Posted on by RJ Kraft

Race No. 4 of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is here and it’s time to set those Fantasy Live lineups for Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). What six drivers should comprise your lineup?

RELATED: Phoenix lineup | Fantasy preview coming into Phoenix | How to play Fantasy Live

RJ Kraft’s race-day lineup for Phoenix:
1-Ryan Blaney (used once)
2-Denny Hamlin
3-William Byron (used twice)
4-Aric Almirola
5-Kevin Harvick
Garage: Kyle Larson (used once)

Next in line: Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott

Analysis: I’ve added Blaney, Hamlin and Byron into my lineup. Blaney is on the pole, had the most points here last year and was second in 10-, 15-, 20- and 30-lap averages (h/t@P2Inc). Hamlin has a strong history at Phoenix and is bound to nab his first top 10 at one of his best tracks. Byron was atop the 10-lap average board and was in the top three for 15- and 20-lap averages (h/t@P2Inc).

Almirola has not finished outside the top six in the last five races dating back to last year and this has become a solid track for him. He also seems to have a car built for the long run based on practice times, yet he qualified really well. Harvick also has a car built for the long run with the fourth-best 20-lap average (h/t@P2Inc) and his record here is unmatched.

I debated bailing on Larson with the news from Hendrick Motorsports that he will be dropping to the rear but he started from the rear at Auto Club and won (and I bailed on him there). So I will not be doing that again.

Elliott and Truex didn’t qualify well and Elliott’s 10-lap times weren’t too impressive so I am electing to save the uses there. Logano and Cindric were solid considerations for me based on lap averages, but I like what I have now too much to make a switch.

Featured Matchup bonus picks
Denny Hamlin vs. Martin Truex Jr.: Both drivers have solid Phoenix records of late but I’m going to take Hamlin because I simply don’t think he will continue to be this snake-bitten this year at one of his best tracks. The pick: Hamlin

Kevin Harvick vs. Brad Keselowski: Harvick’s Phoenix track record is extremely hard to go against with nine wins and he’s never finished outside of the top nine here with Stewart-Haas Racing. Keselowski has nice desert numbers but I’m not picking against the “Cactus King.” The pick: Harvick.

Alex Bowman vs. Christopher Bell: Bell notched top 10s in both races here in 2021, while Bowman has one top 10 here from 2016 and no finish better than 13th since then at this track. The pick: Bell

Aric Almirola vs. Ross Chastain: Almirola has steadily worked his way through the field for top-six finishes in all three races to start the season and he has five top-six finishes in a row dating back to last season. Chastain had a really nice third-place run last week at Las Vegas but I just think Almirola is the more consistent driver. The pick: Almirola

Posted on by Terrin Waack

AVONDALE, Ariz. — The results sheet alone makes it look like Trevor Bayne had a clean race Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

Bayne started from the pole position, won Stage 1 on Lap 45, crossed fourth as Stage 2 concluded on Lap 90 and ultimately finished fourth when the checkered flag waved come Lap 200.

In reality, Bayne managed to overcome a pass-through penalty that put him at the back of the pack after getting caught speeding on pit road before the final stage even went live.

“I’m sick in my stomach that I didn’t win with that race car,” Bayne said. “That was by far the best race car I’ve ever been in. Drove from dead last to fourth in a 100-lap green-flag run. Never got a caution to really recover. We were hoping for it. I was screaming about debris, making it up as I went, trying to get a caution so we could restart. Because I felt like we have by far the best car.

“But man, it’s a weird thing to come back and be disappointed with fourth. I’m kind of like trying to remind myself to be thankful to be here. But when you have a car that good, you want to be where Noah is right now.”

PHOENIX: Official Xfinity race results | Noah Gragson wins | At-track gallery

That would be in Victory Lane. Noah Gragson won the United Rentals 200, his first victory of 2022.

Brandon Jones was runner-up, with Josh Berry in third. John Hunter Nemechek turned out fifth.

“We’re gonna clean up pit road,” Bayne said, “and our cars are definitely race-winning cars.”

