When the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Homestead, Fla., for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 on Sunday, the Florida skies won’t be bright and sunny for every driver in the field. Here are five drivers in desperate need of a solid showing in South Florida.
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Aside from a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500, Briscoe’s maiden voyage with Joe Gibbs Racing has not started off on the right foot. Briscoe sits 20th in points five races into the season, and is yet to put forth an eye-catching performance this year. A good run at Homestead would go a long way toward the No. 19 team getting back on track and performing to the expectations that were set for them before the season began.
Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota, Legacy Motor Club
While Jones’ teammate John Hunter Nemechek consistently competes in the top 20 and sits 15th in points, Jones is 25th and hasn’t finished better than 18th over the last four races. Jones has long been touted as one of the most underrated drivers in the Cup Series, but his start to the 2025 season hasn’t exactly been indicative of that. Jones didn’t have the same expectations of several other drivers on this list, but his slow start has been disappointing nonetheless. A top-15 performance on Sunday seems necessary for the No. 43 team to get back on track, especially if Nemechek once again runs well.
Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota, 23XI Racing
This isn’t a knock on Herbst, who is still learning and adjusting in his first year at the Cup level. However, Herbst sits 27th in points after five races — a far, far cry from teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, who sit third and 11th, respectively. It’s far too early to hit the panic button on a Cup Series rookie, but a good run in South Florida would do wonders for a young driver looking for momentum early in the season.
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford, RFK Racing
Keselowski’s 2025 season has been defined by bad luck. Decent finishes of 15th at COTA and 11th at Las Vegas were negated by finishes of 26th at Daytona, 39th at Atlanta and 33rd at Phoenix. The 2012 champion sits 30th in points after five races, and needs to start stringing together good finishes in order to claw his way towards the playoff cut line. Keselowski is still capable of winning races, but showing pace at Miami almost seems like a necessity if the No. 6 team wants to get the ball rolling.
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Five races into 2024, Gibbs was third in points and had scored four top-10 finishes. His widely publicized slump to end his sophomore season has carried over to the start of 2025. Five races into his third Cup Series season, Gibbs sits 34th in points with an average finish of 25.8. He’s above only two other full-time drivers — Cole Custer and Cody Ware — in the standings. When he hasn’t been involved in an incident this year, there’s been little speed under the hood of the No. 54. Gibbs’ third Cup Series campaign risks outing him as a prospect who is slowly flaming out. One race may not be enough to completely turn the narrative surrounding Gibbs’ slow start, but a top-10 effort underneath the Florida sun could turn the tide for a young driver who needs to reaffirm that he’s a threat on a weekly basis.
–Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media
