phoenix raceway Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The final race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season was held at Phoenix Raceway for the fifth straight year last Sunday. Ryan Blaney was looking to retain the championship, but had to deal with his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, William Byron, and Championship 4 debutant Tyler Reddick. The finale was also noteworthy for being pole sitter and 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex, Jr.’s swan song as a full-time competitor, and the final race for Stewart-Haas Racing before they closed doors after the 312-lapRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The final race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season was held at Phoenix Raceway for the fifth straight year last Saturday. Cole Custer was looking to retain the championship, but had to deal with Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, and Austin Hill, who were all each going for their first title. As much as the championship battle was spotlighted, it was Riley Herbst who stole the show by winning the finale to cap off Stewart-Haas Racing’s NXS program. Behind Herbst was Allgaier, who was finally theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The final race of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season was held at Phoenix Raceway for the fifth straight year last Friday. Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, and Ty Majeski were all looking for their first series title during the Championship 4 round. For much of the 150-lap race, it was Majeski who was the class of the field and ended up capturing his the championship. A moment the racer out of Wisconsin will never forget after all the trails and tribulations he’s facedRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer AVONDALE, Ariz. — A full-time career that began in 2006 has come to a close for Martin Truex, Jr. after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. The 2017 Cup champion began the weekend by scoring his 25th career pole and led the opening nine laps. However, he only got to lead one green flag lap in that window as a crash involving Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs slowed down the race. Once the race resumed, an old foe from the 2018 title battleRead More

By Kirby Arnold, Special Contributor  AVONDALE, Ariz. — The crapshoot that has become those four and five-wide restarts at Phoenix Raceway can make the difference between winning a championship and suffering through an offseason of what-if, especially when the margin of defeat is three-tenths of a second.  That’s what separated Ryan Blaney from his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano when the checkered flag flew on the NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday. Logano celebrated his third Cup Series championship and Blaney, the defending champion, exited his car exhausted after a franticRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – The NASCAR Cup Series field learned an important lesson on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway: Never give Joey Logano a second chance. He’ll make you pay. And make them pay, he did. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford was down and out after the conclusion of the Round of 12 in the Playoffs a month ago, but a fellow competitor’s disqualification gave him new life and he made it count. Logano went out and won in the opening race of theRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. — 35 races down, one to go. Sunday afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track at Phoenix Raceway for the 2024 season finale, bringing this season to a close and crowning a champion. Heading into this year’s championship race, it will be a battle between two former champions in the Team Penske duo of Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, along with William Byron and Tyler Reddick each seeking their first Bill France Cup. By the Numbers What: NASCAR Cup Series Championship, Race No.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – This one has been a long time coming. And it wasn’t easy. But nonetheless, Justin Allgaier is now a NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion. Coming into the weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Allgaier and his No. 7 JR Motorsports team that was making its seventh appearance in the Championship 4 was full of confidence that this was finally going to be their year, but mere minutes into the opening practice session of the weekend, the racing gods were already angry. As the track was oiledRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer AVONDALE, Ariz. — Stewart-Haas Racing assured they’re going to go out with a bang at Phoenix Raceway. As far as the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race, they certainly did with Riley Herbst having a career night, leading 167 of 213 laps en route to his second NXS win of the season. While Herbst had the thrill of victory, his SHR teammate Cole Custer dealt with the agony of defeat. The defending series champion was unsuccessful in his title defense as he finished eighth while Justin AllgaierRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano is in take no prisoners mode as he gears up to battle for a third title on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford posted the best time of the Championship 4 drivers in qualifying, just missing out on the pole, but securing a front row start with a lap of 26.728 seconds, 134.690 mph. “I feel like our car is strong. I think we did a good job inRead More