The all-time list of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions starts with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr., who has four career championships. Matt Crafton and Jack Sprague each have three titles and are second on the all-time list. In total, 20 drivers have won a Truck Series title since the series debuted in 1995.
In 2023, Ben Rhodes joined an elite list of drivers by becoming the fifth driver to win multiple championships.
Below is the list of all-time champions in the Camping World Truck Series.
Heim motored past Hocevar at Lap 118 for sixth place to claim the top spot at the time of the Championship 4 drivers. To win the title, a title contender just needs to beat his other three playoff competitors.
In his attempt to reclaim the position, Hocevar contacted Heim’s left-rear quarter panel two laps later, spinning both Heim and Stewart Friesen through Turns 1 and 2.
Then with just three laps left in regulation, Hocevar attempted to pass Heim through the outside of Turn 2. Heim washed toward the right, sending both trucks into the wall and collecting Heim’s Tricon Garage teammate Taylor Gray.
Heim led a second-best 47 laps. Hocevar led none.
At the end of the day, there were bent fenders, hurt feelings and zero championships between the two on Friday night.
“Obviously, got cleaned out there and got a lot of rear damage and lost some of my side force so I couldn’t really do much from there,” Heim said. “Yeah, I don’t know. Just really felt like I had them covered today. The 38 (Zane Smith) was fast, but I thought we could’ve raced it out there at the end and it just kind of turned into a wreckfest.”
Hocevar was despondent over the radio after the initial contact. In multiple caution periods that ensued, the 20-year-old Niece Motorsports driver radioed his team apologizing to the No. 11 team, incredulous he made erred so severely.
“I did not mean to do that. (EXPLETIVE!)” he radioed in the immediate aftermath. “I thought he was going to drive in deep. … That’s so stupid of me. I thought he was going to drive in so deep and then he made the corner.”
During the caution that followed Heim’s initial spin, Hocevar was lamenting the mistake so much that the crew couldn’t inform him they wanted him to pit. On the ensuing restart, Hocevar sank through the field on the next restart to 18th place. On Lap 146, he was out of the race following contact from Heim’s truck.
Heim insisted the contact with Hocevar was coincidental, the result of an ill-handling truck and not retaliation.
“Had a lot of right-rear damage and was pretty much out-of-control free,” Heim said. “So as soon as the 42 (Hocevar) – really, he was the third one that went by me on the outside and I about wrecked every time, and then by the time he got there, I finally just spun it out. So with him on my door, it lost all my side force and lost control. So super unfortunate.
“Yeah, I mean you can go watch my in-car camera. I about wrecked five times before that.”
Heim didn’t shy away from frustration with how he perceives his past with Hocevar, however. Hocevar signed a multiyear deal to drive for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time beginning in 2024, so he will depart full-time truck racing. Heim’s previous years of racing Hocevar left him unsurprised by the result of Friday night contact he viewed as deliberate.
“I passed him clean and then he hit me two or three times. And then finally he had enough fun just kind of hitting me and he wrecked me, so it is what it is,” Heim said. “You know, every guy on Sunday (in the Cup Series) is gonna see that and understand that they’re gonna be racing against him like that.
“I’m not too worried about it. I won’t race him anymore, so I don’t have to deal with it too much. But yeah, just, you know, kind of expected. He’s been racing me like that since he was five years old. I raced with him in quarter midgets. So it’s part of championship racing.”
Hocevar had a season-high four wins. Heim won three races himself. But their final stat line in the 2023 title race will simply read third and fourth in the title standings – an 18th-place finish for Heim and a 29th-place DNF for Hocevar.
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Cautions, restarts, retribution, extra laps and high-action marked Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. And that was just the final 50 laps.
In the end, ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes claimed his second series championship in the last three years with a hard-earned fifth-place finish in the No. 99 Ford, while McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes raced to his fourth win of the season by a slight .421-seconds over rookie teammate Jake Garcia in four dramatic overtime periods.
That’s the conclusion to an evening that featured 12 caution periods, 29 laps of overtime competition and plenty of high-stakes racing – especially among the four championship contenders that earned a chance to settle the season title.
Perhaps indicative of the night, Rhodes’ finish and ultimate trophy haul wasn’t secure until the checkered flag, with championship runner-up Grant Enfinger giving it his all in the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet coming off Turn 4 in an all-out pursuit to the very end.
Both Rhodes and Enfinger had survived close calls in the overtime laps. Rhodes collided with Zane Smith racing for the lead – hitting Smith’s truck when it appeared Smith missed a shift out front in the second overtime restart. Enfinger had close calls in two of the four extra-lap periods and still was able to pull off that final push forward, ultimately finishing one position behind Rhodes in the standings.
The Regular Season Champion and race pole sitter Corey Heim finished 18th after contact from fellow Championship 4 driver Carson Hocevar with 30 laps of regulation remaining in the scheduled 150-lap race.
“I can’t even believe it,” the 26-year-old Kentucky native Rhodes said of his dramatic title win. “It’s just so awesome, man. To go 25 laps into overtime, do you know what that feels like? It’s crazy. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I thought we were going to pop a tire, that anything that could have gone wrong was going to go wrong. Grant [Enfinger] almost got me. But hats off to him, he ran a great race. I wouldn’t’ want to race against anybody else for the championship. He raced me clean, and I respect the heck out of him for it.”
“I saw him,” Rhodes said of Enfinger’s final push forward in the last corner. “He went for everything, but he ran me clean, and I thank him for that. That’s what these championships are all about.”
Enfinger, whose GMS Racing team is closing shop at the end of the season, was especially gutted to come so very close to his first championship.
“I don’t know,” Enfinger said of doing anything differently on that last lap.
“Obviously we got loose there at the end,” he continued. “Maybe if he didn’t have such a good run down the backstretch, we’d be able to make that pass. It’s a shame the championship came down to a race like that with 15 green-white-checkers or whatever it was. I feel like we did everything we could to win this and just got used up.”
The other two championship contenders, Heim and Hocevar had a more contentious situation on-track. Heim, whose 47 laps out front in the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota were second most laps led on the night, was actually leading the championship-eligible drivers when Hocevar hit him going into Turn 2 with 30 laps remaining. The contact sent Heim’s Toyota into Stewart Friesen’s Toyota which hit the wall and brought out a caution. Hocevar continued on and Heim had to pit for repairs and went down a lap.
