Fans Left Disappointed as William Byron, Ryan Blaney & Christopher Bell Land NASCAR 25 Cover: “Kind of a Letdown”

Neha Dwivedi | 24/08/2025
(L-R) The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four, William Byron (24), Christopher Bell (20), Ryan Blaney (12) and Kyle Larson (5) stand on stage during driver introductions for the Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale on Nov. 5, 2023.

NASCAR’s new video game, the first console release since 2023’s NASCAR Arcade Rush, is set to drop in October 2025 and has already stirred excitement among fans and influencers. To get even more buzz, NASCAR recently unveiled a poster featuring Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney.

As part of Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, iRacing Studios and NASCAR revealed the cover for the much-anticipated NASCAR 25 racing game in the fan zone ahead of the Cup Series regular-season finale.

The official title will showcase all three national touring series: Craftsman Truck, Xfinity, and the Cup Series along with ARCA Menards. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Game modes include career mode, quick race, championship season, and an eye-popping 40-player multiplayer.

Earlier in the week, NASCAR teased the game with its first in-game look, showing Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford among several cars lined up on track. That preview fueled optimism, but the new poster drew backlash, with fans disappointed by the inclusion of three driver faces rather than cars.

Reactions flooded in on NASCAR’s official X post. One fan commented, “Kind of a letdown on cover tbh. Rather one driver than one of each manufacturer.” Another wrote, “Hopefully the cover is the biggest letdown of this game.”

A third added, “This feels like a normal social media graphic but I’m still buying it anyway,” while another bluntly said, “Having a dude’s face on the cover doesn’t make me want to buy a racing game, put the cars on there.”

Sim racing has long been a proving ground, with legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rising stars using iRacing to sharpen their craft. William Byron famously jump-started his career through the platform, as did ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski. Today, iRacing is a staple in preparation across all NASCAR divisions, with drivers logging hours each week to study tracks before racing them in real life.

For fans, the biggest hook may be the all-new career mode. Players can create their own drivers and vehicles, manage contracts, finances, facilities, and staff, while making strategic calls on and off the track, decisions that could ultimately shape their path to a NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Post Edited By: Abhishek Ramesh
Christopher Bell Ryan Blaney William Byron

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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