Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

AVONDALE, Ariz. – With a touch of his right foot to the brake pedal, Christopher Bell’s chances of winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship came to a crashing halt.

The right-front brake rotor on Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota exploded at Lap 109 on entry to Turn 3 at Phoenix Raceway Sunday, sending his yellow and black Camry into a skid and right-side-first into the sky-blue SAFER barrier.

The contact, coupled with the mechanical failure, was all too severe to overcome and relegated Bell out of the race to a last-place, 36th-place finish in his second straight appearance in the Championship 4.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“I just ran out of brakes,” Bell told reporters after being evaluated and released from the infield care center.

Bell said his brake pedal kept getting longer and longer, meaning he continuously needed to apply more and more pressure to slow the car lap after lap.

“We’ve had really strong brakes all year long and haven’t had any issues,” Bell said, “so it’s quite surprising to have a brake issue at a track where they are important but not as important as others.”

Crew chief Adam Stevens echoed his surprise in the garage area as he and his No. 20 team were left picking up the pieces in the aftermath.

“Pretty shocked,” Stevens told NASCAR.com. “Everything was fine in practice, you know? We were conservative on the cooling, I thought. We didn’t have any tape on the right front. But it got too hot.

“He mentioned that he started to feel it and tried to have him move the (brake) bias to the rear and just back his entries up. Two laps later, it blew apart.”

So ends a 2023 campaign for Bell that results in two wins, 10 top fives and 19 top-10 finishes. Bell led a career-high 599 laps in 2023 and ends the year with other career-bests in poles (six) and average finish 12.9.

Bell’s disappointment was understandably palpable, both in how his championship chase and overall season concluded.

“It’s been good and I’m proud of the efforts, especially in the playoffs to make the final four,” Bell said. “But we left a lot on the table there in the regular season and I still don’t think that we performed up to our potential in 2023 so I’m excited about the future and trying to build on this and become better.”

Stevens admitted a longing for better results through the season but ultimately shifted his perspective to 2024.

“It was honestly kind of disappointing,” Stevens said of 2023. “We had probably a lot more speed and a lot more potential than we were able to realize, and today was like a continuation of that. So we’re looking forward to getting a little rest and regrouping and get back after it.”

After Bell’s fourth season at the highest level of stock-car racing in the country, Stevens saw significant growth in his driver’s communication from behind the steering wheel that helped Stevens and the team provide the necessary changes to make the No. 20 Toyota faster.

“I think just natural progression,” Stevens said. “Just more laps with the cars and getting a lot better about his feedback so we can make changes and give him what he needs.”

Bell tried to keep his head held high in the immediate aftermath. The 28-year-old advanced to the title round of the NASCAR postseason for the second consecutive season but has in-race finishes of 10th and 36th to show for it.

“I’m not upset,” Bell said. “You know, everyone’s trying their hardest and obviously it’s just a part of it. I’m disappointed but it just wasn’t meant to be.

“I think right now, I’m still probably a little shocked and it probably hasn’t sunk in yet. But can only change what’s ahead of you.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The season comes down to one race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, with the youngest Championship 4 (average age 28 years, 11 months, 22 days) set to duke it out in the desert. Looking back at the three previous races at Phoenix, all in the Next Gen car, one thing becomes apparent: William Byron and Ryan Blaney have finished better than Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell.

PLAYOFFS: Playoffs hub page | Fantasy Live

Byron won the Phoenix race in the spring of 2023, with Blaney finishing runner-up and Larson (fourth) and Bell (sixth) not far behind. Blaney finished runner-up last fall at Phoenix when Byron came in sixth place and Larson and Bell were ninth and 10th, respectively.

And finally, Blaney was fourth in the inaugural run for the Next Gen car on the 1-mile track in the spring of 2022 when Byron (18th), Bell (26th) and Larson (34th: engine) all had subpar days.

What will happen when these four tee it up one more time? Let’s take a deeper dive into the numbers before Sunday’s showdown for the Bill France Cup (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

PLAYOFF PICTURE

WILLIAM BYRON: This is Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle’s first Championship 4 appearance, but the No. 24 team can hang its hat on these stats: Best average finish among Champ 4 drivers not only for this season (11.17) but also for the playoffs (6.33). Plus, Byron is the most recent winner at Phoenix and has spent the most laps running in the top five here in the Next Gen car (621).