Heim viewed the hit as intentional and later in the race, collided with Hocevar bringing out another caution period. Heim insisted his car just wasn’t steering properly at the time, while Hocevar said he had fully expected the payback. It was enough to sideline Hocevar’s No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet which was credited with a 29th-place finish from the garage.
“My only goal was to try slow him down,” Hocevar said. “I didn’t want to do that at all. With my track record, I can’t sit here and say I didn’t mean to. I just messed up. I was trying really hard to slow him up and just messed it up. I feel bad I robbed him of that and feel sorry for that,” an apologetic Hocevar added of Heim’s championship chances. “I just messed up.”
The 21-year-old Heim had a streak of 15 consecutive top-10 finishes coming into the race and was considered the favorite by many. He had three wins on the season in only his first full-time year of competition.
“It was a great year, a phenomenal year for us and our worst finish in like six months,” a disappointed Heim said. “Really put together a good race and really hoped the guys would race clean, I have a lot of respect for everybody in the field. But clearly, I don’t anymore. It is what it is, it’s part of racing.
As for the later contact with Hocevar, Heim said it was purely coincidental, “It wasn’t retaliation. I had no side force, he put it on my door, and I wrecked [into him].”
“I’ve been racing Carson for a long time, racing since I was eight or nine years-old,” Heim said later. “That’s kind of just what he does. He’ll wreck you and apologize and do it again the next week. So that’s not going to be the last time he does it and certainly the first time he’d done it. I’ve known him for a long time. … it is what it is. I completely expected it.”
As for his victory, the 22-year-old Eckes tried to reconcile the championship race win with having just been eliminated from Playoff contention. He had a win (at Kansas) and a pair of runner-up finishes (Indianapolis Raceway Park and Bristol, Tenn.) during the Playoff stretch but was eliminated after finished of 19th and 20th in the two races leading into the championship finale.
“Those two races that killed the whole Playoffs pretty much and that’s just kind of the nature of it,” Eckes said. “I didn’t do my job last week and really the week before either. That gets us out and that puts us in this situation, but it’s motivating for next year and it was motivating for this race too. This one kind of stings, I know it’s a win, but the stupid mistakes the last two weeks of a near perfect Playoffs cost us a championship. This one kind of stings, I know it’s a win, but the stupid mistakes the last two weeks of a near perfect Playoffs cost us a championship. It’s kind of hard to be happy right now, but overall, just super proud of everybody for the year that we’ve had and just ready for 2024.”
Chase Purdy, Jesse Love and Rhodes rounded out the top five. Enfinger, Dean Thompson, Kaden Honeycutt, Tanner Gray and Nick Sanchez completed the top 10. It was a career best finish for the runner-up Garcia as well as Love and Honeycutt.
Note: Inspection has concluded in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage with no issues, confirming Eckes as the winner and Rhodes as the champion. NASCAR additionally tore down the engines of the Nos. 99 and 19 trucks Saturday morning and found no issues.
Have yourself another one, Ben Rhodes — you are a two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. Now, time to celebrate.
Rhodes battled for the Truck Series crown for the third consecutive season, converting for the second time in his career in Friday’s Craftsman 150 at Phoenix Raceway. He finished ahead of fellow Championship 4 contenders Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar and Grant Enfinger to join elite company with his second series title.
Rhodes, who drives the No. 99 ThorSport Ford, is just the fifth competitor in series history to accomplish the feat. He joins Ron Hornaday Jr. (four), teammate Matt Crafton (three), Jack Sprague (two) and Todd Bodine (two).
His first title in 2021 was punctuated by an incredible celebration following the consumption of a few choice beverages. Let’s see what he does for an encore.
“I can’t even believe it. Let’s go!” Rhodes said. “I hate when people do that on TV, so I’m sorry. But hey, this is so awesome, man.
“To go 25 laps into overtime, you know what that feels like? Almost lose it three times? Look at the front of the truck. It’s crazy. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I thought we were going to pop a tire. I thought anything that could have gone wrong was going to go wrong.”
Christian Eckes won Friday’s race, his fifth victory in the Truck Series, with Rhodes coming in fifth place and holding off a hard-charging Enfinger in sixth. The race turned out to be a battle of attrition with four overtime sessions needed to decide the winner.
“I don’t know. It was just the original green-white-checkered there where we went four wide, Ben gassed it up there on the bottom, drove us in the 19 and tore up our truck and then we had to restart from 22nd there,” Enfinger said. “That’s kind of what ended our run. Obviously we got close there at the end.
“I don’t know, maybe if he didn’t have such a run down the back straightaway, but I needed to get under him to make that pass.”
The other Champ 4 contenders finished well back in the pack with Heim coming in 18th and Hocevar finishing 29th. Heim led 47 laps but was done in when he and Hocevar made contact on Lap 119 of a scheduled 150 laps.
Heading into Phoenix, Rhodes had maximized results throughout the playoffs. He had the fewest top-five finishes for a series champion since Crafton had seven in 2019 — but found the speed when it mattered most.
The No. 99 team narrowly escaped an early elimination in the opening round with a pair of 16th-place finishes at Indianapolis and Milwaukee, followed by a 25th-place result at Kansas Speedway. Earning 12 stage points at Kansas ultimately saved Rhodes’ season, and he scraped into the Round of 8 by five points.
The No. 99 team capitalized on its second chance at life in the Round of 8, scoring three top-10 finishes, and finishing the round with a pair of podium efforts.
Much of the credit for the No. 99 team’s success should go to Rhodes’ crew chief Rich Lushes. When the No. 99 truck lacked sufficient speed at Homestead-Miami Speedway and was mired well outside the top 10, Lushes made a bold decision to bring his driver to pit road when a caution flew with 54 laps remaining. The team’s only hope was for the race to go caution-free to the finish, and the strategy played out to perfection with Rhodes finishing the round tied with Nick Sanchez for the final spot in the Championship 4, but claiming the tiebreaker.
Rhodes has a shot to keep it rolling in 2024, with all signs pointing toward a return to ThorSport, which gave the 26-year-old his first crack at the national touring level on a full-time basis in 2016.
Friday’s championship run shows just how ThorSport has risen in prominence in the Truck Series. Led By Duke and Rhonda Thorson, the Ohio-based company has accounted for five driver championships and is home to two of the five drivers in the history of the series who have scored multiple championships. The team’s trucks took up 30% of the playoff field in 2023 and left the desert, once again, with the big trophy.
