Star-Studded Championship Weekend Awaits the NASCAR Cup Championship 4 At Phoenix

Switch on the cameras and crank-up the spotlights, as everyone’s attention will be on Phoenix Raceway this Sunday (Nov. 5) for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). 4 of the sports’ most elite competitors have earned their way into the series’ Championship 4 Round, and with only of them a former Cup champion – Kyle Larson (2021), 3 of the 4 – Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and William Byron – are looking to earn the first title of their careers.

It was announced in March of 2019 that the NASCAR Cup Series would be moving its Playoffs’ Championship Race from Homestead-Miami Speedway, where it had resided since the inception of the Playoffs in 2004, to Phoenix Raceway for the first time in 2020. Prior to the 2020 season, Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ season finale for 16 seasons (from 2004-2019). Phoenix Raceway is just the second track to host the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race in the Playoffs.

Since the inception of the Playoffs in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004, Phoenix Raceway has occupied three different positions on the postseason schedule. In 2004, Phoenix Raceway hosted the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then from 2005 – 2019 (15 seasons), Phoenix Raceway has hosted the penultimate race (ninth) in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The 2023 season marks the fourth year the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will be held at Phoenix Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona (2020-2023).

Make sure to catch all the Phoenix Raceway on-track action this weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series practice is this Friday, Nov. 3 at 5:05 p.m. MST (8:05 p.m. ET) on the USA Network.

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: NASCAR Cup Series Championship

The Place: Phoenix Raceway

The Date: Sunday, November 5

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Purse: $11,143,232

TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 312 miles (312 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 185), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 312)

Playoff Crunch Time: Who steps up at Phoenix?

Phoenix Raceway has occupied some pivotal positions on the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff schedules, and the drivers that have stepped-up and won when it mattered most (Playoff time) in the Valley of the Sun have enjoyed the spoils that come with it.

A total of 11 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Phoenix Raceway. Veteran Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Playoff race wins at Phoenix Raceway with four victories (2006, 2012, 2013 and 2014).

Since hosting the series’ Championship Race, the winner of the race has also won the NASCAR Cup Series title – Chase Elliott won at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 8, 2020, Kyle Larson won at Phoenix on Nov. 7, 2021 and Joey Logano won at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 2022.

Among the Championship 4 drivers this season – Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and William Byron – Larson is the only driver to win a Playoff race at Phoenix (2021). Though, William Byron is the most recent winner at the one-mile track taking the victory earlier this season, Blaney and Bell have yet to win at Phoenix in the Cup Series.

Since 2004, four non-Playoff drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth.

1. In 2005, Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway, then the ninth race on the postseason schedule, and was ranked 19th in the point standings at the time of the win.
2. In 2011, Kasey Kahne won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway, then the ninth race on the postseason schedule, and was ranked 14th in the point standings at the time of the win.
3. In 2015, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway, then the ninth race on the postseason schedule, and was seventh in the point standings at the time of the win. Earnhardt Jr. had made the Playoffs in 2015 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.
4. In 2017, Matt Kenseth won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway, then the ninth race on the postseason schedule, and was seventh in points at the time of the win. Kenseth had made the Playoffs in 2017 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.

The worst finish in a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway by a driver that went on to win the title that same season was 38th by Jimmie Johnson in 2016. Phoenix occupied the penultimate event of the season in 2016.

Last season in the Championship Race at Phoenix, the Championship 4 finished first (Joey Logano), third (Ross Chastain), 10th (Christopher Bell) and 28th (Chase Elliott).

Looking Back: Phoenix Raceway and the NASCAR Cup Series

In total, Phoenix Raceway has hosted 54 NASCAR Cup Series races producing 26 different pole winners and 29 different race winners. The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway was held on November 6, 1988 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

Ryan Newman (2002, 2003, 2004, 2008) and Kyle Busch (2006, 2012, 2016, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Phoenix Raceway with four each. Of the 26 NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway pole winners, 12 are active this weekend.

A total of 29 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Phoenix Raceway, and 13 of the 29 have won multiple times at one-mile track. This weekend, 10 of the 29 NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway winners are active, and two of the 10 are Championship 4 contenders – Kyle Larson (2021) and William Byron (2023). Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Phoenix Raceway with nine victories.

At Phoenix this weekend, NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1:35 p.m. MST (4:35 p.m. ET) and can be viewed on the USA Network.