KYLE LARSON: This is Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels’ second Championship 4 appearance as they return after winning the title in 2021. Despite lagging behind Byron and Blaney at Phoenix in the Next Gen car, Larson’s career numbers at the track are better, with an average finish of 11.72. Plus, when looking at the 2023 season as a whole, Larson has finished the best among this group the most times (14).

RYAN BLANEY: Blaney is the hottest of this group of drivers when it comes to finishes at Phoenix (two straight runner-ups) and finishes in the last two playoff races (runner-up and first). This is he and crew chief Jonathan Hassler’s first Championship 4, but if the hot streak continues, Blaney could become the first driver of the No. 12 to win the Cup championship.

CHRISTOPHER BELL: Bell has some experience on his side in the form of last year’s Championship 4 appearance and with crew chief Adam Stevens, who will be making his seventh appearance in the Championship 4. Bell has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five Phoenix races, but his best finish overall was the sixth place he scored in March. It will probably take a finish better than sixth to take home the title.

Projections as of Sunday, Nov. 5:

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE PHOENIX CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar NumberDriver
124William Byron
25Kyle Larson
312Ryan Blaney
422Joey Logano
520Christopher Bell
64Kevin Harvick
711Denny Hamlin
819Martin Truex Jr.
917Chris Buescher
1045Tyler Reddick
119Chase Elliott
121Ross Chastain
138Kyle Busch
146Brad Keselowski
1523Bubba Wallace
1654Ty Gibbs
1741Ryan Preece
1814Chase Briscoe
1910Aric Almirola
2043Erik Jones
2148Alex Bowman
2299Daniel Suárez
2334Michael McDowell
243Austin Dillon
2516AJ Allmendinger
262Austin Cindric
2747Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2831Justin Haley
297Corey LaJoie
3038Todd Gilliland
3121Harrison Burton
3277Ty Dillon
3342Carson Hocevar
3451Ryan Newman
3578BJ McLeod
3615J.J. Yeley

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

AVONDALE, Ariz. — The Championship 4 stormed through Turn 2 four-wide in NASCAR Overtime, just six corners away from crowning the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.

Closest of those who fell just short to title-winner Cole Custer was third-place runner Justin Allgaier, who embarked on a remarkable recovery after the beginning of his day at Phoenix Raceway. His JR Motorsports teammate Sam Mayer was fifth with the fourth fighter John Hunter Nemechek scraping across the line in 28th place. More on that last part shortly.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Phoenix

Allgaier’s championship chase on Saturday started with a spin in Turns 1 and 2 at Lap 3 after entering three-wide alongside Nemechek and Austin Hill in a battle for third place. The No. 7 Chevrolet incurred no damage, save for leaving a tire donut on the left door of Nemechek’s Toyota.

So began the rally. Allgaier charged back to seventh place by the end of the 45-lap first stage, dicing through the field on fresh tires back to the front of the field. Those scuffed tires went back on the car for the second stage but the 14-year veteran maintained well enough to snag ninth place, allowing him to methodically work his way back into the top five when crunch time came.

A late caution set up NASCAR Overtime in what funneled out to a three-wide slugfest — Allgaier in the middle of Nemechek (right) and Custer (left) with a lap and a half left. All told, the checkers fell over Custer with Sheldon Creed the only separation between him and Allgaier.

“I was bummed to see that last caution,” Allgaier lamented. “I mean, we were gaining three- to five-tenths a lap on both Cole and John Hunter. And if you looked at the way it was going to shake out, I mean, we were literally going to be right on their bumper whenever we got to the end of the race. So I felt like we did all the right things. We just had way too good of a long-run car and not quite good enough on the short run.”

This season marked a reunion for Allgaier with crew chief Jim Pohlman, with whom Allgaier won the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2008. Fifteen years later, the duo won four Xfinity Series races — Allgaier’s most since a five-win season in 2018. Their campaign was unquestionably successful, with a particularly timely triumph in the year’s penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway.

There was a sting in Saturday’s defeat, but pride in the season was the overriding emotion.

“That’s how our season’s gone,” Pohlman told NASCAR.com. “We fought hard and had been behind at times. And you know, these guys never gave up. Justin never gave up. You know, all of our races are won through adversity, all year long. So you know, it’s nothing new. A lot of it’s not of our own doing. Maybe that one felt like it was our own doing. But still really proud of everybody and just a strong day. You know to have the sixth one not go our way again — or his way, you know, and my first one — obviously frustrating but still not disappointed in the year and where we ended up.”

