NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500
Phoenix Raceway Track Length: 1 Mile Asphalt Oval
Sunday, March 8 3:30 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 3 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 312 miles (312 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 185), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 312) The Purse: $11,233,037
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series GOVX 200
Phoenix Raceway Track Length: 1 Mile Asphalt Oval
Saturday, March 7 7:30 p.m. TV: CW, 6:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 200 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) The Purse: $1,653,590
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Darlington Raceway Track Length: 1.366 Mile Asphalt Oval
Friday, March 20 7:30 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 200.8 miles (147 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 147) The Purse: $839,700
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Thursday, March 5
ARCA Race: General Tire 150 (FS1 at 6 p.m. ET)
Friday, March 6
NOAPS Final Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 7 p.m. ET)
Saturday, March 7
NCS Final Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM at 12 p.m. ET)
NOAPS Race: GOVX 200 (CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, March 8
NCS Race: Straight Talk Wireless 500 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 3:30 p.m. ET)
Quick Track Facts & Insights: Phoenix
- Construction was completed on Phoenix Raceway in January of 1964. The facility was built in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains by
Richard Hogue, an amateur sports car racer. The motorsports complex originally consisted of a one-mile oval, a quarter mile drag strip and a 2.5- mile road course. - NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on November 6, 1988. Kulwicki debuted his now famous ‘Polish Victory Lap’ following the event.
- In 2011, Phoenix Raceway underwent its first repave and reconfiguration since 1990. The changes included widening the frontstretch, pushing the dog leg curve out 95 feet and implementing more banking in the turns and the dog leg.
- In 2018, Phoenix Raceway underwent a $178 million modernization of the race track; adding a variety of enhanced amenities for fans, teams, sponsors, and stakeholders.
- In 2020, Phoenix Raceway unveiled the newly remodeled entertainment space in the midway known as ‘The Barn’ which features a wooden bar with additional televisions, bistro lighting and games such as cornhole, pool, shuffleboard and NASCAR simulators for fans to enjoy.
- Did you know? Phoenix Raceway hosted the NASCAR Championship Race from 2020-2025.
NASCAR Cup Series
Dramatic Racing History
This will be the 60th Cup race held at Phoenix
Both Phoenix races last year had a last-lap pass for the win, the only races there to end with a last lap pass
11 Phoenix races ended in overtime (3rd most among all tracks), but only three in the last 17 races
Phoenix was the only track in 2025 with a margin of victory less than 0.100 seconds in multiple races
The final green flag stretch was 2 laps in both Phoenix races in 2025
Recent Winners and Patterns
There were six different winners in the eight Phoenix races in the NextGen era, Bell and Logano, with two each, are the only repeat winners
Christopher Bell won this Spring race the last two years The eventual winner finished in the top-three in stage 2 in each of the last seven Phoenix races
Record-Breaking Performances
A Phoenix Cup record 31 cars finished on the lead lap last November, breaking the previous track record of 29 set in November 2003
Denny Hamlin led 208 laps at Phoenix last November, the most since Kevin Harvick led 224 in March 2015, but finished the race in sixth
Hamlin led until final pit stops dropped him to 7th before overtime last fall
Consistent Top Performers
Five drivers finished top-10 in both Phoenix races in 2025: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Josh Berry, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin
Kyle Larson was the only driver to finish top-five In both Phoenix races in 2025, he finished in the top-five in the last three races there (the longest active streak)
ONES TO WATCH
HOT 🔥
Ryan Blaney
Won at Phoenix last November
Finished Top-two in five of the last seven Phoenix races
Finished Top-five in eight of the last nine Phoenix races
Finished Top-10 in 10 of the last 11 Phoenix races
5.9 average running position at Phoenix in the Next Gen car
HOT 🔥
William Byron
Won at Phoenix in March 2023 Average running position of 4.9 at Phoenix in the Next Gen car
Won a stage in five of the last eight Phoenix races
Finished top-10 in five of the last seven Phoenix races
HOT 🔥
Kyle Larson
Won at Phoenix in November 2021
Finished top-four in five of the last six Phoenix races
