano winning his third championship title. While Penske had one of its best years and earned a third consecutive NASCAR championship, some NASCAR drivers and teams struggled.

Here are three NASCAR teams that have a lot to prove after struggling this season.

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Richard Childress Racing (RCR)

RCR had a difficult season in 2024, as neither of its Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon made it to the playoffs. The team had some wins last year but this year was filled with accidents, controversy, and bad luck.

Busch, the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro driver, lost his 19-year streak of winning at least one race each season and finished the year in 20th place in the final standings. While Dillon had one win at Richmond in the No. 3 car, his controversial finish led to a 25-point penalty and also cost him his playoff spot.

Team owner Richard Childress acknowledged the difficulties on an episode of the Kevin Harvick Happy Hour podcast.

"Yeah, well, it's been one of those years. You know, crashes, we've been involved in so many crashes. I think Austin was involved in [one] in the first six races this year, so that put him so far behind. Kyle, he's been involved in several crashes," Childress said in October.

The team recently made a crew chief change for the 2025 season by hiring ex-Stewart-Haas Racing Richard Boswell for the No. 3 team.

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Legacy Motor Club

Legacy Motor Club, formerly known as Petty GMS Motorsports, also had a tough year. The two full-time Cup Series drivers, John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42) and Erik Jones (No. 43) finished far down in the final standings in 34th and 28th place.

Co-owner and seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson raced in nine races this year but did not make it into the top 10. Meanwhile, Jones had one top-5 and two top-10 finishes while Nemechek had four top-10 finishes in 31 races.

Overall, the team has had only one win in three years and has made many changes over the past few months in hopes for a better season next year. Legacy Motor Club hired Chad Johnston as the new Manager of Race Engineering and Brian Campe as the technical director.

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Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

While two of Joe Gibbs Racing's drivers, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, reached the Round of 8, the team failed to match the level of other top NASCAR teams like Henrick Motorsports and Team Penske.

JGR started strong with six wins but did not have any driver of its four full-time drivers in the Championship 4 and failed to win any of the last 18 races. The team also struggled with engine problems this year.

JGR recently promoted Chris Gabehart to Competition Director.