Bayne is working in a part-time role with Joe Gibbs Racing. The deal began two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway, where he also placed fourth. It originally included seven races but now stands at eight, as Bayne confirmed Atlanta Motor Speedway has been added to the mix.

That’s next Saturday already — the Nalley Cars 250, 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM.

“In December, I didn’t know if I’d ever race again,” Bayne said. “To get these eight races is like extra innings. Man, I feel like I’m getting to do something I love again and I haven’t really thought past that because I want to make the best of these eight races.”

RELATED: Trevor Bayne returns part-time with Joe Gibbs Racing

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Noah Gragson started the year so close to winning but kept falling short.

He was third at Daytona before consecutive runner-up finishes at Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The No. 9 Chevrolet was finally able to burn it down in Phoenix — literally.

Gragson led a race-high 114 of 200 laps to clinch his first win of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

Gragson, now a six-time Xfinity Series winner, made the final pass for the lead with 14 laps to go after rallying past Brandon Jones after the final round of green-flag pit stops and remains the series points leader.

MORE: Official results | Phoenix at-track photos

In typical Gragson fashion, the celebration was one for the ages. The 23-year-old ripped donuts around Phoenix’s front stretch, sending smoke and rubber flying through the Arizona air. One tire chunk caught fire while Gragson was celebrating. Always the entertainer, Gragson used the makeshift campfire to warm his hands before climbing the catch fence with his JR Motorsports crew members.

“Caught the track on fire, which was awesome,” Gragson told FOX Sports. “But the pit crew executed great. This team has been on a roll so far this year, all top-three finishes in the first four races. I can’t thank everybody enough for all their hard work and try and keep it going.”

The final 100 laps of Saturday’s race went green, forcing green-flag pit stops to begin with roughly 40 laps to go. Jones short-pitted, coming to the attention of his crew two laps prior to Gragson in an attempt to leap-frog the leader. The strategy worked to perfection and he jumped out to a 1.2-second lead after trailing Gragson by over two seconds.

Gragson, though, tracked down the No. 19 Toyota and made the winning pass at Lap 187.

Only two cautions were displayed for on-track incidents Saturday. The first flew at Lap 22 when Riley Herbst lost brakes entering Turn 3. His brake pedal went to the floor and the No. 98 Ford snapped around, backing hard into the outside wall and ending the team’s day.

The second came at Lap 56 when Ty Gibbs was the recipient of left-rear contact from Josh Berry, sending the No. 54 Toyota sideways and spinning in front of traffic to start Stage 2. The field avoided Gibbs, and he rallied to finish sixth.

Stage 1 ended with a rousing photo finish between Gragson and polesitter Trevor Bayne. Gragson maintained the lead exiting Turn 2, but Bayne got a strong run and dove to Gragson’s left entering Turn 3. Bayne’s No. 18 fired into the corner and got just the run he needed to beat Gragson to the line by 0.008 seconds for the stage win, his second of 2022.

The finish of Stage 2 was far less dramatic — at least for the stage victory. As Gragson stormed away with the advantage, Jones and Justin Allgaier battled side-by-side with Bayne hot on their heels for second place. In the outside lane, Allgaier found the right momentum through the resin and edged Jones by 0.03 seconds for the spot.

Allgaier, who qualified 24th, was one of three JR Motorsports cars that started from the rear after making unapproved adjustments following qualifying, joining teammates Berry and Sam Mayer. Allgaier rocketed through the field, finishing sixth in the first stage and second in Stage 2.

Heading into the final round of pit stops, Allgaier was well inside the top five. But a pit-road penalty at Lap 165 for removing equipment from his stall forced the No. 7 car back to the pits for a pass-through penalty. The infraction destroyed his opportunity to win the race, but Allgaier did manage to hold on for a 10th-place finish, his 16th consecutive finish inside the top 10.

Behind Gragson and Jones were Berry, Bayne and John Hunter Nemechek. Rounding out the top 10 — and lead-lap drivers — were Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill and Allgaier.

