Farewell to five at the end of 2025 in NASCAR
AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway not only marks the end of the 2025 season but also the end of some notable partnerships:
Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing
Five foundational seasons for Daniel Suarez in Trackhouse Racing’s No. 99 Chevrolet will end with one final ride Sunday.
Suarez’s Trackhouse tenure began with the team’s inception in 2021. Suarez captured the team’s first top-five finish at the inaugural Bristol dirt race – just seven races into their partnership.
With the NextGen car in 2022, the partnership took off.
Suarez captured his maiden NASCAR Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway and made the playoffs, finishing 10th in points. Two years later, in 2024, the pair struck playoff gold again when they emerged as the winner of a three-wide photo finish in the spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Suarez earned two wins, 16 top-fives and 43 top-10 finishes in 180 races. He is set to continue his Cup journey with Spire Motorsports in 2026.
Justin Haley and Spire Motorsports
On the other end, Justin Haley will have one more ride in Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet he took over in a rare mid-season driver trade just last season.
In the 42 races since rejoining Spire, he has just two top-five finishes and a 10th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. — and has lagged behind his teammates.
Haley will find himself in another familiar spot — Kaulig Racing — when he will race full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Ram Trucks in 2026.
Randall Burnett and Richard Childress Racing
Much like Haley to some extent, Randall Burnett’s tenure with his team — Richard Childress Racing — isn’t coming to an end in a smooth way but that doesn’t take away from his great tenure with RCR and its affiliates.
Burnett’s NASCAR Cup Series crew chief career began in 2016 with A.J. Allmendinger, whom he guided to one of his best seasons. While he spent some time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a championship with Tyler Reddick in 2019 propelled them to Cup the following year. Together, they won three races – all in 2022 – before Reddick jumped to 23XI Racing.
In 2023, Kyle Busch joined Burnett’s No. 8 team and started strong. They won three times in the first 15 races of their partnership – before it slowly trailed off.
Burnett will work with Connor Zilisch at Trackhouse Racing in 2026.
- Kyle Busch to get a new crew chief for the Charlotte Roval
- RCR names new crew chief for Kyle Busch in 2026
Haas Factory Team and Ford Racing
Joining RCR and Trackhouse in the “Bowtie Brigade” in 2026 is Haas Factory Team.
Phoenix will mark the end of team owner Gene Haas’s partnership with Ford. The partnership ran through Stewart-Haas Racing from 2017-2024 and Haas Factory Team in 2025.
This season, the HFT Cup team has earned two top-five finishes and three top-10s with Cole Custer at the helm. Custer’s best finish was fourth at Daytona in August after a final lap charge almost lifted a sluggish season into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, both of HFT’s Xfinity drivers – Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed – made the Xfinity playoffs in 2025. Mayer also won at Iowa Speedway and nearly advanced to the Championship 4.
The final race for HFT with Ford will see Ryan Sieg getting an opportunity in Mayer’s No. 41 Ford while Mayer is suspended.
Harrison Burton and AM Racing
The biggest turnaround story in NASCAR this year has a bittersweet end.
From finishing the 2024 regular season 32nd in owner points to making the 12-driver playoffs on points in 2025, AM Racing has had a massive turnaround with Harrison Burton as their driver.
In 2025, AM Racing has seen the highest marks of its three-year run as a Xfinity Series. In 32 races, Harrison Burton has scored two top-fives, 10 top-10s, an average finish of 14.6, the playoff berth and a pole at Martinsville Speedway after Burton announced his 2026 plans — not including them.
Burton is set to race for Sam Hunt Racing in 2026 while AM Racing hasn’t announced its plans yet, meaning Phoenix will mark the end of their partnership.
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Ryan Kemna View All
Ryan Kemna is a photojournalist for The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2025.
Currently residing in the Minneapolis, MN, area, Kemna brings his passion for motorsports, photography, and a good story to readers.