NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race
The Place: Phoenix Raceway
Track Length: 1 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $12,394,135
TV: NBC & Peacock, 2 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)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Friday, Oct. 31
NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 3:30 p.m. ET)
NXS Final Practice (CW App at 4:30 p.m. ET)
NCS Final Practice (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 5:30 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: NCTS Championship Race (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Saturday, Nov. 1
NXS Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 3:30 p.m. ET)
NCS Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)
NXS Race: NXS Championship Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Nov. 2
NCS Race: NCS Championship Race (NBC & Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)
NASCAR Cup Series
Phoenix Raceway Storylines and Insights:
- This weekend marks the 59th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
- 2025 is the sixth season that Phoenix hosted the Championship round (2020-2025)
- Kyle Larson is the only former Cup champion in the Championship 4
- William Byron is the only Championship 4 drivers who also raced for a Championship at Phoenix last year
- Chase Briscoe is the only driver in the Championship 4 for the first time
- Kyle Larson is the only Championship 4 driver without a Playoff win, twice the Champion won the Championships without a playoff win in the first nine races of elimination style playoffs (Kyle Busch in 2015 and 2019 who won both the race of the Championship)
- Tony Stewart in 2005 is the only Champion who went winless in the Playoffs
- This is the second time two teams had multiple cars in the Championship 4 – Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing had two cars each in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports winning the Championship with Kyle Larson
- Denny Hamlin finished 2nd at Phoenix in March, Kyle Larson 3rd, William Byron 6th & Chase Briscoe 35th
- 15 of the 35 races in 2025 were won by the four Championship 4 drivers, all four have at least three wins and Denny Hamlin has a series-best six
- Each of the Championship 4 drivers has a Cup win at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin is the only driver with multiple wins but hasn’t won there since 2019
- William Byron leads all drivers in laps run in the top-five at Phoenix in the Next Gen car (1,618), and laps run in the top-10 at Phoenix in the Next Gen car (1,975)
- Denny Hamlin would become the third-oldest Cup champion at 44 years, 11 months, 15 days old, and the oldest since Bobby Allison in 1983
- Kyle Larson’s 10 top-five finishes at Phoenix are his most at a track, his 14 top-10 finishes are tied for his most at a track with Las Vegas
- Kyle Busch will become the 14th driver to make 750 Cup starts this weekend, the best finish for a driver in their 750th start was 2nd by Mark Martin at Dover in September 2009
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr will make his 400th consecutive Cup start this weekend, the 3rd longest active streak
NASCAR & Phoenix, Etc.
Historical & Significant Events at Phoenix Raceway:
- Construction was completed on Phoenix Raceway in January of 1964. The facility was built by Richard Hogue, an amateur sports car racer. The facility was built in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains and originally consisted of a one-mile oval, a quarter mile drag strip and a 2.5-mile road course.
- The first race held at Phoenix Raceway was in January of 1968 and the event was run on the 2.5-mile road course and won by Don White.
- In October of 1970 Hollywood giant Steve McQueen wins the 17 lap ‘Winter Sprint’ sports car race on the track’s road course in Porsche 908 from pole position, setting a new lap record of 1:41.09
- On Nov. 25, 1973 Phoenix Raceway holds its first USAC Midget race and the event was won by Billy Englehart.
- The first NASCAR race held at Phoenix Raceway was on November 27, 1977 and it was a NASCAR Winston West Series (now ARCA Menards Series West) race won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough.
- Sept. 15 1985 – Emmett ‘Buddy’ Jobe purchases Phoenix Raceway from Dennis Wood. At the time, the track featured less than 10,000 reserved seats.
- April of 1987 – Lightning strikes the track’s main grandstand, burning the majority of the structure to the ground. Reconstruction begins.
- October of 1988 – Construction of a three-story suite building is completed outside Turn 1. Reserved seating capacity is increased to 30,000 at Phoenix Raceway.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on November 6, 1988. Kulwicki performed his ‘Polish Victory Lap’ following the event.
- June of 1991 – During the summer months, the infield course is redesigned to a new configuration with 11 turns and 1.51 miles of track.
- April of 1997 – International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) purchases Phoenix Raceway from Emmett ‘Buddy’ Jobe.
- June of 2003 – Upgrades to Phoenix – Turn Two is modified for safety while a tunnel is installed under Turn Four.