Note: Inspection is complete in the Xfinity Series garage, confirming Noah Gragson as the race winner. The Nos. 18 and 19 each had one lug nut not safe and secure. There were no other issues.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Austin Cindric has gotten a good feel for the Next Gen car, figuratively and literally.

The Cup Series rookie won the brand-new whip’s first race of the season at Daytona International Speedway. He then earned the pole award at Auto Club Speedway for the second race. And on Saturday, he topped the practice leaderboard at Phoenix Raceway in preparation for the fourth race.

As for the third race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, well, proof of this feeling isn’t stats-based.

“My right butt cheek was on fire after like two (practice) laps because I don’t have the muscle memory for this car,” Cindric said. “The reason I say that is because Xfinity (Series) cars or the previous generation car had more side force and more yaw in the corner, and your body is in a different position and you are bracing yourself in a different position. Things that are just easy muscle memory are now orientated much differently. It is like if you were to put your seat in a different spot.

“Those things are becoming more normal and that will continue to progress.”

PHOENIX: Weekend schedule | Paint schemes | Betting odds

That’s where the literal feel comes into play.

Cindric has finished first, 12th and 19th in the three races so far. Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 is set for 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN and SiriusXM). It’ll be Cindric’s first Cup Series race at the 1-mile Arizona track.

But at the Xfinity Series level, where he’ll forever be known as champion, Cindric has two victories in eight career starts. He claimed his championship in overtime at Phoenix during the 2020 season finale, leading 72 of the 206 laps. He then returned in March the next year and won again, this time owning the front spot for a race-high 199 of 200 regulation laps. Cindric came 0.03 seconds short of defending his title in 2021, falling second to Daniel Hemric in the last showdown. Even then, Cindric held P1 for a race-best 113 of 204 laps.

“That is pretty important to me this weekend,” Cindric said. “I am a big believer that we are still just driving cars on a race track. There are a lot of differences with the car and on the aero side, but it is still the same race track. Track-prep wise, it has perhaps evolved in a different way from the last time we were here and will continue to do so, but it is still the same race track. So, I am trying to subjugate the things that I have learned about this car versus the things I already know about the track.”

PHOENIX: Practice results | Starting lineup

Cindric will fire off eighth Sunday, his fourth straight start within the top 10. The No. 2 Team Penske Ford turned the second-fastest lap in Round 1 of qualifying — 27.359 seconds at 131.584 mph — and was a tick faster in Round 2 – 27.299 seconds at 131.873 mph. Teammate Ryan Blaney took the pole, 0.0582 seconds quicker than Cindric.

Qualifying came after practice, as the two sessions return in 2022 after a COVID-19 hiatus, and Cindric was the fastest in the tune-up laps. He circled in 27.462 seconds at 131.09 mph. That was 0.009 seconds quicker than Blaney, who was second.

“Every weekend I have been peaking in qualifying,” Cindric said, “so hopefully I didn’t peak in practice this week.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

AVONDALE, Ariz. — The importance of Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway isn’t misplaced. It has just been slightly redirected due to the Next Gen car.

Phoenix is still NASCAR’s championship site, and that’s still an important detail. It’s just, that’s also 32 race weekends away. Sunday’s race (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is only the fourth event on the schedule, and drivers are treating it as such.

“I obviously want to come back and have a purpose in November,” said Austin Cindric, who topped Saturday’s practice leaderboard. “But it is also the first short-track race we are going to.”

PHOENIX: Weekend schedule | Paint schemes | Betting odds

Cindric, from Team Penske, is one of three drivers already locked into the 2022 NASCAR Playoffs by virtue of a win (Daytona International Speedway). Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson (Auto Club Speedway) and Alex Bowman (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) join him.

2022 Aa Phx2
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

And Cindric has a point: Phoenix is indeed the first short track, at exactly a mile in length. Daytona was 2.5 miles, Auto Club was 2 miles, and Las Vegas was 1.5 miles. That means superspeedway and intermediate have been checked off the Next Gen to-do list, as the brand-new car slowly but surely continues to make its debut at each venue.

