The NASCAR Cup Series started the season with two Superspeedway races and a trip to COTA for a road course race. Finally, we get to see what the teams have on a smaller oval track when they compete at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. This is one of the most important non-playoff races on the schedule. Phoenix is the track where NASCAR will crown their champion, so the teams will bring their best cars to see what kind of speed they have on this 1-mile, D-shaped oval. It should be fun to see how it all plays out Sunday in the desert.
PHOENIX SCHEDULE
PHOENIX RACE PREVIEW
The race Sunday in Phoenix is going to be important for the teams, but it will also be important for NASCAR. The Cup Series will get a chance to use the “option tire” in the race Sunday. This tire is softer and creates more speed early in the run, but loses speed late in a run. Each team will get one primary tire (the tire used at Phoenix last November) and one option tire for practice Saturday. The teams will get six sets of primary tires and two sets of options tires for the race Sunday (plus the qualifying tires). The teams can use the option tires whenever they want during the race. The option tire should allow drivers who are not good at Phoenix to make their way to the front. I hate that NASCAR has to have a gimmick to create closer racing, but at least they are trying.
FANTASY STATS FOR PHOENIX
There are two races at Phoenix each year, but the races are completely different. The spring races in the Gen-7 car at Phoenix have been won by Chase Briscoe (2022), William Byron (2023) and Christopher Bell (last year). The Championship Races in November have been dominated by Team Penske. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney have won the last three championships because of their dominance in the November races at Phoenix. Team Penske is still the team to beat Sunday, but there are more drivers in play this weekend compared to what we will have when the Cup Series returns to the track in November.
There are only four drivers who have a top-10 average finishing position in the Gen-7 car races at Phoenix. These drivers include Ryan Blaney (2.8), William Byron (8.3), Ross Chastain (9.2) and Chris Buescher (10.3). Five drivers have been to Victory Lane at Phoenix in the Gen-7 car. These drivers include Joey Logano (2), Christopher Bell (1), William Byron (1), Ross Chastain (1) and Chase Briscoe (1). I expect the drivers listed above to be the drivers to beat Sunday.
Here are the driver’s stats from the races at Phoenix in the Gen-7 car, sorted by Driver Rating…
EARLY WEEK PICKS FOR PHOENIX
ONE & DONE PICK: RYAN BLANEY
FANTASY LIVE PICKS
FANTRAX PICKS
* I will post my full lineup FanTrax lineup (with bench drivers) in the article posted on Thursday morning.
SPEEDWAY COLLECTIVE
EARLY WEEK BEST BETS FOR PHOENIX
WILLIAM BYRON +850 won the spring race at Phoenix in 2023. He always starts off the season on a hot streak and he already has a win in the bank this year. Crew Chief Rudy Fugle can be aggressive with the option tire to get Byron another win Sunday.
TYLER REDDICK +1200 has never won at Phoenix but that does not mean he is not a got bet to win Sunday. Reddick dominated the early portion of this race last year. He led 68 laps, won Stage 1 and finished 2nd in Stage 2. Reddick will be one of the drivers to beat if he has the same speed Sunday.
CHASE BRISCOE +1200 won at Phoenix in the Gen-7 car in 2022. He was driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in that race. His Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota should have a lot of speed and Briscoe has the talent to get it to Victory Lane. (Martin Truex Jr. dominated a large portion of this race last year in the No. 19 car).
* I will update these picks this weekend.
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