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November 8, 2024

NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Phoenix live blog: All the updates from NASCAR Championship Weekend

By Steve Luvender

NASCAR.com

Published:

14 Minute Read

We’re bringing you live updates leading up to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App, Peacock). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from the 1-mile track in the desert.

Overview:

  • The 1-mile Phoenix Raceway hosts the 312-lap championship race on Sunday afternoon. Leaving the weekend, we’ll have our 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
  • Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick all escaped the Round of 8 and will compete for the 2024 title.
  • The goal is simple, yet extraordinarily difficult – be the first among the four to take the checkered flag, and you’re the champ.
  • It’s the third youngest Championship 4 ever. Team Penske teammates Blaney and Logano are the only former champions among them, and are the two most recent champs. Byron is a returner from last year’s Championship 4, while it’s Reddick’s first appearance.

Links to keep handy:

  • What to Watch, a guide for all things Phoenix. (Seriously, read this and you’ll know what you’re talking about this weekend.)
  • Photos from the track from the more camera-talented folks among us.
  • Keep up with the action on the go with NASCAR Mobile, and follow along with live leaderboards and scanner audio with Race Center.

All times listed are Eastern.

Sunday, November 10

8 p.m.: Thanks for joining us to follow an unforgettable Championship Weekend. Congratulations to the No. 22 Team Penske crew and now-three-time champion, Joey Logano! | Unofficial results

7:40 p.m., checkered flag: The champagne goggles have been equipped as the No. 22 team celebrates the championship.

7:14 p.m., checkered flag: In his final start as a full-time driver, Martin Truex Jr. finished 17th after starting from pole position. Giants of the sport congratulated Truex when he climbed out of the car.

7:11 p.m., checkered flag: That’s the third championship for crew chief Paul Wolfe, too. He won the 2012 title with Brad Keselowski and in 2022 with Logano.

7:05 p.m., checkered flag: Ryan Blaney has joined his teammate on the championship stage – and to grab a beverage.

6:57 p.m., checkered flag: Joey Logano, Roger Penske and the No. 22 team are on the NASCAR Championship Stage, joined by NASCAR President Steve Phelps. It’s time to hand out some hardware.

6:52 p.m., checkered flag: Joey Logano joins elite company with his third championship title, joining the likes of Lee Petty, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Tony Stewart. Only Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have won more titles.

6:47 p.m., checkered flag: Tyler Reddick finishes sixth, and fourth in the title fight, in his first Championship 4 appearance.

6:46 p.m., checkered flag: William Byron will finish third in the race and championship.

6:42 p.m., checkered flag: That’s the third championship in a row for Team Penske, following Logano’s 2022 title and Ryan Blaney’s triumph last year – they’re undefeated in the Next Gen era. The duo went 1-2 for the first time in team history this year.

6:40 p.m., checkered flag: The No. 22 is ripping some fierce, smoky burnouts to celebrate his third title. The celebration is just beginning.

6:38 p.m., checkered flag: 🏁 Joey Logano is the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion!

6:37 p.m., Lap 311: ⚪️ White flag. Final lap for Joey Logano.

6:36 p.m., Lap 310: Two to go. Logano’s still got it.

6:35 p.m., Lap 307: Blaney is right on the bumper of Logano. It’s going to come down to the very end.

6:33 p.m., Lap 302: Just 10 laps remain in the 2024 season. Joey Logano has a half-second advantage over teammate Ryan Blaney. Can ‘Sliced Bread’ pick up his third title, or will YRB defend his?

6:30 p.m., Lap 299: If things stay green, it’s not looking good for William Byron (third) and Tyler Reddick (sixth). Both drivers’ lap times are far slower than what the Team Penske duo is running.

6:30 p.m., Lap 297: Blaney’s now within a second of Logano. Lapped cars are racing cautiously and giving the title contenders plenty of room.

6:28 p.m., Lap 292: Twenty laps remain. Can Ryan Blaney make up two seconds on Joey Logano – and can he make the pass if he catches his teammate?

6:27 p.m., Lap 290: Move the No. 12 to second; Ryan Blaney has moved past William Byron. It’s now a Team Penske 1-2.

6:23 p.m., Lap 283: Third-place Ryan Blaney has a car that gets faster over the run. He’s about three seconds behind Joey Logano in first, but William Byron separates the two. Lapped traffic will play a role in these closing 29 laps, too.

6:15 p.m., Lap 264: As things have settled, Logano holds a one-second lead over William Byron, who’s another second ahead of teammate Kyle Larson. Ryan Blaney runs fourth, while fifth-place Christopher Bell works to hold off Tyler Reddick.