“It is really early,” said teammate Ryan Blaney, who earned the Busch Light Pole Award on Saturday. “My bigger concern is just trying to figure out this new car. It is really the first short track we’ve been to. The (Clash at the) Coliseum was kind of its own thing. This is a place you will be using the brakes pretty hard and things like that.”

PHOENIX: Practice results | Starting lineup

Said Cindric: “There will be a balance between what we learn this weekend and how much we are going to evolve as a sport and race teams by the time November comes around. All those things are in my head, and I think this is certainly a solid foundation for your notebook to start the year.”

The next short track on tap is Richmond Raceway (0.75 miles) immediately followed by another with Martinsville Speedway (0.526 miles) and Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533 miles), albeit the latter will be covered in dirt.

After Sunday, NASCAR won’t return to Phoenix until Nov. 6. It’s not the only repeat — Richmond and Martinsville are among the tracks that will be visited again — but it is the only place where a champion will be crowned.

The sport’s previous title location — Homestead-Miami Speedway for 18 years — didn’t have a regular-season show. Its sole race was the finale.

“We think about it, and I think about it for sure,” Joe Gibbs Racing pilot Denny Hamlin said. “I just make sure I do my part and give them the feedback they need to make the car better for when we come back.”

PHOENIX: Can Denny Hamlin turn 2022 around Sunday?

Screen Shot 2022 03 12 At 3.51.29 PmHamlin placed third in both Phoenix visits in 2021.

In fact, eight of the top-10 finishers in this first Phoenix race also finished top 10 in the second. Three of the top five were also top five, too. Three drivers, including Hamlin, actually matched their two runs — Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott with fifth and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell with ninth.

Unless the Next Gen car really does shake things up, Sunday’s results may sound familiar come season’s end in November.

“This is an important race,” Hamlin said. “Even though it’s early in the season, it’s the first real short track that we are going to. It’s going to create a big data point for us when we go to set up our cars for other race tracks, so it’s very, very important.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson will drop to the rear of the field ahead of the Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Hendrick Motorsports tweeted following Saturday’s qualifying session.

Larson, the most recent winner at Phoenix and defending Cup Series champion, was battling a steering issue despite qualifying seventh.

RELATED: Full lineup for Sunday’s race | Key story lines for Sunday

The team’s decision to fix the problem sends the No. 5 Chevrolet to the rear of the field. Larson won two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway after having to drop to the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment.

In addition to Larson, Harrison Burton (unapproved adjustments) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (engine change) will also drop to the rear. Burton, a rookie driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, was slated to start 24th. Stenhouse did not make a qualifying run as the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet team was starting the process to change engines and so he was slated to start last in the 36-car field.

Posted on by Bozi Tatarevic

Editor’s note: Bozi Tatarevic is a professional racing mechanic and pit crew member. He will provide technical analysis for NASCAR.com throughout the 2022 season.

The Next Gen car made its debut on a short track at the beginning of the year at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum but now it’s set to see its first points race on a shorter track and at higher speeds, so we’re going to see the cars put through their paces in close-quarters racing. Teams tested the Next Gen car at Phoenix back in January and practice today showed that data from the test is helping the drivers get a better handle on how to control the cars here compared to the spins we saw at that test.

RELATED: Ryan Blaney nabs pole position | Phoenix Cup lineup for Sunday

Brakeducts

One of the first items that looks different on the cars at Phoenix that we haven’t seen at the longer tracks is that the brake ducts on the front will be opened to allow for better brake cooling since the brakes will see a lot more use here than they do at the longer tracks. Each OEM has approved brake ducts zones where they are allowed to place up to two four-inch holes for the brake ducts on each side of the front bumper cover. Unlike the radiator grille, the brake duct inlets can be taped so teams can control the flow.

BrakecoolingThese ducts lead to the new larger brake package which should allow the drivers to brake with less effort compared to the previous generation car but will be a new experience because of the pedal now being moved to the floor. Drivers will likely make use of their dash-mounted brake bias dials as a handling tool in the race as these dials change the percentage of braking that is sent to the front versus the rear of the car.