Championship Race: A deep dive into the NASCAR Cup Series season finale

When it comes time to win or go home, there is no bigger stage in NASCAR than the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Championship Race. Below is a look at the performances in the season finale during the Playoff Era (2004-2022).

A total of 13 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race during the Playoff Era (2004-2022). Greg Biffle leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Championship Race wins during the Playoff Era with three victories (2004, 2005, 2006 – all at Homestead-Miami Speedway).

Joey Logano (2018, 2022), Denny Hamlin (2009, 2013) and Kyle Busch (2015, 2019) lead all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race wins with two each.

Since the inception of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2004, the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series season finale race has won the championship 10 times, including the last nine consecutive: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

1. In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the 15th starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and as a result secured his third-career NASCAR Cup Series championship in the closest points battle in series history – tied with Carl Edwards – Stewart won the title by virtue of the tiebreaker: most wins.
2. In 2014, Kevin Harvick won from the fifth starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the first year of the elimination-style format of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as a result he won his first series title.
3. In 2015, Kyle Busch won from the third starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the second year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, as a result he won his first series championship.
4. In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won from the 14th starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the third year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he tied NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the series-most championships with seven each.
5. In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won from the second starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fourth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship.
6. In 2018, Joey Logano won from the fifth starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the fifth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship.
7. In 2019, Kyle Busch won from the fourth starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the sixth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he became just the second active driver at the time with multiple titles (20115, 2019) joining seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
8. In 2020, Chase Elliott won from the first starting position at Phoenix Raceway in the seventh year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship. Worth noting, Elliott was served a pre-race penalty and as a result of serving the penalty he actually started the race from back of the field and still won.
9. In 2021, Kyle Larson won from the pole position at Phoenix Raceway in the eighth year of the elimination-style format of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship.
10. In 2022, Joey Logano won from the pole position at Phoenix Raceway in the ninth year of the elimination-style format of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. With the win, Logano earned his second NASCAR Cup Series championship (2018, 2022), becoming just the second active driver with multiple titles.

The worst finish in a championship race by the eventual series champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway was 15th (three times): Tony Stewart in 2005, Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and Brad Keselowski in 2012.

Two non-Playoff drivers have won the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale Playoff race: Greg Biffle (2004 and 2006) and Denny Hamlin (2013).

By The Numbers: Phoenix Raceway & the Season Finale

Below are some key stats and figures to take note of this Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

0.10 – Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993), the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway is the Spring race of 2016 (March 13, 2016), when Kevin Harvick beat Carl Edwards to the line by 0.010 seconds – which is tied with Atlanta (3/12/2000), Daytona (2/21/2016), and Rockingham (2/22/2004) for the ninth closest finish in series history.

1 – Number of miles Phoenix Raceway is in length.

3 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series championship races Phoenix Raceway has hosted (2020, 2021, 2022).

2 – Number of active drivers with multiple NASCAR Cup Series championships (Kyle Busch, 2015 and 2019; Joey Logano, 2018 and 2022).

2 – Number of 2023 Championship 4 drivers with a former win at Phoenix Raceway – William Byron, Kyle Larson

4 – The fewest laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway was four of the scheduled 378 laps (1.05%) by Ryan Newman on April 10, 2010 – he started from the 14th position.

4 – In total four different manufacturers have won at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by Chevrolet with 26 victories and followed by Ford (19), Toyota (7) and Pontiac (2).

4 – Number of drivers that qualified for 2023 Championship 4 Round – Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and William Byron. This is Byron and Blaney’s first appearance in the Championship 4 Round.

4 – Number of drivers that won their first career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Phoenix Raceway: Casey Atwood (October 2001), Denny Hamlin (November 2005), AJ Allmendinger (April 2010) and Alex Bowman (November 2016).

7 – Number of former NASCAR Cup Series champions entered in this year’s season finale race at Phoenix:

8 – Number of wins from the pole or first starting position at Phoenix Raceway – most recent was Joey Logano’s win in the Championship Race last season.

9 – The degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 of Phoenix Raceway.

10 – Of the 54 NASCAR Cup Series races at Phoenix Raceway have ended with Overtime (18.5%). 

10 – Number of former NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix race winners entered in this weekend’s season finale.