John Hunter Nemechek gets a post-race hug from his wife, Taylor, at Phoenix Raceway
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Studios

Nemechek led 66 laps in Saturday’s season finale, second only to Custer’s 96 circuits out front. The No. 20 Toyota exuded as much speed as it showed all year, which is to say “a lot.” The Joe Gibbs Racing outfit produced a series-high seven victories in 2023 and restarted on the front row in overtime. But his car washed wide on entry to Turn 1, pinning him to the top while the other Championship 4 contenders rocketed to his inside. Ultimately, a flat right-front tire one lap later sent Nemechek into the Turn 3 SAFER barrier, plummeting him down the leaderboard and putting an unfortunate period on the end of a championship fight that fell short.

“I got a really good jump off the bottom,” Nemechek recalled of the overtime restart. “Had everyone cleared, and I drove in (Turn) 1 on the bottom just like I had all day, and it just wanted to go straight. Not sure if we started having a right front go down at that point or what, but we ended up blowing a right front at the end and kind of ruined our shot. …

“We were close. But proud of this team, proud of this 20 group. Proud of myself. We executed really well all year. Winning seven races is no easy task, that’s for sure. As a driver, when you come down to the Xfinity Series or Cup Series, when you start a new season, the goal is to make it to Phoenix to have a shot to race for a championship, and we did that. We put ourselves in contention. We put ourselves in position to do it. Just didn’t work out.”

Crew chief Ben Beshore came back to the Xfinity Series to take over this team in the offseason after two full seasons at the Cup level with two-time champion Kyle Busch. With Nemechek, the two enjoyed enormous success — Beshore’s most victories in a season, besting a four-win campaign with Harrison Burton in 2020. That success didn’t heal the heartbreak in the immediate moments of Saturday’s 202-lap contest.

“Just disappointing,” Beshore told NASCAR.com. “Disappointing for the guys and John Hunter. They put a ton of effort in this car and prep for this week and to come back here with kind of a torn-up car and not getting the win is just super disappointing. We were there all night. Cole was super fast. Congrats to those guys. They had a really good car. It was a back-and-forth night between us and we just ended up on the losing end of it.

“Overall, it was a great year. Having seven wins, leading a ton of laps, having a lot of success, a lot of fun, getting a lot of top fives. That’s what we get paid to do, so overall it’s a big success. But right now, it stings. But I think when you look back in a few years, you’re gonna (be) like it was a lot of fun with a seven-win season. Those are tough to come by.”

Sam Mayer stands next to his car after the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Studios

Mayer was competing in his first title chase this weekend after a four-win sophomore full-time season in the No. 1 Chevrolet for JRM. Like Allgaier, Mayer never led in Saturday’s race, but the experience of a hunting Xfinity glory awakened the 20-year-old Wisconsinite to the necessary effort that goes into winning a championship.

“Being in the Championship 4, it’s like that extra level of just intensity,” Mayer said. “You have to rise to the occasion to do that. It just makes you perform better. I think it kind of opened my eyes and gave me another ‘a-ha’ moment to where I can do this every week. The car was really good, obviously. All four of the champ cars were really fast. That’s why we were all up front. I was like, man, I’m running fourth right now and I’m still losing.

“Being fourth obviously at a track like this with my history with it, I’m stoked because it’s my best finish here so far. It’s still a little bit short, obviously, because all the cars are really good. I’ve got to get myself a little bit better. This was the best I’ve been, but I plan on being even better next year.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. – After an overtime restart that saw title contenders engage in a breathtaking three-wide battle down the backstretch, Cole Custer deftly negotiated a tightly bunched pack of cars to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race and the series title on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

The victory was the third of the season for Custer, who returned to full-time Xfinity Series racing this year after a three-year stint in the NASCAR Cup Series that produced just a single victory.

But Custer proved his mettle after slipping from first to third in the running order moments after the final restart. Championship 4 driver John Hunter Nemechek held a fleeting lead but couldn’t turn his No. 20 Toyota in Turn 1 and lost the top spot to title contender Justin Allgaier.

