phoenix raceway Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor This time last year, Phoenix served as the last race before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the sports landscape, sending all of us, NASCAR included into our new normal. A year later, with the effects of the pandemic still being felt, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Arizona desert to take on Phoenix Raceway and Sunday’s Instacart 500, in what could be a preview of the championship race when the 2021 season wraps up at the one-mile oval in November. Through the first fourRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Last Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a race to forget for Stewart-Haas Racing. This includes Kevin Harvick, who was the highest-finishing SHR entry with an appalling 20th. Harvick’s teammates Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer and Aric Almirola also struggled, finishing 21st, 25th and 38th respectively. When it’s a race where no SHR car led a lap nor end up on the lead lap, questions pile up. More so for Harvick, who led the field to the green flag. Even with the concerns, heplansRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The torch has been passed. As Jimmie Johnson was making the most of his final start behind the wheel of the No 48 Chevrolet, it was only fitting that on the same day he was bidding farewell to the NASCAR Cup Series, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, was taking his first steps toward greatness by capturing his first Cup championship with a dominating drive. The seven-time champion finished out the season strong by bringing home a top-five Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, finishing the race asRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Chase Elliott won the biggest race of his life – rallying from a last place starting position to cross the Phoenix Raceway finish line first in the Series Finale 500 – earning his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship at the age of 24 – the youngest champion in NASCAR’s premier series in 25 years. Ultimately Elliott won by 2.74-seconds over former fellow title contenders, Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The fourth championship-eligible driver, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, finished fourth.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After nine roller coaster months, the NASCAR Cup Series campaign finally came to an end Sunday with Chase Elliott hoisting the Bill France Cup. Yes indeed, the 24-year-old won war as he’s no longer the bridesmaid, but perhaps one of the top guys in the sport. More important for the state of Georgia, he broke the sports curse that’s plagued them for nearly half a decade. A FIRST-TIME CHAMPION! Retweet to congratulate @ChaseElliott on winning the 2020 @NASCAR Cup Series championship! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ZPvHSYfiJM — #NASCARPlayoffsRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor 35 races down, one to go. Sunday afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track at Phoenix Raceway for the Season Finale 500 to bring the 2020 season to a close and crown a champion. After being held at Homestead-Miami Speedway from 2002 to 2019, the championship race moved to the Arizona desert starting this season, giving the four drivers competing for the title a whole new challenge in their pursuit of the Bill France Cup. While the focus of the race will be onRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service After establishing the pace most of the afternoon, 22-year old Austin Cindric ultimately relied on raw determination to claim the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. The Team Penske driver pulled off the most clutch lap-pass of his young career to take the race victory in Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 and earn his first NASCAR title. After pitting for tires just before a final overtime restart, Cindric was able to work his way forward at the final green flag and got aroundRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Ford only had two guys competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one of them hoisting series championship. It wasn’t Chase Briscoe, but it was Austin Cindric who exited Phoenix Raceway with a championship. Cindric had to earn that sixth win though as an overtime restart bunched the field up and when the dust finally settled, he beat Noah Gragson to capture Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 and another auto racing title for Team Penske. Fittingly enough, what else did you expect fromRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Justin Allgaier leaves it all on the track but falls short in title battle Justin Allgaier and crew chief Jason Burdett tried everything. Under caution on Lap 172 of 200 in Saturday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 at Phoenix Raceway, Burdett called Allgaier to pit road for his last set of sticker tires. Even on fresh rubber, Allgaier couldn’t catch race leader Austin Cindric, as the drivers battled for position and the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. When title contender Chase Briscoe spun onRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service In the most challenging year in a history that has spanned more than seven decades, NASCAR racing has emerged stronger in the face of a coronavirus pandemic that interrupted the 2020 season, according to NASCAR president Steve Phelps. “What I would say is that, on March 8th, we were a sport that was coming back, right?” Phelps said on Friday during a Zoom video conference with reporters. “Our ratings had stabilized last year. Our attendance was going in the correct direction. “If you thinkRead More