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Kevin Harvick was smiling as he came into the Phoenix Raceway media center for the final pre-race press conference of his NASCAR Cup Series championship career.
In so many ways, Phoenix is a fitting farewell locale for Harvick, a “West Coast guy” from Bakersfield, Calif. and the winningest NASCAR driver in Phoenix Raceway history, having hoisted a record nine NASCAR Cup Series race trophies there including seven times in a nine-race span and four consecutively.
The 47-year-old certain future NASCAR Hall of Famer won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship and earned 60 career wins in a 23-year career; ranking him 10th on the all-time win list. Four times he won at least five races in a season – highlighted by a nine-victory total in 2020.
Most every week of this farewell season, Harvick has spoken to the media reflecting on his stellar career and pondering his busy future working in the FOX Sports television booth starting next season. But Friday, he conceded, was a little different. Barring a victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race (3 p.m. ET., NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), it will be his last time facing the media in this setting as a full-time competitor.
“I think for me, all the weeks leading up to this particular one [press conference] were really not too hard,” said Harvick, who drives the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. “This one is a little more difficult just because it is the last week with you guys and everything you do is actually coming to an end. Up until this point, I don’t think anyone thought of it as real. This week it’s pretty real.
“This week has definitely been different than everything leading up to it just because of the fact there isn’t a ‘next week.” There’s been a ‘next week’ up until this week.”
Harvick said he’s spoken and received pointers from Dale Earnhardt Jr., who also left full-time competition for a successful stint that continues to this day in the NBC Sports television booth. As with Earnhardt, Harvick said he’s got his future plans buttoned up and in place from his marketing and management company to his golf cart company, to the free time he’ll have with his family.
First up and most important of his to-do list is to spend time with his children, 11-year-old son Keelan and five-year-old daughter Piper. Keelan is an aspiring driver and Harvick jokes that Piper – who also races — appears to be on her way to some sort of managerial position.
Either way, the chance to spend time with them and be there while they’re growing up is the upside option Harvick has not only decided on, but earned.
Harvick recalled a conversation between one of his team members and his daughter.
“He asked her, ‘what are you looking forward to the most?’ and she said, ‘dad’s gonna come watch me race,’“ Harvick said with a grin. “So that will be fun.
“It’s been a great ride for me,” Harvick added.
“I think when you look back on it and realize all the things you were able to be a part of and be fortunate somewhat successful at, it’s been fun. Obviously, I’m not going far. I guess I’ll just be sitting on the other side of the table, asking the questions.”
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 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and William Byron all escaped the Round of 8 and will compete for the 2023 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 youngest Championship 4 ever. Larson is the only former champion among them, with Bell the only returner from last year’s title contenders. It’s the first Championship 4 appearance for both Byron and Blaney.
What to Watch, a guide for all things Phoenix by our friend Kobe Lambeth. (Seriously, read this and you’ll know what you’re talking about this weekend.)
Keep up with the action on the go with NASCAR Mobile, watch live in-car cameras with NASCAR Drive and follow along with live leaderboards and scanner audio with Race Center.
All times listed are Eastern.
Sunday, November 5
7:30 p.m.: That’ll do it for our Championship live blog this weekend. Thank you for joining us and following our updates throughout NASCAR’s unforgettable 75th anniversary season. We’re grateful to have had you, the fans, sharing this thrilling journey with us. A hearty congratulations to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney, and the entire Team Penske crew.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
7:14 p.m.: The Blaniacs are in full force in front of the championship stage. Fair to say their numbers will grow after today. Full Phoenix results
7:02 p.m.: Ford has swept NASCAR Championship Weekend. Ben Rhodes won the Craftsman Truck Series championship, Cole Custer took the Xfinity Series title, and now Ryan Blaney has been crowned Cup Series champ. Impressive stuff from the Blue Oval crew.
6:53 p.m.: Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
6:50 p.m.: Meanwhile, in Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane, Ross Chastain is celebrating his second win of 2023. But, not after the trademark watermelon smash.
6:39 p.m.: Kyle Larson finishes third, championship runner-up, while teammate William Byron came home fourth for a third-place effort in the final standings. Christopher Bell exited the race on Lap 109 after a mechanical failure sent the No. 20 in the wall.
6:38 p.m.: It’s the second-consecutive championship for Team Penske, the first time that’s happened in team history. Blaney’s second-place finish is his third straight at Phoenix.
6:30 p.m., 🏁 checkered flag: A rare burnout by Ryan Blaney, who’s celebrating on the frontstretch. That’s only the second smoky celebration we’ve seen from YRB, the last coming after a clutch win at Talladega in October.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
6:28 p.m., 🏁 checkered flag: Ryan Blaney is the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
6:28 p.m., 🏁 checkered flag: Ross Chastain has crossed the start-finish line first to claim the race win at Phoenix.
6:23 p.m., Lap 304: Not that it matters in terms of the championship, but Ryan Blaney’s closing the gap to leader Ross Chastain. Blaney’s a second ahead of Larson and growing the gap.
6:22 p.m., Lap 302: Just 10 laps remain in the 2023 season. Ryan Blaney runs second, Kyle Larson is third, and William Byron is fourth. The highest finisher of the three will be crowned champion.
6:18 p.m., Lap 292: After a beautiful display of racing between two veterans for many laps, Ryan Blaney has cleared Kyle Larson for second place. Ross Chastain has checked out up front.
6:15 p.m., Lap 287: Ross Chastain has stretched things out to a one-second lead, while Kyle Larson is working to fend off Ryan Blaney for second … and the championship.
6:13 p.m., Lap 283: It’s tight up front.
6:12 p.m., Lap 281: 🟢 Restart! We’ve reached the 90 percent mark of this one. Kyle Larson’s in position to claim his second championship as they run.
6:07 p.m., Lap 277: Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones pitted for just two fresh tires, while much of the field opted for four. Kyle Larson and William Byron exited pit road ahead of Ryan Blaney.
6:05 p.m., Lap 275: 🟡 Caution No. 4. Kyle Busch has gone for a solo spin with just 37 laps to go. Expect more pit stops, likely for the last time today. Things are about to get spicy!
6:03 p.m., Lap 270: Blaney’s not done yet. He’s moved past Truex for second place, again following closely in the tracks of leader Ross Chastain.
6:00 p.m., Lap 264: For now, Ryan Blaney has moved behind Chastain and Truex. Kyle Larson and William Byron in fourth and fifth are posting quicker lap times than the No. 12 for now.