6:13 p.m., Lap 260: Joey Logano has just swerved and weaved his way to the lead after restarting fifth. Wow!

6:12 p.m., Lap 258: 🟢 We’re back to green! Just 54 laps remain in the 2024 season.

6:10 p.m., Lap 256: We’ll see if Rudy Fugle’s forethought is good enough for a championship.

6:05 p.m., Lap 253: As the leaders pit again, William Byron will stay out on his fresh tires and inherit the race lead. Byron’s got the benefit of some cushion between his championship rivals; teammates Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell are ahead of fifth-place Ryan Blaney.

6:02 p.m., Lap 250: 🟡 Caution No. 4. Zane Smith has backed into the Turn 1 wall; he’s out of the car and done for the day in his final start driving the No. 71. This timing could be quite a break for William Byron.

6:01 p.m., Lap 249: William Byron has finally pitted. How will the strategy work out for the No. 24 team?

5:57 p.m., Lap 241: Don’t expect the No. 24 car to pit yet; crew chief Rudy Fugle says it’s too early. We’ve got a split strategy to decide the championship, folks!

5:56 p.m., Lap 237: A lap later, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick are among those to pit. William Byron will inherit the lead.

5:55 p.m., Lap 236: Leader Christopher Bell and third-place Joey Logano hit pit road.

5:54 p.m., Lap 234: Move Ryan Blaney past Joey Logano for second, and the championship lead. Expect pit stops soon.

5:46 p.m., Lap 220: Kyle Larson has passed Tyler Reddick for fifth place.

5:46 p.m., Lap 219: Ryan Preece is in trouble. He’s pitting after sustaining damage to the No. 41, which was running 19th. No caution.

5:39 p.m., Lap 199: Joey Logano has moved past his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney for second position and the championship lead.

5:35 p.m., Lap 195: Hello, Tyler Reddick! The No. 45 has rocketed up to fifth place on the restart with a power move on the outside. Championship 4 drivers now run 2-3-4-5 behind Christopher Bell.

5:35 p.m., Lap 194: 🟢 Green flag for the final stage of the season!

5:32 p.m., Lap 191: C-Bell is back on top after pit stops. Blaney, Byron and Logano follow, while Tyler Reddick will restart ninth.

5:25 p.m., Lap 186: 🟡 Caution No. 3. Stage 2 has ended and it belongs to Ryan Blaney … barely.

5:24 p.m., Lap 184: It’s a side-by-side battle between Blaney and Bell for the lead. Joey Logano is closing fast!

5:21 p.m., Lap 178: New leader! Defending champ Ryan Blaney has moved past Christopher Bell for the top spot with eight laps remaining in Stage 2.

5:14 p.m., Lap 163: I’ll probably regret this, but I’m taking Christopher Bell out of my Fantasy Live Garage and putting Tyler Reddick on the bench. Bell’s speed has been remarkable today, and I’d hate to miss out on fantasy points.

Steve Luvender updated Fantasy Live lineup Phoenix 2024 championship

5:10 p.m., Lap 156: At the halfway point in the race, Christopher Bell continues to lead. Championship 4 drivers run second (Blaney), third (Logano), fourth (Byron) and 10th (Reddick).

5:02 p.m., Lap 139: NBC has reported that No. 22 jackman Graham Stoddard isn’t feeling well. Patrick Gray will replace Stoddard from Team Penske’s No. 2 team to do the job for Joey Logano. Logano runs fourth.

4:57 p.m., Lap 130: Christopher Bell is back to the top spot as the pit cycle (nearly) completes. Ryan Blaney trails by 1.7 seconds, followed by William Byron another second back. Joey Logano runs seventh, while Tyler Reddick is 10th.

4:54 p.m., Lap 124: Seems pitting later didn’t harm Blaney much; he leads the Championship 4 drivers, and with the newest tires to boot.

4:51 p.m., Lap 117: The Championship 4 drivers have headed to pit road under green for fresh tires and fuel. Ryan Blaney pitted the latest of the four.

4:50 p.m., Lap 114: Some mid-pack cars have started to pit to split Stage 2. Expect much of the field to pit within the next few laps.

4:45 p.m., Lap 105: Ryan Blaney has passed Chase Elliott for second place, putting a gap on fourth-place William Byron.

4:30 p.m., Lap 73: Christopher Bell has quickly made his way to the race lead. He’s not competing for a championship this year.

4:29 p.m., Lap 72: 🟢 We’re back to green in Stage 2!