RELATED: Custer title story | Race results

Custer steered his No. 00 Stewart Haas Racing Ford to the inside of Allgaier’s Chevrolet as the three championship hopefuls raced side-by-side down the backstretch before Custer emerged with the lead. A lap later, Custer crossed the finish line 0.601 seconds ahead of charging Sheldon Creed and another 0.007 seconds ahead of Allgaier to win for the first time at Phoenix and the 13th time in his career.

“I thought it was over,” said Custer, who had two previous runner-up finishes in the series standings. “I mean, went from first to third, and I was able to shift the car all night. And Doug Yates horsepower worked out, pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart.

“Man, I can’t say enough about these guys (his Stewart-Haas team). We started the year off and it was a struggle, and we had to kind of dig deep with each other, really talk about how to get better and to see how much this group has grown through the year.

“I’ve been waiting to hear (congratulations from Xfinity Series director) Wayne (Auton) on the radio for a few times now, so I’m pumped.”

Allgaier spun underneath Nemechek on Lap 3 and worked his way back to the front from 38th in the running order, but Custer had the superior car on short runs and proved it after the final restart.

“I don’t know if I’ll get another shot at it again next year,” said the 37-year-old Allgaier. “We at least will have a shot at it, but I don’t know if we’ll make it. But so proud of the effort of this team and what we were able to accomplish. The restart was fantastic. I thought we did everything right.

“The 20 (Nemechek) kind of missed the bottom and drove all the way up, and honestly, I was afraid I was going to run into the back of him. When I tried to turn back down the hill, it just was enough to let the 00 (Custer) get back to my inside and ultimately getting down into Turn 3 …

“I don’t know, I’m going to replay this one back in my head a couple times. I drove in there pretty deep and just kind of washed up. The 00 had the turning car all night, and we were just a little bit too free.”

Riley Herbst ran fourth on Saturday, followed by title contender Sam Mayer. Nemechek, a series-best seven-time winner this season, suffered a flat tire after the final restart, slammed the outside wall and finished 28th.

“Drove in, and it didn’t turn,” Nemechek said of Turn 1 after the final restart. “I don’t know if we had a right front (tire) start going down or what exactly it was, but just drove in and didn’t turn.

“Toyota GR Supra was really fast, but drive down, it doesn’t turn, it’s not a very good thing. Then once we got pinched in the fence there off of (Turn) 2, it kind of hurt the right sides even more. I think we had a right rear start going down, as well.

“It sucks to end up where we finished. Had a really strong effort all day. Proud of this whole 20 crew. Proud of this whole group. Just sucks to end our season this way, but overall, a really successful season for this 20 team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Was proud to be behind the wheel of this 20 car all year, and seven wins is a lot to be proud of.”

In a race that produced eight cautions for a total of 46 laps, Custer led 96 of 202 laps to 66 for Nemechek.

Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, pole winner Sammy Smith and Kaz Grala completed the top 10.

Note: Post-race inspection on Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage was completed without issues. NASCAR announced Sunday morning that the teardown of the No. 00 engine was completed, and there were no issues.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Cole Custer has accomplished many feats throughout his racing career in all NASCAR national series. Now he can add a new one — NASCAR champion.

Custer outdueled fellow Xfinity Series Championship 4 competitors Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemechek on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway to earn the title in his return season to the series. Custer had to endure a final restart in NASCAR Overtime to win the race and finish ahead of Allgaier, who was third, Mayer in fifth and Nemechek in 28th.

“I thought it was over,” Custer said. “I mean, went from first to third, and I was able to shift the car all night. And Doug Yates horsepower worked out, pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart.

“Man, I can’t say enough about these guys. We started the year off and it was a struggle and we had to kind of dig deep with each other, really talk about how to get better and to see how much this group has grown through the year.”

RELATED: Race results | Cole Custer driver page

The 25-year-old California native spent the previous three seasons in the Cup Series, piloting the No. 41 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, but the organization’s brass moved him to the Xfinity Series for the 2023 season. With an abundance of success in Custer’s first Xfinity stint, expectations were towering for the No. 00 team in 2023.

“You get knocked down a little bit and you just want to prove that you can go out there and do it,” he said of the move. “I think these guys have just really always believed in me all year and I just can’t thank them enough for giving me really fast race cars and still believing in me when things weren’t going great.”

