NASCAR 25 is shaping up to be one of the largest racing games in franchise history in terms of its roster, but the official Cup Series reveal might leave you scratching your head.
The game's dev, iRacing, which is known for creating realistic racing sims that are even used by pro drivers today, has announced a huge roster of 45 drivers for NASCAR 25, which will launch on October 14 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
However, it is the drivers who didn't make the cut who have been the topic of Reddit discussions, particularly Katherine Legge, currently the only female competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. But first, let's talk about what NASCAR 25 is all about.
What Are We Really Getting With NASCAR 25?
NASCAR 25 will feature over 190 real drivers across four series, which are NASCAR Cup, NASCAR Xfinity, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and, for the first time ever, ARCA Menards Series.
This is a massive roster by any standard, and to be fair, iRacing deserves a lot of credit for bringing in drivers who have made limited starts this season, like Martin Truex Jr., who only got a single Daytona 500 appearance, and Burt Myers, who only ran at Martinsville to redeem himself after his disappointing performance at the Clash’s Last Chance Qualifier.
But this is where it gets interesting. A lot of drivers who have made significant achievements by reaching the Cup Series won't be in the game. The most controversial of whom is Katherine Legge and her Live Fast Motorsports teammate B.J. McLeod.
Cutting Off the Legge
Katherine Legge has made five Cup Series starts this year, more than Helio Castroneves and Martin Truex Jr. combined, both of whom also made the roster. She's also the first female to compete in NASCAR Cup since Danica Patrick's final race in 2018, so you could absolutely see why her absence is particularly noticeable.
NASCAR Says Zilch for Connor Zilisch
Another head-scratcher here is Connor Zilisch. This 19-year-old phenom is a proven winner who's going to make a return to Watkins Glen International to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 as the defending winner.
Furthermore, this driver of JR Motorsport's No. 88 Chevrolet has a series-best five wins in his first full-time season, which is tied with his teammate and reigning series champ, Justin Allgaier. To be clear, though, he's currently listed for the Xfinity series in the game, but his No.87 JR Motorsport Chevrolet is nowhere in the Cup roster.
Other noteworthy drivers who are also not in the Cup roster are:
No. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
67 | Corey Heim | 23XI |
15 | Tim Brown | RWR |
51 | Harrison Burton | RWR |
33 | Austin Hill | RCR |
62 | Anthony Alfredo | Beard Motorsports |
13 | Will Brown | Kaulig |
So why are they missing? Well, the short answer might be licensing. We won't know exactly what goes on in these negotiations, but what we know is that teams and their drivers need to agree to be included. Maybe they don't like what iRacing offers them, legal issues, or maybe they just wanted to opt out.
That said, nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to the racing and gaming industry. The game still has months left before launch, so it's still quite possible that these issues will be sorted out.
NASCAR 25 will be released on October 14, 2025, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC version coming later via Steam.
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