4:20 p.m., Lap 69: 🔴 The red flag is out, and it’s an unusual one. The pace car has crashed into the sand barrels at the end of pit road. Oh, my. There will be a pause for cleanup.

NASCAR pace car hits pit barrels 2024 championship race

4:15 p.m., Lap 65: Under caution, the field headed to pit road. The No. 9 team put Chase Elliott out in front to begin the second stage, followed by Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. Logano’s stop wasn’t perfect, but it’s still early. Tyler Reddick lost a spot on pit road, exiting eighth.

4:10 p.m., Lap 60: 🟡 Caution No. 2. It’s the end of Stage 1, won by Joey Logano. Of the Championship 4 contenders, William Byron finished the stage fourth, while Ryan Blaney raced his way up to sixth and Tyler Reddick placed seventh. (No stage points are awarded to Championship 4 drivers in the championship race, by the way; the title is determined by the driver ahead of the others at the checkered flag.)

3:57 p.m., Lap 35: Not much movement as the green-flag run settles in, but one notable early mover is Kyle Busch. Busch started 25th and has already moved up to 13th. Championship battle aside, ‘Rowdy’ is under significant pressure for a win today. He’s won at least one race in every single season since 2005, but he’s winless in 2024; if he doesn’t finish first today, his win streak ends at a record 19 consecutive years.

3:50 p.m., Lap 20: Ryan Blaney is already up to eighth place after starting 17th.

3:46 p.m., Lap 11: Tyler Reddick just made a bold four-wide move around the outside Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin. Wow.

Tyler Reddick pass Austin Cindric Kyle Larson Denny Hamlin Phoenix championship race 2024

3:46 p.m., Lap 10: Joey Logano has moved past Martin Truex Jr. for the race lead. Logano is chasing his third title.

3:45 p.m., Lap 10: 🟢 Restart. Let’s try this again!

3:39 p.m., Lap 3: Ty Gibbs has walked from his damaged Toyota. His 2024 season is over.

3:36 p.m., Lap 2: 🟡 Caution No. 1. Well, that was fast. Ty Gibbs has crashed with a hard hit into the outside wall. It’s been a rough go for the No. 54 lately; he’s finished no better than 30th in the past month.

3:35 p.m., Lap 1: 🟢 Green flag for Martin Truex Jr. – and the championship race is underway! Follow along on NBC and with our live leaderboard.

3:27 p.m.: Cars are rolling to begin pace laps – behind honorary pace car driver Michael Phelps. We all know he likes to go fast!

3:23 p.m.: Engines are fired and cars will roll off pit road momentarily. It’s getting real now.

3:17 p.m.: The United States Air Force Band Singing Sergeants have drawn a one-mile track full of cheers with their beautiful performance of the national anthem. Next, those engines will fire!

3:15 p.m.: Pre-race ceremonies are underway, beginning with a moment of silence in memory of NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Bobby Allison.

3 p.m.: Tune in now to NBC, the NBC Sports App or Peacock to catch coverage of this afternoon’s championship race.

2:59 p.m.: And there they are! All eyes are on William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick this afternoon.

NASCAR 2024 Championship 4 drivers introduction stage

2:57 p.m.: Mamba Smith is getting things rolling by introducing the Championship 4 drivers. (Big fan of the Chief Hype Officer jacket!)

Mamba Smith driver introductions Chief Hype Officer gold jacket

2:45 p.m.: Much respect for MTJ in the pre-race Drivers Meeting.

2:35 p.m.: There’s a newly-minted millionaire, thanks to the NASCAR Powerball Playoff. Meagan Lewis of New Orleans is a million dollars richer!

2024 Powerball Playoff winner

2:30 p.m.: Nelly is getting the crowd moving for a pre-race concert on the frontstretch!

2:10 p.m.: It’s the last race for Michael McDowell at Front Row Motorsports.

2:05 p.m.: Today is Daniel Hemric’s final race in the No. 31 for Kaulig Racing.

2 p.m.: Stewart-Haas Racing makes its final laps this afternoon.

1:55 p.m.: Here’s my final Fantasy Live lineup for the year. I’ve got the Championship 4 drivers, of course, plus Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell.

Steve Luvender's Fantasy Live lineup for Phoenix. Joey Logano Chase Elliott William Byron Ryan Blaney Tyler Reddick Joey Logano

1:45 p.m.: Speaking of goodbyes, when the checkered flag flies tonight, we’ll bid farewell to some familiar sights and pairings; we’ve rounded up the chapters closing after this weekend.

1:40 p.m.: While we wait for takeoff, take some time to read The Making of Martin, a long-form piece from NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert highlighting the journey of Martin Truex Jr. Truex, who will start from pole position, makes his final start as a full-time driver this afternoon.