Custer found his consistency in the spring, piling up 11 consecutive top 10s between Richmond Raceway in the first weekend of April through early July at Atlanta Motor Speedway — the longest and most consistent stretch of his career. The No. 00 team picked up a pair of victories on road courses in the process, first taking the checkered flag in a wild finish at Portland International Raceway before leading every lap in the inaugural Chicago Street Race, which was cut short due to weather.

The team again found its special recipe during the playoffs, earning finishes of sixth or better in the opening four races of the playoffs and quickly advancing to the Round of 8.

It came down to Martinsville and a frenzied finish for Custer to qualify for the right to compete for a championship. On the final set of corners, the No. 00 car was involved in a multicar incident and threw his car in reverse to get across the start/finish line while catching fire. After a few nerve-wracking moments to confirm the scoring, it was enough to earn a spot in the Championship 4.

Winning the championship at Phoenix is Custer’s first title in three Championship 4 appearances. He won the opening two stages in the 2018 championship race, but a late pit strategy call dropped him to second behind Tyler Reddick, who won the title. Custer finished runner-up to Reddick once more in 2019.

Custer jumped to the Cup Series in 2020, replacing Daniel Suárez, and was the only rookie to win with a triumph at Kentucky Speedway. That vaulted him into the playoffs and assured him he’d win Rookie of the Year ahead of Reddick and Christopher Bell.

This season is the first time Stewart-Haas Racing has won a championship at the Xfinity Series level, and it’s SHR’s first NASCAR championship since 2014 with Kevin Harvick. For crew chief Jonathan Toney, it was his first Xfinity championship in his first full-time season. This marks the seventh NXS championship for Ford and second in the last four years after Austin Cindric won in 2020. Ford’s other champions include Greg Biffle (2002), Carl Edwards (2007), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12), and Chris Buescher (2015).

Posted on by Zack Albert

AVONDALE, Ariz. — A new NASCAR Cup Series champion will have his coronation Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, and Joey Logano’s time as the reigning holder of the crown will draw to a close. There will be the figurative handing over of the torch, baton, or what-have-you, but there’s also a tangible transaction that will take place after Sunday’s finale.

The Cup Series champion’s journal will change hands in the offseason, continuing a tradition that NASCAR Hall of Famer inductee Jimmie Johnson began after the fifth of his seven titles in 2010. Ritual holds that the outgoing champ leaves a message to the newest title-holder. That duty will rest on Logano’s shoulders, but only after the sun sets on Sunday’s season-ending race (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM, Peacock, NBC Sports App).

“I left it at home,” Logano said before qualifying 17th for Sunday’s 312-lapper. “Just because you don’t know who’s gonna win, you can’t write a message to somebody you don’t know who you’re writing to. So we’ll see who it is, and I’ll try to get it to them for the banquet.”

Logano is the only driver to hold the journal twice in the time since Johnson began the tradition, winning the championship in 2018 and 2022. He inherited it from ’21 champ Kyle Larson, who will vie for this year’s Cup Series title with William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell on Sunday.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | What to Watch

A triumph by Blaney would keep the Bill France Cup in Team Penske’s possession. It would also mean a potentially more personal journal message from Logano, sent to a driver who has been his teammate with the Roger Penske-owned group for the last six seasons.

“Pretty cool,” Logano said of the possibility of an intra-team journal handoff. “Obviously, the closer relationship you have with someone, the easier it is to write a note. But it is one of the coolest things about winning the championship is that journal, and the cool thing is it’s one of — if not the only — kept secret in our sport, and nobody knows what’s in it, right? Nobody knows the actual letters that are in there and what they are, and it’s something special just for the championship drivers to see.

“Yeah, I’ve always kept that as something really special, and I wish it started sooner. I’m thankful Jimmie started it. I wish it started 50 years ago or 75 years ago. It’d have been amazing. But it’s something really neat to have, and honestly a little nerve-wracking to hold on to, because you don’t want to be the one to lose it. But definitely something neat.”

Keeping and curating the journal remains a happy obligation for Cup Series champions, but there’s also a greater responsibility as stewards of the sport. Kevin Harvick, a longtime leader who will end his illustrious driving career this weekend, singled out Logano as a stabilizing presence when asked in his media rotations if the next generation of the sport was in good hands. “I think guys like Joey Logano are gonna be great leaders,” Harvick said. “They already are.”