5:58 p.m., Lap 261: Third-place Martin Truex Jr. has joined the battle for the lead!
5:57 p.m., Lap 258: It’s a side-by-side battle for the lead between Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney. Blaney could win the title by running second behind Chastain, but Blaney seems to think if he’s clear of the No. 1, he can set sail and put a gap on Kyle Larson and William Byron.
5:55 p.m., Lap 255: The pit cycle is complete and Ross Chastain is again in control. Ryan Blaney is in his tracks, while Hendrick teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron are a few seconds behind.
5:54 p.m., Lap 251: Denny Hamlin finally makes his way to pit road, leaving only Chase Briscoe on track. He’s hoping for an immediate caution to bank some track position. Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney are closing fast.
5:49 p.m., Lap 243: That’s three clean pit stops for the championship contenders. Blaney’s got the edge over Kyle Larson and William Byron. Larson passed his teammate on the exchange. Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are leading the race but will need to pit soon.
5:48 p.m., Lap 240: Yep. Leaders Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney have ducked to pit road. We’ll see if a lap’s difference changes anything.
5:47 p.m., Lap 239: Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson are the first cars to hit pit road for the final time today. These are the first green-flag stops. Expect Ryan Blaney to follow next lap.
5:46 p.m., Lap 237: Ryan Blaney’s had his sights set on leader Ross Chastain for laps and laps now; the two have been racing within two car lengths of each other. Chastain’s not making it easy for YRB.
5:33 p.m., Lap 211: Ryan Blaney has moved past William Byron for second place; Blaney’s now the top-running championship contender.
5:24 p.m., Lap 193: 🟢 Back to green! Let’s begin the final stage of 2023.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
5:20 p.m., Lap 189: On pit road, the three remaining championship contenders all picked up spots. Behind new leader Ross Chastain, William Byron now runs second, Kyle Larson’s fourth, and Ryan Blaney is fifth. Stage 2 winner Chris Buescher fell to eighth after pit stops.
5:16 p.m., Lap 185: 🟡 Caution No. 3: Chris Buescher wins Stage 2 by 2.5 seconds over Ross Chastain. William Byron finished the stage fourth, Ryan Blaney was sixth, and Kyle Larson was seventh. The Buescher and Byron cars really seemed to come to life on the long run; we’ll see what happens after a round of pit stops.
4:58 p.m., Lap 153: Chris Buescher have moved past Kevin Harvick for second. Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson swapped ownership of sixth position just prior.
4:51 p.m., Lap 136: The three remaining championship contenders run fifth (Byron), sixth (Larson) and seventh (Blaney) after Martin Truex Jr. makes a pass on Byron. The eliminated playoff drivers came to play today.
4:50 p.m., Lap 134: Running 26th, Austin Cindric has made contact with the outside wall; he’s on pit road for repairs, but the race remains green.
4:46 p.m., Lap 125: We’re halfway through Stage 2. If you’ve got Christopher Bell in your Fantasy Live lineup, take him out before the stage ends; whoever’s in your garage will finish better today. Unless you’re a competitor in my league, then please disregard this message.
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR
4:42 p.m., Lap 117: 🟢 On the restart, Ross Chastain made quick work of Kevin Harvick to take over the lead. Quite a showing for a couple of non-championship contenders! Of the three remaining championship contenders, William Byron has settled into fourth, while Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney run back-to-back in sixth and seventh.
4:40 p.m., Lap 115: After pit stops, Kevin Harvick leads Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher. Ryan Blaney fell to seventh after a slow pit stop.
4:35 p.m., Lap 110: Christopher Bell has officially retired from the race.
“The wheel is straight. But it’s killed.” @CBellRacing
The 20 is out of the race and will go behind the wall.
4:34 p.m., Lap 109: 🟡 Caution No. 2. Championship contender Christopher Bell has crashed, making heavy contact with the wall after a brake failure. That’s the end of the day —— and the season —— for the No. 20.
4:32 p.m., Lap 107: Ryan Blaney has caught and passed William Byron for third place. He’s the first Championship 4 driver to pass the No. 24 today.
4:28 p.m., Lap 99: Kyle Larson’s going backwards (not literally). He’s fallen back to seventh, losing three spots since the restart. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney’s on a mission; he’s climbed to fourth.
4:25 p.m., Lap 93: Lead change! Kevin Harvick, making his final NASCAR start, has just passed William Byron for the top spot; it’s the first time Byron has been toppled all race. With nine wins at Phoenix, Harvick’s really good in the desert. Must be something about those cacti.
4:22 pm., Lap 86: Christopher Bell has made his way past Ryan Blaney for fifth, and he’s got his sights set next on Kyle Larson. Still the William Byron show up front.
4:15 p.m., Lap 71: Here come the championship contenders! Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell have already gained three spots apiece on the restart; they’re now running back-to-back in fifth and sixth, just behind Kyle Larson.
4:13 p.m., Lap 68: 🟢 Green flag is back in the air to start Stage 2; time to fan out and use the whole track. William Byron leads.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
4:12 p.m., Lap 67: Stage 2 is quite a bit longer than the first stage —— 125 laps to Stage 1’s 60 laps. A pit stop will be necessary for drivers to complete this stage.
4:09 p.m., Lap 64: The first pit stops of the day have just taken place. Seems things were pretty clean for our Championship 4. Kyle Larson moved up to fourth, and Ryan Blaney jumped two spots to eighth.
4:05 p.m., Lap 60: 🟡 Caution No. 1. William Byron holds off Kevin Harvick for the Stage 1 win as the duo slices through lapped traffic. Any other week, the stage win would have meant a playoff point for Byron, but, well, we’ve reached the end of the playoffs so those don’t really apply today. Kyle Larson ended the stage fifth, Christopher Bell was ninth, and Ryan Blaney made his way up to 10th.
4:03 p.m., Lap 57: Happy’s still got it. Kevin Harvick is right on the bumper of leader William Byron as the end of Stage 1 draws near.
3:56 p.m., Lap 44: 📉 Kyle Larson has lost another spot, now to Ross Chastain for fourth. 📈 Christopher Bell has moved up to ninth.
3:54 p.m., Lap 40: Bubba Wallace has moved past Kyle Larson for third position. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell has cracked the top 10.