1:35 p.m.: NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola shared the cases for and against each Championship 4 contender heading into this afternoon’s title fight. It’s a good refresher of what we might expect to see.

1:30 p.m.: It’s the final day of NASCAR Championship Weekend. Which Cup Series driver will join Ty Majeski and Justin Allgaier as the 2024 NASCAR champions?

Saturday, November 9

6:40 p.m.: The next time the Cup Series cars take to the track, they’ll be racing for a championship (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App, Peacock). For tonight, though, all eyes are on the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer and Austin Hill will fight for the championship (7 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

6:25 p.m.: Ah, right, the Championship 4! Tomorrow, Joey Logano will start second, William Byron eighth, Tyler Reddick 10th, and Ryan Blaney 17th. | Full lineup

6:25 p.m.: Truex and Logano – tomorrow’s front row – shared a handshake and a smile. A neat moment indeed.

6:24 p.m.: The pole is the 25th of Truex’s career and second in a row.

6:22 p.m.: Joey Logano, the final driver to qualify, isn’t quite fast enough to beat the No. 19, posting a 26.728-second lap to Truex’s 26.718. Martin Truex Jr. will start from pole position in his final race as a full-time driver!

6:13 p.m.: In his last start as a full-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing – piloting a throwback paint scheme harking back to the beginnings of his Cup career some 20 years ago – Martin Truex Jr. has jumped to the top of the leaderboard. Five cars still need to set their times.

6:09 p.m.: The final round of qualifying is underway! Tyler Reddick is on track first.

6:07 p.m.: Don’t sweat the No. 12’s qualifying lap too much, Blaniacs: last year’s title was won from a 15th-place starting position.

5:57 p.m.: Joey Logano has posted the fastest lap in Group B, followed by Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Harrison Burton – they’ll join the top five from Group A to compete for the Busch Light Pole Award. Ryan Blaney, who placed ninth in Group B, will be the only championship contender to not advance to the final round of qualifying. He’ll start 17th tomorrow.

5:43 p.m.: Uh oh! Josh Berry has gone for a spin in Turn 1. The corner has been treacherous for many drivers making their qualifying runs. It appears Berry kept damage minimal to the No. 4, but the rear of the car bounced off the wall slightly.

5:30 p.m.: William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick will advance to the final round of qualifying from Group A. Group B, you’re up next! The second group includes Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

5:05 p.m.: Group A cars are qualifying now, making single-car time trials. The five fastest qualifiers from the group will face off against Group B’s top five to determine who wins the Busch Light Pole Award for the final time in 2024. Group A includes Championship 4 drivers Tyler Reddick and William Byron.

5 p.m.: Let’s set the starting lineup for tomorrow’s championship race, shall we? Qualifying starts momentarily; catch it on USA Network and follow along on our Race Center live leaderboard.

Friday, November 8

7 p.m.: The Cup Series hits the track next tomorrow afternoon for qualifying (5 p.m. ET, USA Network). Tonight, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series crowns its champion among Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim and Ty Majeski (8 p.m. ET, FS1).

6:55 p.m.: That’s it for practice! It’s Ryan Blaney’s 27.174-second lap (132.48 mph) stands as the quickest time in the field. William Byron was fourth overall at 27.272, while Joey Logano (ninth, 27.323) and Tyler Reddick (21st, 27.524) trailed.

6:54 p.m.: Close call for William Byron at the end of practice.

6:46 p.m.: Blaney’s car is quite speedy. Not only has he set the fastest lap in the session, he’s also set the fastest five-lap, 10-lap, and 15-lap average.

6:35 p.m.: Ryan Blaney has just jumped to the top of the leaderboard with a super-quick 27.174-second lap.

6:25 p.m.: In his final start as a full-time driver, Martin Truex Jr. is the quickest so far at the 20-minute mark. Of the Championship 4 drivers, William Byron is third, Joey Logano is 12th, Ryan Blaney is 23rd, and Tyler Reddick is the 25th-fastest driver.

6:11 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson has gone for a spin, slowing practice for a brief caution. Johnson did a remarkable job keeping the No. 84 off the wall and damage-free.

6:05 p.m.: Cars are on track for the final practice session of the year. Teams have three sets of tires to use over the next 50 minutes ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session.

6 p.m.: We’ll know the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion in about 48 hours from now. The weekend kicks off for the Cup Series with a 50-minute practice session at 6:05 p.m. ET, airing on USA Network. Follow along with the entire weekend schedule.

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