10 – Number of times the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series championship season finale race has won the title during the Playoff Era (2004-Present); including the last eight consecutive seasons in the elimination-style format of the Playoffs – Tony Stewart, 2011; Kevin Harvick, 2014; Kyle Busch, 2015; Jimmie Johnson, 2016; Martin Truex Jr., 2017; Joey Logano, 2018; Kyle Busch, 2019; Chase Elliott, 2020; Kyle Larson, 2021; and Joey Logano, 2022 – Note: All the wins listed were at Homestead-Miami Speedway except for Elliott’s in 2020, Larson’s in 2021 and Logano’s in 2022 which were at Phoenix Raceway.

11 – The degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4 of Phoenix Raceway.

12 – The most cautions in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway; has happened twice – most recently March 8, 2020.

13 – The number of different organization in the NASCAR Cup Series that have won at Phoenix Raceway, led by Hendrick Motorsports with 13 victories among nine drivers.

15 – The worst finish by the eventual series champion in the season finale race (at Homestead-Miami Speedway) – it has happened three times: Tony Stewart in 2005, Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and Brad Keselowski in 2012.

15 – The highest number of lap leaders in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway (March 4, 2012). The Phoenix race earlier this season had six leaders.

19 – Total number of NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races held at Phoenix Raceway (2004-2020).

20 – The age of the youngest NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Phoenix Raceway: Kyle Busch (November 13, 2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

22 – Number of starting positions on the grid that have led to NASCAR Cup Series wins at Phoenix Raceway.

26 – Number of different NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Phoenix Raceway; led by Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick with four each.

28 – The greatest number of lead changes in a single race at Phoenix Raceway (Feb. 27, 2011). Earlier this season the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix produced 10 lead changes.

29 – Number of different NASCAR Cup Series winners at Phoenix Raceway; led by Kevin Harvick with nine victories.

29 – The lowest starting position by a race winner at Phoenix Raceway (Ricky Rudd, 1995).

41 – Most NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway starts by a driver – Kevin Harvick have 41 starts.

50 – The age of the oldest NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Phoenix Raceway: Mark Martin (April 18, 2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

54 – Total number of NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway.

97 – Number of different drivers that have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway.

264 – The most laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway was 264 of the scheduled 312 laps (84.6%) by Kevin Harvick on November 9, 2014 – he started from the third position.

312 – Number of laps scheduled for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.

1,699 – The most laps led all-time by a driver (Kevin Harvick) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway.

Clutch: Season Finale Title-Clinching Performances

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will mark the conclusion of the 2023 season. Below is a look at how the last 13 NASCAR Cup Series season finales (2010-2022) have turned out:

2010 – Jimmie Johnson Tracks Down Denny Hamlin For Fifth Straight Title

Denny Hamlin held a comfortable 15-point lead on Jimmie Johnson for the championship heading into the season finale. However, Hamlin could not close out the title. Hamlin damaged his Toyota with an early-race spin and finished 14th as a result. Kevin Harvick, who was third in points entering the race, finished third. Johnson placed runner-up in the race to take home his fifth consecutive championship.

2011 – Tony Stewart Wins Third Championship In Epic Race

Trailing leader Carl Edwards by three points entering the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami, Tony Stewart virtually needed a win to capture the title – especially considering that Edwards ultimately finished runner-up in the race.

Stewart drove to the front from the back of the field twice and edged out Edwards to get to Victory Lane.

The pair finished the season tied in points, but Stewart held the tiebreaker over Edwards of most wins during the season (five to one). It was the first title for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2012 – Brad Keselowski Fends Off Jimmie Johnson For First Championship

Brad Keselowski entered the 2012 season finale 20 points ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings.

Keselowski, who won two Playoff races to help put himself in championship-clinching position, didn’t produce his best performance in the finale, with a 15th-place showing at Homestead-Miami.

But problems in the pits for Johnson caused the five-time champion to finish 36th and helped Keselowski secure his first championship, as well as the first title for Team Penske.

2013 – Jimmie Johnson Closes In On Earnhardt And Petty With Sixth Title

After building up his points lead on the strength of six wins, 16 top fives and 23 top 10s, Jimmie Johnson needed to finish 23rd or better to capture his sixth NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Following an incident on a restart just shy of the 200-lap mark, Johnson ended up 23rd when it all sorted itself out.

By the end of the race, he worked his way up to finish ninth, earning Hendrick Motorsports a record 11th championship.

2014 – Harvick Rides To Two ‘Do Or Die’ Victories To Earn First Series Title

Kevin Harvick started the penultimate race of the 2014 season needing a win to get into the Championship 4 race at Phoenix. He dominated the contest, leading 264 laps to earn the victory and a spot in the Championship 4.