MORE: At-track photos: Phoenix

It’s a responsibility that Logano – a 15-year Cup Series veteran at age 33 — said he gladly accepts.

“That’s cool he said that,” Logano said. “You know, somebody’s got to step up and speak their piece for everybody, and usually the guys that have been around for a long time are the ones that do that, because they’ve seen it, they’ve done it. We all have to remember as drivers, we have a very unique perspective that nobody else in the industry has — nobody. Nobody knows what it’s like to be inside the car, to talk to the media like today, to talk to our fans out there and work on the race team, right, and see it from that perspective as well. Nobody can do that. Media can’t do that, car owners can’t do that, crew chiefs can’t do that.

“Drivers see everything, and it’s important that we put in our two cents on all of it to try to make it better, right? Ultimately, how can we make the sport better for the next generation. That’s what, to me, true champions do, and you’ve got to look for that stuff to try to make everything good, together.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Bubba Wallace is hoping to close out what he considers his most accomplished season with a victory on Sunday, and he expects to be a “force” to be reckoned with.

His No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota will have a Star Wars theme for Sunday’s season-ender and Wallace got to meet with Star Wars legend Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the famed blockbuster franchise. While Wallace appreciated the opportunity, he also enjoyed it because his best friend, fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver and member of the weekend’s Championship 4 Ryan Blaney, is a notably huge Star Wars fan.

MORE: See Wallace’s Star Wars paint scheme

“My boss is MJ, so. ..” a smiling Wallace said of team owner, NBA superstar Michael Jordan when he asked if he was starstruck meeting Hamill.

“When he [Hamill] did say, ‘May the force be with you always,’ now that was pretty cool. I’ve heard that line and everybody and his mother says it but when he does, that’s pretty special.”

Wallace is hopeful that the “force” may be with him for this weekend’s season finale as he is still racing for his first trophy of 2023 despite upping his game overall by qualifying for his first NASCAR Playoffs berth. He has nine top-10 finishes and tied his previous best mark of top-five showings with five. He also earned his second career pole position this fall at Texas, but has only one top-10 finish (10th in 2018) in 11 Phoenix starts.

“Definitely being talked about more for our performances and race results, and not so much the negative headlines,” Wallace said of 2023. “That’s good so we just need to continue to build on that. I definitely learned a lot about who I am as a driver and just trying to be a better team leader and it’s starting to click more and more. Just got to get the wick lit earlier in the season and get on a hot streak and keep that flame going.”

Posted on by Dustin Albino

This year’s Championship 4 competitors might be the most evenly matched grouping in the 10th year of the current format. The practice results from Friday Night might not be the most accurate indicator of which drivers will compete for the win. Or maybe it will be with the four Championship 4 drivers being competitive throughout the weekend. Hendrick Motorsports won qualifying with William Byron claiming his first pole at Phoenix. Unfortunately, you won’t see Kyle Larson in my fantasy lineup as I’m out of uses, but I’d highly recommend putting him in your lineup.

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: William Byron

Starter 2: Ryan Blaney

Starter 3: Christopher Bell

Starter 4: Denny Hamlin

Starter 5: Kevin Harvick

Garage pick: Ross Chastain

NEXT IN LINE: Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch

RELATED:  Sunday’s starting grid | Set your Phoenix lineup

RISING: With how Truex’s postseason has gone, I almost don’t dare to put his name here. The No. 19 car qualified on the front row for the third straight week. That hasn’t panned out well the last two weeks, but the No. 19 car has cracked the top two in the finishing order in two of the last five Phoenix races. His Next Gen numbers are worrisome, with a best finish of 15th.

The second half of the 2023 season was much better for Erik Jones than the first half. That continued in the final weekend of the season, as the famed No. 43 car earned its best starting position of the season on Saturday. Jones led 14 laps in the spring Phoenix race before dropping to 21st in the final rundown.

FALLING: Let’s pair Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney together since they are battling each other in the Championship 4 race. What a difference a day makes. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much of a concern because both drivers led long-run averages. Bell had the best five- and 10-lap average. Blaney, meanwhile, was the best on 15- and 20-lap runs. They might not have the fire-off speed, which could be concerning, as Bell qualified 13th and Blaney ranked 15th. Track position is critical at Phoenix, but I’d have both drivers available in your lineup.

