Hey there, NASCAR fans! Bryan here, back with another deep dive into the current NASCAR Cup Series standings. We’re only a few races into the 2025 season, but things are already heating up.

Between wild finishes, surprise performances, and early-season dominance, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of which drivers are legit championship contenders and who needs to step up their game before we get deeper into the season.

Now, we’re shifting gears toward the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA)—one of the most technical, demanding, and unpredictable tracks on the schedule. Unlike the pack racing we saw at Daytona and Atlanta, COTA requires a completely different skill set—it’s all about braking zones, corner exits, and road course mastery.

So, if you’re a driver who only thrives on superspeedways, this week is gonna feel like a pop quiz you didn’t study for. But if you’re one of those road course ringers who can handle left and right turns like a pro, you might be licking your chops right now.

That brings me to the real question: Which of the top 12 drivers are actually good on road courses? Spoiler alert: Some of these guys are about to be way out of their comfort zone.

With that in mind, I’m breaking down the top 12 drivers in the Cup Series standings, looking at how they got here, their strengths so far, and what we can expect from them at COTA.