After playing mind games throughout the week leading up to Homestead-Miami with the rest of the field, Harvick held off runner-up Ryan Newman to earn his first career NASCAR Cup Series title and the second for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Harvick’s championship was the first of the ‘elimination-style’ format in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

2015 – Kyle Busch Overcomes Injury For Improbable Comeback

Just ninth months after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot, Kyle Busch edged out defending champion Kevin Harvick for the Homestead race win and his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Busch missed the first 11 races of the season after sustaining his injuries in a crash in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona. He came back to win five races in the NASCAR Cup Series that year and cement his name in NASCAR history.

2016 – Johnson Ties Series All-Time Record With Seventh Championship

The six-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, proved once again to not count him out in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Johnson won his way into the Round of 8 with a victory at Charlotte, then took the checkered flag at Martinsville to punch his ticket to the Championship 4 Round at Homestead-Miami.

He then provided a walk-off win at Homestead-Miami to capture his seventh championship, tying NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the NASCAR Cup Series record of most championships at seven each.

2017 – Martin Truex Jr. Earns First Championship With Underdog Team

Driving for the Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, Martin Truex Jr. turned a career-best season into a championship for the ages.

His victory in the Homestead-Miami finale was a personal best eighth on the year. He led the final 34 laps and held off a hard charging Kyle Busch by .681-seconds to earn the trophy hoist and his first title.

It was an emotional victory, team owner Barney Visser was recovering from a recent heart attack back in Denver and Truex’s then girlfriend Sherry Pollex was trackside after a year of major medical obstacles to help him celebrate.

2018 – Joey Logano Wins First Championship

After qualifying for the Championship 4 in the Round of 8 opening race at Martinsville Speedway, the 28-year old Logano headed to Homestead-Miami largely considered the “underdog” to 2018’s “Big 3” – Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. The threesome (Busch, 9, Harvick, 8 and Truex, 4) won 21 of the first 35 races in 2018. However, the Team Penske driver grabbed his opportunity and took it to the Big 3, winning the season finale by a sizable 1.7-seconds over Truex, Harvick and Busch and taking his career first NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy – Team Penske’s second.

2019 – Kyle Busch grabs second title, fifth for JGR

After putting up four wins early in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Busch went winless for 21 races. He pointed his way into the Championship 4 but when his back was against the wall he answered and won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway passing Kevin Harvick in the closing laps and then holding off his hard charging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. by 4.578-seconds to win his second championship of his career (2015, 2019).

With the feat, Busch became just the second active multiple champion joining Jimmie Johnson (seven titles) at the time. The title was also the fifth for Joe Gibbs Racing – Bobby Labonte (2000), Tony Stewart (2002 and 2005) and Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019).

2020 – Chase Elliott comes from the rear to win first title at Phoenix

After putting up just two wins during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Chase Elliott stepped up his game in the Playoffs winning at the Charlotte Road Course to advance to the Round of 8 and then winning the penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway to earn his spot in the Championship 4 Round. Elliott and the No. 9 team would head to Phoenix for the season finale only to lose their first starting position to multiple pre-race inspection failures. But the setback didn’t hold Elliott down, instead it made him even more hungry for the title.

During the Championship race, he methodically worked his way through the field taking the lead for the first time in the event on Lap 79 of 312. Elliott would go on to hold off a hard charging Brad Keselowski to win the race by 2.740-seconds. With the feat, Elliott became seventh active champion at the time. The title was also a series leading 13th for Hendrick Motorsports.

2021 – Dirt Master Kyle Larson dominates Phoenix to win first Cup championship

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson was dominant all season long putting up five wins and winning the Regular Season Championship in 2021. The California native entered the Playoffs as the No. 1 seed with 52 Playoffs points. Larson would then proceed to tie Tony Stewart’s Playoff record for the most wins in a single NASCAR Cup Series postseason run with five victories, including the season finale race at Phoenix Raceway.

Larson showed up to the Valley of the Sun as the odds favorite and he didn’t disappoint. Larson won the pole and then led a race-high 107 laps en route to the win and his first NASCAR Cup Series title. With the feat, Larson became eighth active champion at the time (prior to Kurt Busch stepping away from fulltime racing). The title was also a series leading 14th for Hendrick Motorsports.

