5 NASCAR drivers feat. Austin Cindric who led the most races in 2025 before the Daytona finale

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a rollercoaster ride so far, as multiple drivers have claimed victories and qualified for the playoffs. Interestingly, a few drivers also won more than one race and are miles ahead in the regular season championship.

Besides this, the season also saw numerous drivers with multiple race leads and lead laps, as drivers from Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing were all over the statistics.

In today's article, we'll explore the drivers who led the most races until the Richmond Raceway race, the 25th race of the season.

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#5 Chase Briscoe

According to NASCAR Insights on X, this Joe Gibbs Racing driver led races 13 times in 2025, making him the driver with the fifth most race leads.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (19) drives during the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International - Source: Imagn

Currently, the #19 driver is in eighth place in the regular season championship with 698 points, where he picked 10 top-fives, 12 top-10s, and led 313 laps. His average start position has been 10.4, and his average finish position has been 13.32.

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#4 Austin Cindric

This Team Penske driver is fourth in the list of most races led in 2025 until the Richmond NASCAR race. The Penske man has 13 race leads to his name, which is equal to Chase Briscoe's.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric (2) navigates around Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway - Source: Imagn

Interestingly, Cindric also led 313 laps, which is equal to Briscoe. Currently, the #2 driver is in 15th place with 543 points, where he won a race, has two top-fives, and five top-10s to his name. His average start position has been 13.44, and his average finish position has been 18.96.

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#3 Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin, the renowned Joe Gibbs Racing driver, has led a race 14 times this season so far, one more than Chase Briscoe, his teammate, and Austin Cindric. Interestingly, he also won four races out of the 14 races he led.

Denny Hamlin (11) slides against the wall in the second turn Saturday, July 26, 2025, during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

Currently, Hamlin is in third place in the NASCAR regular season championship, with 11 top-fives and 13 top-10s. He has 555 lead laps and an average start position of 14.792 and an average finish position of 13.417.

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#2 Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney, the runner-up of last season, is in second in the list of most races led in 2025. He has 14 under his belt, the same as Hamlin.

Ryan Blaney (12) races during the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International - Source: Imagn

Blaney is currently in fifth place in the NASCAR regular season championship, with 756 points to his name in 25 races. He claimed a win and has nine top-fives and 13 top-10s. He has led 469 laps so far and has an average start position of 15.24 and an average finish position of 15.88.

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#1 William Byron

William Byron leads the list with 14 race leads to his name. Even though he has the same number as that of Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney, Byron's statistics are what put him ahead of everyone else.

William Byron (24) drives during the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International - Source: Imagn

Byron is currently leading the NASCAR regular season championship with 839 points, 68 more than the driver in second place. He has two wins, nine top-fives, and 13 top-10s. This Hendrick Motorsports driver led a staggering 910 laps in total, and has 11.04 as his average start position and 13.68 as his average finish position.