Three straight top-five finishes at Phoenix is the longest active streak
COLD 🥶
Chase Elliott
Never finished in the top-five at Phoenix in seven races in the Next Gen car
Only three top-10 finishes in the last seven Phoenix races
Ranked in the top-10 in points earned in only one of the last six Phoenix races
COLD 🥶
Chase Briscoe
Only one top-10 finish in the last five Phoenix races
Finished outside the top-15 in the last three Phoenix races
Only 65 laps raced in the top-five in the last six Phoenix races combined
SLEEPER 🛏️
Chris Buescher
Finished Phoenix best second in March 2024
Finished top-10 in four of the last five Phoenix races
Finished on the lead lap in the last eight Phoenix races
23XI RACING’S HISTORIC START
Team Performance Records
23XI Racing’s average finish of 12.4 so far in 2026 is the best for a team with 3+ cars since 2019 (Joe Gibbs Racing – 8.4)
23XI Racing led 36% of the laps in 2026 so far (206 of 566), most of any team
23XI Racing leads all teams with 6 top-10s this season, Joe Gibbs Racing has the next most (4)
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING’S STRONG START
RCR teammates Austin Hill and Jesse Love sit 1-2 in points
Chevrolet won all three races, all six stages and led all but 15 laps in the first three races of the season
Three different teams won the first three races of the season: RCR at Daytona, HFT at Atlanta and JRM at COTA
Latest News at Phoenix Raceway:
- Arizona Diamondbacks legend Luis Gonzalez will serve as the Honorary Pace Car driver ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, leading the NASCAR Cup Series field to green ahead of the action on Sunday, March 8.
- Luis Gonzalez is known as one of the most popular figures in D-backs history, mainly due to his game-winning single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series that secured the team’s first world championship. Following his retirement, Gonzalez rejoined the D-backs organization and is currently in his 16th full season in the front office and 10th as Senior Advisor to the President & CEO.
- Country music hitmaker and Army Reserve soldier Craig Morgan will deliver a special pre-race concert prior to the Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday, March 8. Morgan’s signature sound will set the tone for the rumble of NASCAR Cup Series engines during its first of two races this season at the iconic, one-mile doglegged oval.
- A singer, author, actor, and soldier, Craig Morgan is one of country music’s most respected and enduring voices. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has amassed 2.5 billion+ streams, charted 25+ songs on Billboard, and created a catalog that has become the soundtrack to American life. His signature hits – “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Almost Home,” “International Harvester” – blend heart, grit, and authenticity, resonating with fans of all generations.
- Serving as the Grand Marshal for this year’s GOVX 200 will be 8-time Pro Bowl and 2-time First Team All-Pro safety Budda Baker of the hometown Arizona Cardinals. Having the honor of saying the most famous words in motorsports, Baker will be on hand to give the command in person before the 5:00PM MST start time.
- Dr. Katherine Steele, Ed. D, Chief Executive Officer of the Pat Tillman Foundation, has been named the Honorary Starter for the GOVX200. A 2014 Tillman Scholar herself, Dr. Steele will be tasked with waving the green flag ahead of the day’s action.
- GOVX, the online shopping platform exclusively for current and former military, first responders, emergency medical professionals, and other government personnel has partnered with Charbroil, America’s #1 gas grill brand and competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut to host Wiener Takes All Presented by Joey Chestnut at the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday, March 8 at Phoenix Raceway. Starting at 9 a.m. MST, the 17-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, which
features GOVX members with military, law enforcement, and firefighter backgrounds competing head-to-head in a 7-minute pre-race hot dog eating contest held at Victory Lane. - Phoenix Raceway also announced that it is turning up the adrenaline for its March 5–8 race weekend with the addition of The Stillery Fest. Featuring the raw excitement of bull riding, live music, and Western-inspired nightlife, The Stillery Fest will deliver a bold complement to an action-packed weekend of racing that features NASCAR, INDYCAR and
ARCA Menards Series action. The Stillery Fest footprint will be located inside Phoenix Raceway’s Grizzly Campground and remain active throughout the weekend.
Information provided by NASCAR Communications, Racing Insights and Phoenix Raceway for use in your coverage of NASCAR.
NASCAR
http://www.nascar.com/
Photos & Graphics Courtesy of NASCAR