2022 – Joey Logano secures second Cup title with stout Phoenix win

Team Penske’s Joey Logano earned his spot in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Championship 4 Round after winning the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After two weeks of preparation for the Championship Race at Phoenix, crew chief Paul Wolfe and the No. 22 Ford team brought a rocket ship for Logano to race in the finale. Logano would win the pole for the event and lead 187 of the 312 en route to his victory and second career Cup Series title (2018, 2022). Logano became just the second active driver with multiple championships in the series joining Kyle Busch (2015, 2019).

Chances a spoiler steals the show this weekend at Phoenix

Since the introduction of the “win and you’re in” elimination-style Playoff format, the eventual champion has won the season finale race (at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Phoenix Raceway) each of the nine previous years (Kevin Harvick, 2014; Kyle Busch, 2015; Jimmie Johnson, 2016; Martin Truex Jr., 2017; Joey Logano, 2018; Kyle Busch, 2019; Chase Elliott, 2020; Kyle Larson, 2021; Joey Logano, 2022). Still, with Phoenix Raceway hosting the championship event, there is a chance a driver outside of championship contention could win the race on Sunday.

The name that rises to the top of the list of possible spoilers this weekend, is NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway wins leader, Kevin Harvick, who has spent a career mastering the one-mile raceway putting up nine series victories, including four Playoff wins. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver, Harvick, failed to make the Championship 4 this season, so, the Californian would like nothing more than to steal a win this weekend, especially since it will be his final time behind the wheel in full-time competition.

Expect Harvick to run well this weekend, as Phoenix Raceway is his best track. Harvick leads the series in wins (nine), top fives (20), top 10s (30) laps completed (12,783), laps led (1,699) and average finish (8.6) at the one-mile facility.

Plus, Harvick hasn’t finished outside the top-10 in his last 20 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix. When he finished fifth last November in the season finale, he set a new record for the most consecutive top-10s at a single racetrack with 19. Previously, Harvick had been tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who earned 18 straight top-10s apiece at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. Harvick’s 20th straight top-10 at Phoenix came by way of his fifth-place finish in March.

Another driver to watch this weekend, would be last season’s champion and Team Penske driver Joey Logano. The Connecticut native has won three times at Phoenix in his career including this race last season (2016, 2020, 2022). In total, Logano has made 29 starts at Phoenix putting up eight top fives and 16 top 10s to accompany his three wins.

Saying Goodbye: SHR veterans Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola are hanging it up

Two Stewart-Haas Racing drivers making their final fulltime career starts this weekend at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR cup Series Championship Race are Kevin Harvick from Bakersfield, California and Aric Almirola from Tampa, Florida. The two veterans will be hanging up their racing gloves following the checkered flag on Sunday.

Almirola will be making his 460th NASCAR Cup Series career start this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Almirola has competed in the Cup Series since 2007 (16 years) and has run fulltime since 2012.

Almirola has been a consistent driver throughout his career, posting three wins, 30 top fives, 96 top 10s and six poles. He earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs five times (2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and finished a career best fifth in the 2018 final championship standings.

Harvick will be making his 826th career NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Harvick has competed in the series for 23 straight seasons (2001-2023).

An assured first-ballot Hall of Famer, Harvick has amassed an impressive resume behind the wheel with 60 Cup wins (7.3% winning percentage), 251 top fives (30.4% top-five finishing percentage), 443 top 10s (53.6% top-10 finishing percentage) and 31 poles. Plus, he is tied with Denny Hamlin for the series-most Playoff appearances all-time with 17 each, and he is also tied with Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch for the series-most Championship 4 Round appearances with five each. His successes don’t end there, he is also earned a NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship in 2020 and the overall Cup Series Championship in 2014 – the first year of the elimination-style Playoff format.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Update – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs has mathematically clinched the 2023 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors but will not be officially awarded until he finishes the season in good standing, per the program guidelines and eligibility.

This season, Gibbs has made 35 starts collecting four top fives and 10 top 10s. His average starting position in 2023 is 14.1 and his average finish is 18.3. He has led 112 laps and has won 32 Sunoco Rookie of the Race Awards.

Cup Manufacturers Championship – Chevrolet has clinched the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers Championship this season. The manufacturer mathematically clinched the title following the race at Martinsville Speedway. Chevrolet currently has 17 wins on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Nine different manufacturers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers Championship. This is Chevrolet’s series leading 42nd NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers Championship.

NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for this weekend – Below is a look at some of the anticipated NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for this season.