3:47 p.m., Lap 26: It’s really early, but it’s all William Byron up front so far. Kevin Harvick is about a second behind the No. 24. Kyle Larson runs third, while Christopher Bell is 12th and Ryan Blaney runs 14th. It’s been a slow start for the latter two, but I wouldn’t worry yet.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
3:45 p.m., Lap 20: Todd Gilliland started an impressive 14th, but he’s fallen deep in the field to 28th. Seems that No. 38 car is not handling as well as it was yesterday.
3:39 p.m., Lap 8: Follow along with the live leaderboard on Race Center, and watch live in-car cameras this afternoon with NASCAR Drive.
3:35 p.m., Lap 1: 🟢 Green flag is in the air! In 312 laps, we’ll have a new NASCAR Cup Series champion.
3:30 p.m.: Cars are pacing and ready to roll. Stage 1 is 60 laps.
3:24 p.m.: Thank you, dignitaries. Engines have been fired!
3:15 p.m.: Pre-race ceremonies are underway (including an absolutely flawless performance of the national anthem by the United States Air Force Band Singing Sergeants). Get to NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App or Peacock now.
2:58 p.m.: The Bill France Cup is right there. If it weren’t so heavy, one of those drivers could just snag it right now.
2:55 p.m.: Nikki Garcia is leading driver introductions. It’s all getting real now.
2:37 p.m.: There’s a new millionaire in Phoenix! Among four finalists who won a VIP trip to NASCAR Championship Weekend as part of the NASCAR Powerball Playoff, Stephanie Walker of Mississippi was the lucky winner of the $1 million grand prize drawing. Congratulations, Stephanie!
2:24 p.m.: Brad Keselowski, who simply tweeted “#BoyDad” last night, has returned to Phoenix and he’ll drive his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford today. Cole Custer qualified the car yesterday … and then proceeded to win the Xfinity Series championship.
2:10 p.m.: Here’s my final Fantasy Live lineup for the season. Hopefully you saved your picks for Championship 4 drivers for Phoenix. We’ll see if this squad can elevate me from 12th out of 43 in my league. (Here’s hoping for a top 10, at least.) Debating a last-second swap of Joey Logano for Kevin Harvick in the garage, but the clock is ticking.
2:02 p.m.: Lots of talk about the Championship 4 and the retiring Kevin Harvick today, but let’s hear it for Aric Almirola, who’s making his final start with Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series today.
2:00 p.m.: It’s all about the Bill France Cup. Soon, it’ll belong to Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney or William Byron. Beautiful trophy, wouldn’t you say?
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
10:10 a.m.: Good morning! When the sun sets this evening (maybe an hour earlier than you’re used to if you set your clocks back for Daylight Saving Time), the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be crowned. Don’t forget to set your Fantasy Live lineup for the final time this year, and make your last selections for the Playoffs Grid Challenge. If you’re looking for some reading to pass the time until 3 p.m. ET, do check out the what to watch guide from our colleague Kobe Lambeth.
Saturday, November 4
6:10 p.m.: The next time the Cup Series cars hit the track, they’ll be racing for a championship (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App, Peacock). Everybody will be following William Byron. For tonight, though, the focus shifts to the stars of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Among Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemecheck, one will emerge with the championship trophy (7 p.m. ET, USA Network).
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
5:51 p.m.: Nope! William Byron has earned the pole position and he’ll roll off first for tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Martin Truex Jr. will start alongside him, and Kevin Harvick will start third in his final race. Kyle Larson starts fourth, Christopher Bell qualified 13th, and Ryan Blaney will roll off 15th.
5:50 p.m.: Ross Chastain is the final qualifier in NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season. Does he have enough for William Byron’s lap?
5:45 p.m.: Well, he went for it! Tyler Reddick got out of shape on his qualifying lap and slapped the outside wall just before the start-finish line. There’s a bit of damage and an obvious scuff on the No. 45’s right-rear corner. Reddick also spun out in qualifying last week at Martinsville.
5:41 p.m.: Kevin Harvick couldn’t quite knock William Byron off the pole. After five cars, the nine-time Phoenix winner is second fastest.
5:39 p.m.: William Byron has completed his lap, and his 27.150-second lap toppled Larson’s quick time. Regardless of qualifying position, he’ll earn the first Championship 4 pit selection. History says that’s good news for the No. 24.
5:37 p.m.: Kyle Larson, second car out, puts down a 27.191-second lap. William Byron will make his lap after Bubba Wallace, who’s on track right now.
5:32 p.m.: Time to see who wins the final pole position of 2023 among the 10 drivers who’ve advanced to the final round of qualifying. (And, yes, Kevin Harvick could still do it!)
5:27 p.m.: Looks like Christopher Bell will start 13th tomorrow, while Ryan Blaney will start 15th. The qualifying efforts for these two also mean their Hendrick Motorsports counterparts William Byron and Kyle Larson will earn the first two pit selections among the Championship 4. It could make a difference tomorrow.
5:24 p.m.: Well, C-Bell is in good company. Fellow Championship 4 driver Ryan Blaney posts an eighth-quickest time and also won’t advance to the final round of qualifying. Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Preece will transfer from Group B.
5:22 p.m.: Christopher Bell will not advance to the final round of qualifying; he’s seventh of 17 in Group B.
4:59 p.m.: Kyle Larson, the last Group A car to take the track, posts the fourth-quickest lap of the group. Kevin Harvick, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Larson and Erik Jones will join the five fastest from the upcoming Group B to go for the pole.
4:56 p.m.: William Byron wraps up his first-round qualifying run just a tick off Kevin Harvick’s time: a 27.074 to Harvick’s 27.067.
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR
4:51 p.m.: Kevin Harvick is on track for his final qualifying session. He’s fastest of the 12 Group A cars so far. Six cars remain in the group, and he’ll need to remain in the top five to advance to the final round of qualifying.
4:43 p.m.: Cole Custer is qualifying Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 car this afternoon. Per the team, Keselowski’s out of the car due to his wife, Paige, going into labor. Custer qualified fifth of the seven cars so far.
4:35 p.m.: Qualifying has begun! The first few cars on track in Group A seem to have some grip issues; we’ll see how it impacts our championship contenders later. Follow along with our Race Center leaderboard.
4:30 p.m.: How about we set the lineup for the championship race? Cue the dramatic music. (Really, though. It’s on the TV broadcast. Love it, USA Network.)
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
1:20 p.m.: Well, we’re now one day closer to crowning the Cup Series champion. Qualifying takes place this afternoon at 4:35 p.m. ET, airing on USA Network.