RING AND PINION SETS

CONFIGURATION AA AB AC
Gear Set 11:35 11:39 9:39
Ratio 3.182 3.545 4.333

Outside of the brake bias, we’re also likely to see drivers making use of the shifter for that sequential gearbox as we saw quite a few of them going back and forth between fourth and fifth gear during practice. Phoenix uses the 11:39 “AB” gear set for the transaxle configuration which employs a 19:24 ratio drop gear and has a 3.545 ratio. This combination of ratios allows for both fourth and fifth gear to be usable on track here and allows the transaxle to be a tool especially as the tires wear.

The season has been exciting with a lot of different cars ending up out front at the races that we’ve seen so far and all of the new factors being introduced at a track like this will likely see that trend continuing which should make for an exciting race tomorrow (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for the Ruoff Mortgage 500 on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Blaney won the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway with a qualifying speed of 132.709 mph on Saturday.

Joining him on the front row will be Denny Hamlin, who had the fastest lap on the board until Blaney knocked him off as the final car on the track.

RELATED: Full Phoenix lineup | Weekend schedule for Phoenix 

“Really good MAYTAG Menards Ford Mustang all day, really,” Blaney told FOX Sports. “Good in race trim, was happy, obviously, with the speed in qualifying. I thought you were going to have to run a little quicker (in the second round) and I saw everyone not going as fast.

“I was like, ‘well, let me just try to hit the same lap I did (in the first round).’ I gave a little bit back off (Turn) 4 and that had me nervous, but (I) had enough cushion.”

Rounding out the top five behind Blaney and Hamlin were William Byron, last week’s pole sitter Christopher Bell and Aric Almirola.

Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric, Alex Bowman and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

Logano was first out in the second round of qualifying after clocking fifth-fastest in Group A but went for a slide off of Turn 4, contacting the outside wall and relegating him to the back of the top 10.

RELATED: Watch Joey Logano’s save in qualifying

Nine-time Phoenix winner Kevin Harvick will line up 16th, while defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. will start 20th.

Cindric, Blaney top practice sessions

Team Penske led the way in both Group A and Group B during practice Saturday afternoon, with Austin Cindric (131.090 mph) and Ryan Blaney (131.047 mph) fastest in their respective groups.

Chase Briscoe was third-fastest in Group A and sixth-fastest overall, but his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team discovered a cracked brake rotor after experiencing significant brake shake after their first run.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. posted the 18th-fastest lap overall in Saturday’s practice sessions but suffered an engine failure, citing a faulty valve spring as the culprit. The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet will start from the rear on Sunday.

Chase Elliott was fifth-quickest in Group A but only managed the seventh-fastest lap in the group’s qualifying session.

Teams were allotted 20 minutes of practice in their respective groups, the same format used two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway. The difference this week was an additional five minutes in their group session. At Las Vegas, all teams participated in one shared 35-minute session.

Posted on by Staff Report

Nine NASCAR Cup Series teams lost a crew member and pit selection for Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after failing pre-qualifying inspection twice on Saturday morning.

RELATED: Phoenix weekend schedule | See this weekend’s paint schemes

The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Tyler Reddick, the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford of Garrett Smithley, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch, the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Christopher Bell, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Todd Gilliland, the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Cole Custer, the No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet of Ty Dillon, the No. 43 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet of Erik Jones and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Landon Cassill were the teams with the inspection infractions.

Car chief David Alexander (No. 8 RCR Chevrolet), car chief Robert Valentinsen (No. 15 RWR Ford), car chief Nate Bellows (No. 18 JGR Toyota), car chief Chris Sherwood (No. 20 JGR Toyota), engineer Tony Raker (No. 38 Front Row Ford), car chief Tony Cardamone (No. 41 SHR Ford), car chief Cam Strader (No. 42 Petty GMS Chevrolet), engineer Danny Efland (No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet) and car chief JR Norris (No. 77 Spire Chevrolet) were the crew members ejected.