- November of 2004 – Phoenix Raceway installs track lights, which will change the way racing is seen at Phoenix. The lights create 146 million lumens (a typical table lamp is 25 lumens), for a total of 1.5 million watts of power per hour.
- April of 2005 – Phoenix Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber announces the expansion of the Bobby Allison Grandstand, one of the most extensive construction projects in the history of the track.
- The first spring NASCAR Cup Series race was held on April 23, 2005 and was also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch driving for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
- The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year. The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept. 2011):
- Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet and reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls
- Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet and tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet
- Implemented banking, including 11-degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11-degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 9-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4.
- March 1, 2013 – Abraham Calderon captures the checkered flag in the inaugural stateside running of the NASCAR Mexico Series at Phoenix Raceway.
- 2014 – Phoenix Raceway celebrated its 50th anniversary.
- Following the spring race in 2015 the track added SAFER barrier. The outer wall around the entire track is completely protected by SAFER barrier, the longest stretch of new barrier was on the front stretch which still had portions of brick wall from when the track first opened in 1964.
- Monument Hill a.k.a. “Rattlesnake Hill”, a part of the Estrella Mountain range, overlooks turns 1 and 2.
- Following the 2017 season, the track was renamed from Phoenix Raceway to ISM Raceway. Then in 2019 the track was renamed from ISM Raceway back to Phoenix Raceway.
- Phoenix Raceway underwent a $178 million modernization following the Spring race of 2018. Upgrades included:
- Relocating the start/finish line to what was previously Turn 2 area and reconfigured pit road.
- Four new escalators, nine new elevators, 51 new and upgraded lounge style suites, 11 garage offices, and three garage suites, new pedestrian tunnel, new infield experience with garage access, media center, driver’s meeting area and victory lane.
- Extension of the grandstands around turn 2 and the demolition of previous front stretch grand stands.
- March 26, 2019 – The Valley of the Sun will play host to a new championship sporting event as NASCAR announced that the NASCAR Championship Weekend will be held at Phoenix Raceway, November 6-8, 2020, for the first time in the sport’s history.
Latest News at Phoenix Raceway:
- Phoenix Raceway is turning up the volume for NASCAR’s biggest weekend of the year. Multi-platinum, award-winning country music artist Jordan Davis will headline the pre-race concert ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, November 2, bringing his signature blend of personal storytelling and southern sound to the championship stage. Known for pushing the boundaries of country music, Davis has captivated fans with hits like “Buy Dirt,” “Next Thing You Know,” and the chart-topping “I Ain’t Sayin’,” which recently reached No. 1 on U.S. country radio. Now, he’s bringing the energy of his highly anticipated new album, Learn the Hard Way, to Phoenix Raceway for a performance fans won’t forget.
- Phoenix Raceway is revving up the high-octane excitement for NASCAR Championship Weekend with an all-new Phoenix Raceway Fan Fest, set for Thursday, October 30. This free, family-friendly event will run from 4-7 p.m. at Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix and serve as the official kickoff to a thrilling weekend of championship racing and entertainment at Phoenix Raceway, Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
- Fan Fest Highlights Include:
- Driver appearances, including NASCAR Cup Series star Daniel Suarez, offering autograph opportunities
- Live entertainment on stage throughout the evening, including a concert presented by Straight Talk Wireless, and a live DJ
- Kid-friendly games, and interactive experiences
- Photo ops with show cars and the NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy
- Local food and beverage partners serving up Phoenix favorites
- Official merchandise and ticketing booths for fans to gear up and grab their seats for race weekend
- Sponsor and partner showcases, featuring exclusive giveaways and more
- Fan Fest Highlights Include:
- NASCAR fans in the Valley for NASCAR Championship Weekend are in for a one-of-a-kind pit stop — a 10-acre NASCAR Championship Weekend Corn Maze at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek. Before engines roar at Phoenix Raceway, visitors can take a scenic detour through the 3 miles of twists, turns, and photo ops inside Schnepf Farms’ legendary Pumpkin and Chili Party, open through October 31. It’s the perfect way to gear up for a weekend full of fast cars, big moments, and championship glory.
- Raja, a 7-year-old Sumatran tiger, is wild about William Byron’s NASCAR Cup Series championship chances. During a ceremony on Tuesday at the Phoenix Zoo, the beloved beast predicted that the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
— NASCAR —