Friday, November 3
9:05 p.m.: That’s it for the Cup Series on the track until qualifying tomorrow at 4:35 p.m. ET. Next up tonight at the track is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race, where Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar or Ben Rhodes will lift the championship trophy (10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
9:03 p.m.: Practice is in the books. Kyle Busch set the fastest lap, a 27.520-second circuit. Of the Championship 4 drivers, Ryan Blaney was third fastest, just ahead of Christopher Bell in fourth, followed by seventh-quickest William Byron and 11th-fastest Kyle Larson. If we’re talking 10-lap averages, it’s Bell (first), Blaney (second), Byron (third) and Larson (11th).
8:58 p.m.: Kevin Harvick has just completed his final NASCAR practice session; he’s 12th quickest. We’re saying goodbye to a handful of familiar sights this weekend.
8:53 p.m.: Kyle Larson, currently 10th fastest in practice, has been pushing the limits with the outside wall.
Setting up for Turn 1 a couple of laps ago, #Championship4 contender Kyle Larson got centimeters from the outside wall.
Not sure if he actually touched it, but certainly pushing the limits on how he can arch his entry into the flatter end of the race track. #NASCAR
8:37 p.m.: AJ Allmendinger has gone for a spin after contact with Kyle Busch. There’s some minor visible damage on Allmendinger’s No. 16 car, but it doesn’t look like anything that’ll ruin the weekend for either team.
8:20 p.m.: After 15 minutes, Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace are quickest, followed by championship contenders Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson are seventh- and eighth-fastest so far.
8:00 p.m.: Let’s practice for the final time in 2023. The teams get 50 minutes to dial in their cars, then they’ll qualify tomorrow (4:35 p.m. ET). We should get a good idea of who’s got what for the weekend. Follow along with our Race Center leaderboard.
7:45 p.m.: Hard to believe we’ll know the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion in about 48 hours from now! The weekend schedule is chock-full of racing action. The Cup Series hits the track at 8 p.m. ET for practice, just before the Craftsman Truck Series championship race.
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final Cup Series practice session of 2023 at Phoenix Raceway, posting a single lap of 130.814 mph.
The early edge among the Championship 4 participants goes to Ryan Blaney, who put down the fastest single lap of the title contenders with a 130.425 mph circuit around the 1-mile oval and showed long-run speed as the No. 12 Team Penske Ford was quickest in 15 and 20 consecutive lap average.
Christopher Bell was just behind Blaney as he was fourth overall in practice with a 130.378 mph single-lap time and has the short-run speed landing the fastest five and ten consecutive lap average in Friday evening’s 50-minute session.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson were a tad slower than the aforementioned. Byron landed seventh on the board with a 130.011 mph lap, while Larson was the only Championship 4 driver outside the top 10 with a 129.847 mph circuit around the track.
Byron posted top-five average times in five, 10, 15 and 20 consecutive laps. Larson was only 10th in 10 consecutive lap average and outside the top 10 in the 15 consecutive lap chart, but posted the eighth-best 20 consecutive lap average.
Non-title contenders Bubba Wallace (130.676 mph), Ross Chastain (130.378 mph), Joey Logano (130.072 mph), Tyler Reddick (130.011 mph), Ty Gibbs (129.959 mph) and Brad Keselowski (129.847 mph) were top 10 in practice.
In the final practice session of his career, Kevin Harvick was 12th with a 129.833 mph lap.
Championship 4 breakdown
Christopher Bell
Fastest lap: 130.378 mph (Second among Championship 4)
10-lap average: 129.600 mph (1st)
What crew chief Adam Stevens said: “Yeah, we unloaded pretty close this time. That was good. Had decent short-run speed, decent long-run speed. We made a couple of changes and they both seemed to improve the car. I mean, it was very important (to be toward the top of the practice board). I don’t know if it was more important because we’ve never led a lap. I don’t think we’re going to win this thing if we don’t lead laps. We just started so far off last time that we had a lot of ground to cover to even get in the mix. Starting closer just puts you in a lot better position. We don’t have to make big changes, we think, to be balanced, fast on Sunday. Starting a lot closer this time.”
Ryan Blaney
Fastest lap: 130.425 mph (First among Championship 4)
10-lap average: 129.514 mph (2nd)
What crew chief Jonathan Hassler said: “I think the stock I’ll take into that (Blaney’s consecutive lap average speed) is Ryan Blaney gets around Phoenix really, really well. There’s never been a time here that we haven’t had speed, at least short-run speed in our car. I think the challenge for us as a team is to put a car under him that will hang on through a long run.”
William Byron
Fastest lap: 130.011 mph (Third among Championship 4)
10-lap average: 129.178 mph (3rd)
What crew chief Rudy Fugle said: “It went solid. I think we fought some problems — actually, I hope to find things that I think are fixable for Sunday. Excited about that. I thought we got better by the end of practice compared to where we started, which is always a good thing. We have a good spot to go work on it. I think we got a shot.”
Kyle Larson
Fastest lap: 129.847 mph (Last among Championship 4)
10-lap average: 128.767 mph (10th)
What crew chief Cliff Daniels said: “We had to work on our car a little bit. Hard to tell being in practice. I don’t know exactly what happened. I want to say from probably hitting the apron our diffuser fell down the first run, so the car was super unhooked the first run. Kind of spooked us, so we had to sit there and look things over and check it all out. Then for the second run and beyond, we kind of had a normal race car. From what I could tell, everybody’s fighting. Rear grip on entry really both ends. Heard a lot of guys talking about that. Same is the case for us.”
AVONDALE, Ariz. – In the annual state-of-the-sport press conference on Friday at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR President Steve Phelps anticipated the two questions of greatest interest to the broad range of NASCAR stakeholders and fans.
Phelps gave an update on negotiations for media rights, with current agreements with FOX Sports and NBC ending after the 2024 season. NASCAR already has secured a stand-alone deal for its Xfinity Series broadcasts with the CW Network.
“Our media rights, the amount of interest in attaining our media rights for ’25 and beyond, exceeded our expectations,” Phelps said. “It is our expectation that, not only having a great result with the CW with our Xfinity Series and what’s going to be an incredible 33-race schedule on broadcast television, we believe that we’re going to have a very strong result with media partners that will look at a combination of broadcast, cable and streaming to some degree.
