Which NASCAR drivers clinched their career-first pole in 2025?

The 2025 NASCAR season kicked off in thrilling fashion at Daytona International Speedway, where William Byron made history as the youngest driver to earn multiple Daytona 500 wins, surpassing Jeff Gordon’s long-standing record with back-to-back victories. The schedule also saw the long-awaited return to Rockingham Speedway, which hosted Truck and Xfinity Series races after more than a decade, while the Cup Series took a brief hiatus.

Several drivers hit major career milestones early in the season—Erik Jones ran his 300th Cup Series race, and Josh Berry celebrated his first career win with a breakthrough performance at Las Vegas in the Pennzoil 400. With momentum building, a number of NASCAR drivers across its top three divisions also grabbed their first career poles, further shaking up the competitive landscape.

Drivers who have secured their career-first pole in the 2025 NASCAR campaign

#1 Zane Smith (Talladega Superspeedway)

Front Row Motorsports driver of their #38 Ford, Zane Smith, secured his first Cup Series career pole position in the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith clocked in a lap of 52.56 seconds in the Qualifying session, marking a top speed of 182.17 mph.

Although the FRM driver started from the lead, he only managed to secure a P19 finish at Talladega.

#2 Carson Hocevar (Texas Motor Speedway)

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar drove his #77 Chevrolet to the top of the pack after securing the fastest ever lap recorded at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. Apart from marking his first career pole position, the 22-year-old became the fastest NextGen driver at the Fort Worth-based racing Facility.

However, despite his best efforts, Hocevar met with a similar fate to Zane Smith, finishing the race in P24. He is currently ranked P17 in the driver standings with two top 10 and one top 5 finish under his belt.

#3 Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Piloting the #54 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, Taylor Gray secured his maiden pole position at Homestead Miami Speedway in the Hard Rock Bet 300. Gray marked a lap of 33.06 seconds with a top speed of 163.32 mph in his rookie full-time season in the division.

He finished the race in P23 with reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier taking the victory home. Gray is currently ranked P14 in the driver standings, with 5 top-ten finishes, having led 98 laps in total this season.

#4 Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing)

NASCAR's return to Rockingham Speedway started with the Black's Tire 200 Truck Series race. ThorSport Racing driver Jake Garcia, who pilots their #13 Ford F-150, managed to secure his first career pole in NASCAR at the age of 20.

Garcia recorded a lap time of 22.05 seconds at the 0.94-mile D-shaped oval with a top speed of 153.47 mph. In 8 races thus far, the #13 driver has secured 5 top-ten finishes, including a P2 finish at Rockingham, where Tyler Ankrum drove down victory lane.