Joey Logano is the only driver to drop from my lineup from earlier this week. The No. 22 car looked solid on single-lap speed in practice but fell off considerably on the long run. He qualified 17th, while the driver I replaced him with, Ross Chastain, was positioned in the top 10 in most categories this weekend.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Kyle Larson vs. Ryan Blaney

This is tough because Blaney had an incredible long-run pace during Friday’s practice session. With the 50-minute session at night, the track temperature was much cooler than race conditions. Larson said he was confused after practice but qualified better than he thought he would. Blaney might be the favorite for many, but Larson has been here before and won a championship. He’s the pick.

Christopher Bell vs. William Byron

It was the same thing as above, but Bell and Byron were more evenly matched during the long run in practice, ranking second and third on 15-lap averages. Byron gets the nod, however, because he won his fourth pole of the season. Bell will likely find his way to the front during the race, but I’m sticking with Byron as my championship pick.

Denny Hamlin vs. Joey Logano

Logano dominated the championship race at Phoenix last season from the pole, but the No. 22 team doesn’t have that kind of speed this weekend – nor has it had that speed during the 2023 season period. Hamlin qualified sixth and has solid Phoenix numbers himself. Sticking with the No. 11 car will edge Logano this weekend.

Tyler Reddick vs. Kevin Harvick

Rodney Childers has given Harvick one final hot rod to conclude his career. The No. 4 car was quickest in Group A of qualifying and was fourth on 10-lap averages. Reddick made the final round of qualifying for the first time in his career at Phoenix, but I’d highly lean in favor of the No. 4 team. Harvick was positioned to win the spring race until a late caution flew.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Championship 4 driver William Byron won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, keeping alive the possibility of preserving a remarkable streak.

In each of the three title races at the one-mile track in the Sonoran Desert, the pole winner has won the race and the championship—Chase Elliott in 2020, Kyle Larson in 2021 and Joey Logano last year.

MORE: Full Phoenix lineup | At-track photos

In the final round of Saturday’s time trials, Byron navigated the irregular-shaped track in 27.150 seconds (132.597 mph) to claim the top starting spot by 0.018 seconds over Martin Truex Jr. (132.509) mph, who was eliminated from the Playoffs last Sunday at Martinsville.

Making his final qualifying run as a full-time Cup Series driver, Kevin Harvick earned the third starting spot with a lap at 132.421 mph. Championship 4 contender Larson, Byron’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, qualified fourth at 132.397 mph.

“My team is really going to like this,” said Byron, who won his fourth Busch Light Pole Award of the season, his first at Phoenix and the 12th of his career—and earned the right to select advantageous Pit Stall No. 1.

“It’s going to be fun. All my family and friends are here, all my friends from high school. It’s going to be fun to hang out with them over tonight and enjoy. This is a great opportunity. I want to be here every year. It’s really fun to be a part of, and we must take advantage of it.”

Championship 4 drivers Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney, who were the fastest two title contenders in Friday’s practice, failed to make the final round of qualifying and will start 13th and 15th, respectively.

“I needed about another tenth-and-a-half (of a second)—I don’t know,” said Blaney, who earned his spot in the final four with a victory last Sunday at Martinsville. “I mean, the car didn’t feel bad, just not as much speed as everyone else. I think our race car is good for (Sunday). So, we’ll see what happens.”

Larson can win a second championship on Sunday. For the other three Playoff drivers, a title would be the first. Larson was reluctant to put too much stock in qualifying speed.

“I think we all saw the practice sheets yesterday,” Larson said. “I think the 12 (Blaney) and the 20 (Bell) looked a step better than especially me and even William a little bit. Was honestly surprised that they didn’t make the final round there.

“So, no, I’m not counting out Blaney or Bell at all. It’s a long race, so they’ll overcome wherever they start. I’m sure they’ll drive through the field. The final four guys, most everybody respects or shows a lot of respect to on the racetrack and gives a lot of space.

“I think they’ll find their way to the front pretty quickly.”

Bubba Wallace claimed the fifth spot on the grid, followed by Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick, who spun and slapped the Turn 4 wall during his run in the final round.

Note: Harvick ran the fastest lap of the day in the first round (27.067 seconds, 133.003 mph)… Cole Custer qualified 31st in relief of Brad Keselowski, who flew home to Charlotte to be with wife Paige, who went into labor with the couple’s third child. Keselowski is expected to return for Sunday’s race

Contributing: Staff reports