“What that looks like, I don’t know. Are we getting towards the end of this process? We are. Did I think we would have a result earlier? I did. But we haven’t. It’s an incredibly competitive marketplace. With that said, I want to assure all our race fans, anyone who is listening, certainly the media corps here, we have had tremendous interest in our sport from a media rights standpoint.”
Before taking questions from reporters, Phelps addressed the charter agreements with the NASCAR Cup Series teams. Like the media rights, the 36 charters awarded by NASCAR are up for renewal after the 2024 season.
Though Phelps didn’t discuss specifics of the charter negotiations, he emphasized that NASCAR’s aim is to make sure their value grows in a competitive environment where attendance at NASCAR races is growing (50 percent more sell-outs this year than last) and broadcast viewership is on the rise from earlier in the season (when an uncharacteristic number of rain delays played havoc with the schedule).
“If you think about race teams, what do they want?” Phelps asked rhetorically. “They want to be competitive on the racetrack, they want to make sure they’re break-even or profitable. As it relates to the charter specifically, they want to increase their enterprise value.
“I won’t get into numbers where we stand from an enterprise value standpoint, but when the charters change hands at the end of the year, we know at least one will, there will be a significant multiple that race teams will have from a charter enterprise value standpoint.”
NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell highlighted the success of NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup car, both in terms of safety and enhancement of competition.
Through ongoing testing and development, the safety of the car has improved significantly in its second year in the series.
“We had two really, really severe incidents this year,” O’Donnell said. “That car held up. We were able to learn from that. As I’ve said, will repeatedly say, I think everyone on our team will say, it’s an endless journey for us.
“We want to be on the forefront of safety. We are going to continue to learn. When we find something, we’re going to implement it and react. Proud of the group and the effort.”
Statistically, the NASCAR Cup Series has never been more competitive. In the first year of the Next Gen car, 19 different drivers won Cup races. The 2023 season has seen a continuing broad division of success.
“(We) wanted to see continued excellence on the race track in terms of the number of drivers that are able to win, and probably even more importantly, the number of organizations that were going out and being able to compete, not have a fluke win, but really compete for race wins race-in and race-out,” O’Donnell said.
“You’re seeing 23XI, Roush (Fenway Keselowski) Racing, Trackhouse, JTG go out there and really have a shot to compete. We saw 15 different winners (through 35 of 36 races). Ten of the 16 organizations won a race this year. That’s incredible. The OEMs have all been represented. All three OEMs are in our (Championship 4).”
Work continues on the short-track and road-course competition packages for the Cup car. O’Donnell said NASCAR intends to test shifting and aerodynamic changes to enhance competition on those venues.
Another point of emphasis was the growth of the sport through the participation of all stakeholders, including the drivers themselves.
“I think for us, our drivers are fantastic,” Phelps said. “They’re interesting. They’re heroes when they get into the race car. We need to expose them in a greater way to both existing fans, nurturing that relationship with the existing fans, and future fans.
“How do you do that? One of the ways we can do that is we have a brand-new production facility that we’re building out in Concord next to our R&D facility, which will have two main components to it. It will be kind of the live broadcast component, then something we call NASCAR Studios, which is essentially content.
“We think the opportunity to create content, interesting content, whether it’s short form or series like what we’re doing with Netflix or whatever that may be, to serve fans where they are is an important component to it.”
As the 2024 season unfolds and the 2025 schedule develops, NASCAR will continue to look at the possibility of international expansion for the Cup Series. The sanctioning body has already had discussions with Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, which hosts the annual Canadian Grand Prix F1 race.
“As we continued to talk in Montreal, we probably realized (it was) a little quick to be able to make that happen,” O’Donnell said. “In the meantime, there’s been a lot of discussions in other areas not only in the U.S. but other opportunities in North America and outside the U.S.
“For us, it was a little bit of a pause and let’s evaluate all those opportunities together, look at what’s in the best interest of all of our fans for ’25 and beyond to make sure that we put the most exciting schedule together possible.”
NASCAR unveiled the new NASCAR Speed Hub Phoenix on Roblox Friday ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
The Phoenix Speed Hub is a new, event-themed experience on the platform that replaces the NASCAR Speed Hub Chicago experience on Roblox, with ample new additions to the game and even an appearance from a legendary NASCAR driver. The hub features a multitude of new and updated features and serves as a digital reimagining to celebrate the highly anticipated conclusion of NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary at Phoenix Raceway.
Key Features
Before the final celebration of NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary this weekend, the Phoenix Speed Hub has new features that pay tribute to the history of the sport. The new critical elements of the hub include a reimagined map designed of the premier sports entertainment facility, Phoenix Raceway, which has been a staple track to the NASCAR Cup Series since 1988. The life-like features of Phoenix Raceway even include the Estrella Mountains, which serve as a desert backdrop.
Players can choose between three distinct courses to race, including a replica of the famous tri-oval at Phoenix Raceway and two tracks that take players through newly reimagined areas of Phoenix. For a unique game experience, players can celebrate like their favorite driver and do donuts at the base of the Estrella Mountains. Players can also visit the famous Rattlesnake Hill in NASCAR Speed Hub Phoenix.
The hub will also feature leaderboards for best lap time, allowing players to see exactly how they stack up with their opponents online. The hub also keeps track of players who have done the most donuts and run the quickest track time through legacy lap time.
A new edition to the Speed Hub is that one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers and 2-time Daytona 500 winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will provide an expansive onboarding experience for players, highlighting all the key features and welcoming them to the NASCAR Speed Hub Phoenix.
With this new update, players can customize their race day look to perfection with newly expanded car customization, allowing players a variety of choices to design their cars with different colors, patterns, and numbers to create unique paint schemes.
In addition to customizing cars, players will once again be able to visit merch haulers featuring collectible UGC (avatar clothing items) for sale (price WIP). Players will also have a chance to earn weekly collectibles and limited UGC items that are quest-based, allowing players to acquire new items the more they play and complete different in-game challenges.
Enjoy the thrills of the Roblox world and tune in to see the real-world stars hit the track in Phoenix, culminating with the Cup Series season finale event, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
(⏰ Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, Peacock | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, the 36th and final points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.