Driver Starts

Drivers that are expected to make milestone starts during this season are:

• Denny Hamlin – 650th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 400th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)

Driver Wins (10 or more)

Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in career wins with 63, followed by Kevin Harvick (60), Denny Hamlin (51), Brad Keselowski (35), Martin Truex Jr. (34), Joey Logano (32), Kyle Larson (23), Chase Elliott (18) and William Byron (10).

Organization Wins

Wood Brothers Racing is on the cusp a milestone victory in the NASCAR Cup Series and will look for their 100th NASCAR Cup Series win this weekend.

Hendrick Motorsports leads all active NASCAR Cup Series organizations in wins with 301, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing (208), RFK Racing (141), Team Penske (139), Richard Childress Racing (116), Wood Brothers Racing (99), Stewart-Haas Racing (69), Trackhouse Racing (5), 23XI Racing (5), Front Row Motorsports (4), JTG Daugherty Racing (2), Kaulig Racing (2), Spire Motorsports (1).

Manufacturer Wins

Closing in on NASCAR Cup Series win number 850, Chevrolet currently has 849 wins – the most all-time in the Cup Series. Ford has the second most wins all-time in the Cup Series at 728 and Toyota has the fifth-most all-time at 180 (behind Dodge at 217 and Plymouth at 191).

Car Number Wins

No. 99 car’s next win will be its 50th in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Phoenix Raceway renames road to Harvick Lane in honor of its winningest driver – Phoenix Raceway announced recently that it will honor 2014 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick by renaming its Dragstrip Road to Harvick Lane. It also revealed that the retiring star will make an appearance in the track’s midway on Saturday, Nov. 4, one day before he competes in the final NASCAR Cup Series race of his illustrious career.

“It cannot be stated enough how significant and meaningful Kevin Harvick is to Phoenix Raceway and the sport of NASCAR as a whole,” said Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey. “To honor him with Harvick Lane before his final race is further validation of his legendary racing career and the everlasting impact he’s made in The Valley.”

Harvick Lane is Phoenix Raceway’s primary pedestrian thoroughfare that leads NASCAR fans from the parking lots and GEICO Gecko Campground to its main entrance. It’s appropriate that it’s named after a driver who has won the most races in Phoenix Raceway history. Across 41 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Harvick has nine wins at the 1-mile, doglegged oval. In addition, Harvick is currently on a 20-race streak of top-10 finishes at Phoenix, which is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most consecutive top-10 finishes ever at a single track.

Diplo to perform as country persona Thomas Wesley at Phoenix Raceway – Phoenix Raceway announced that Grammy Award winning artist and multi-platinum producer Diplo will perform for the pre-race concert prior to the NASCAR Cup Series season finale as his country persona, Thomas Wesley. The concert is free to fans who hold tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, November 5.

“We are beyond excited to have a world-renowned producer perform for our race fans,” said Latasha Causey, President of Phoenix Raceway. “Diplo is sure to spark the energy to properly close out an amazing 2023 NASCAR season.”

Thomas Wesley is Tupelo, MS by way of Daytona, FL native Diplo’s country moniker. This spring, he released Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 — Swamp Savant, a new album featuring collaborations with Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blue Skies), Dove Cameron, Morgan Wade, Parker McCollum and more. Swamp Savant follows his country debut, 2020’s Gold-certified Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley Chapter 1: Snake Oil, which features the six times Platinum-certified single “Heartless” with Morgan Wallen, Gold-certified tracks “Dance With Me” with Thomas Rhett and Young Thug and “Lonely” with Jonas Brothers and more.

Over the course of a 20-year career that began with his now-legendary Philly club night Hollertronix, Diplo has collaborated with the world’s biggest stars and toured the world over. Born in Mississippi and raised in Florida, he and his era-defining label Mad Decent continue to champion genres and artists from around the world, and further ventures include a publishing company and various book, film and TV projects.

The now 13-time Grammy nominee is also a member of the iconic Major Lazer, one third of LSD — the psychedelic supergroup with Sia and Labrinth whose debut album has been streamed over 3 billion times — and half of Silk City with Mark Ronson, whose Platinum-certified, Grammy-winning “Electricity” with Dua Lipa topped charts worldwide. Diplo also released a self-titled album last year — his first full length of electronic music in 18 years that features four U.S. Dance #1s — via Higher Ground, the deep house imprint he launched in 2019.