Cup Series
💪Championship 4 drivers: Kyle Larson, William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell
📍 Location: Avondale, Arizona 📐 Track length: 1 mile 💰 Cup Series race purse: $11,143,232 📏 Race distance: 312 laps | 312 miles 🔢 Stages: 60 | 185 | 312 📋 Starting lineup: Byron on pole for Championship race
🚗 Pit stall assignments: Where drivers will pit on Sunday
Key things to watch 🔑
Friday and Saturday’s sessions
Championship 4 drivers Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell had the advantage during Friday evening’s 50-minute practice sessions, but couldn’t back it up in Saturday’s qualifying. Those two will start outside the top 10 on Sunday with Bell rolling off 13th and Blaney in 15th. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron will start at the front as Byron grabbed the Busch Light Pole Award and the all-important No. 1 pit stall at Phoenix Raceway. Larson will start fourth | Read qualifying recap
Big story line
In his first Championship 4 appearance, is Ryan Blaney ready for his one shining moment?
Blaney had never made it past the Round of 8 until now in his seventh playoff appearance. It truly feels like the 29-year-old High Point, North Carolina, native took the next step in his NASCAR Cup Series career. Exiting the previous round riding a hot streak, Blaney finished sixth at Las Vegas, a career-best finish of second place at Homestead, and sailed to Victory Lane in last Sunday’s elimination race at Martinsville. Getting two wins in the last five races certainly gives the Team Penske driver quite a bit of momentum heading into the championship decider.
His performances in the last two races have been championship-worthy and moments everyone may look back on if the driver of the No. 12 Ford ends up winning his first Cup Series title. Sunday’s trip to the “Valley of the Sun” will be the most important race of Blaney’s life. With six consecutive top-10 finishes at Phoenix, expect another strong drive in the championship race as Blaney seeks to deliver his one shining moment in the desert. | Inside the Race: Ryan Blaney’s Phoenix advantage
History tells us…
The final showdown for the 2023 title is anyone’s game.
Kyle Larson, William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell make up the youngest Championship 4 in Cup Series Playoffs history at 28 years, 11 months and 25 days. The only past series champion is Larson (2021), who makes his second Championship 4 appearance and hopes to go two-for-two with it all on the line.
Also making it to the final round for the second time is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell. He is the only driver from 2022 to return to the Championship 4.
Hendrick Motorsports will have two drivers representing the powerhouse Chevrolet team with Larson and Byron, who is in his first Championship 4 appearance. Team Penske’s Blaney joins Byron in the first-timers club. When evaluating each driver’s stats at Phoenix, there is no clear favorite. The average finishes at the 1-mile oval are very close between Larson (11.72), Byron (11.91) and Blaney (11.93). Bell is the sole outlier with an average finish of 14.43.
Now, evaluating each driver’s record in Arizona, 2021 Cup Series champion Larson has eight finishes of ninth or better in the last nine Phoenix races, including the win in the season finale to conclude his championship-winning season. If Larson becomes a two-time series champion on Sunday, he will join Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as the third Hendrick driver to win multiple titles.
Byron is the winner of the Phoenix spring race from earlier in the year and is riding a hot streak in the desert, with two straight finishes of sixth or better. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet also earned five top 10s in the last seven races here. Byron certainly hopes to give team owner Rick Hendrick his 15th Cup Series title.
Blaney will try to give “The Captain” his fourth Cup Series title among three drivers after Joey Logano (2018, 2022) and Brad Keselowski (2012) collected the first three. Meanwhile, in Bell’s seven career Phoenix starts, the JGR driver earned four top 10s in the last five races and got a career-best finish of sixth earlier this year in the spring race. Unlike the other three drivers competing for the title, Bell is the only one who has never led a single lap here in Cup Series competition.
To paint a more clear picture, we ranked all four Championship 4 drivers in 15 key categories and used the results to establish a favorite. | See the results
NASCAR Creative Design
He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…
Kevin Harvick. After a long Cup Series career that lasted for over two decades, it all comes down to the final 312 laps. Being the young kid from Bakersfield, California, who had the weight of the world placed on his shoulders by taking Dale Earnhardt’s spot at Richard Childress Racing in 2001, to putting together a Hall of Fame career, imagine if Harvick wins his final Cup Series start on Sunday. As the 2014 Cup Series champion hangs up the helmet after the checkered flag, coming to one of his best tracks provides a great opportunity for a potential storybook ending in Phoenix Victory Lane. Although history suggests a Championship 4 driver will probably win the race, do not count out Harvick to seal the deal in “The Closer’s” last act before taking a final bow.
His odds of winning the Phoenix season finale have improved to 5-1 after practice and qualifying this weekend. Flashing back to the spring race earlier this year, Harvick was in prime position to win until a late-race caution cost him a visit to Victory Lane. The 47-year-old California native has a remarkable streak of finishing ninth or better in 20 consecutive Phoenix races. Look for this streak to continue on Sunday, but getting one more Cup Series win before riding off into the sunset in a mic drop moment would truly be a special moment for the sport.
To truly encapsulate Harvick’s career, we spoke with all four crew chiefs who won a NASCAR Cup Series race with him. | See their stories
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Advance Through the Playoffs: Racing Insights projects the final race results | Read article
• Notes from the track: What to expect in the Phoenix title race | Watch video
• The Action Network: Best bet for Sunday’s championship race | Read article
• At-track photos: Sights and scenes from Phoenix Championship Weekend | Photos • End of season goodbyes: See what comes to an end after Phoenix | Read more • Fantasy Fastlane: Ryan Blaney is hot at the right time, one last Phoenix hoorah for Kevin Harvick | See fantasy tips • Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for Phoenix | Pick a favorite • Power Rankings: How all 12 Championship 4 drivers stack up| Latest driver rankings • Silly Season: Catch up on driver, team changes | Read more 💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub
Catch the pack 💨
Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up this weekend’s finales.
• Championship 4 roundtable: Hear from the four drivers going for the 2023 Cup title before the big race | Watch here
• Crew chiefs speak: Kevin Harvick’s crew chiefs reflect on his career and lasting legacy | Read more
• New Body: Ford unveils Mustang Dark Horse for 2024 Cup Series campaign | Read more
• Twenty-Four: Rick Hendrick discusses the possibility of the No. 24 car winning another championship | Watch here
Fast facts ⏩
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• The No. 12 car has never won a championship in the Cup Series, while Nos. 5, 20 and 24 have combined to win eight championships.
• Christopher Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens is making his seventh Championship 4 appearance (two with Bell and five with Kyle Busch), which is most of all Cup Series crew chiefs.
• For the first time since Tony Stewart and Gene Haas formed Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009, SHR may have its first winless season in the Cup Series if they do not find Victory Lane at Phoenix.
