TEMPERANCE, Mich. – The 2025 schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West have been announced, with eight races slated for the East and a dozen on tap for the West. The East will run four stand-alone races and four in combination with the ARCA Menards Series, while the West will run a single race in combination with the ARCA Menards Series. (more…)
Phoenix
ARCA Menards Series Schedule for 2025 Released; FS1 and FS2 Relationship Extended Through 2028
TEMPERANCE, Mich. — The ARCA Menards Series has announced a television broadcast agreement extension with FS1 and FS2 that features a full season of live television coverage in 2025. Additionally, as part of the new agreement, the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway will air live on FOX, marking the first time in series history a race has aired on broadcast television. (more…)
Sean Hingorani Earns Second Consecutive West Series Title; Connor Zilisch Secures Season-Ending Phoenix Victory
Editor’s note… I’m trying to catch up on some of the stock car racing news…
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The path to a second consecutive ARCA Menards Series West championship was much tougher for Sean Hingorani compared to the first.
Despite competing with four different organizations across the 12-race schedule, Hingorani still managed to put together an efficient campaign that saw him tally three victories. All those triumphs came with the same team that guided Hingorani to his first West Series championship, Venturini Motorsports. (more…)
Blaney Finds Solace in Team Penske’s 1-2 Finish As He Reflects On His Season
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Ryan Blaney climbed out of his No. 12 Team Penske Ford on Phoenix Raceway pit road Sunday and took a few minutes to himself, then hugged his fiancé Gianna and shook hands with his team – clearly exhausted mentally and physically after racing to a mere .330-seconds – the blink of an eye – away from a second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship.
It hurt.
Joey Logano Impresses With Third Cup Series Title, But With The Least Impressive Stats
Phoenix International Raceway continues to deliver quality racing for sure. And like it or not, the Cup playoffs usually produce a quality winner.
This year, one could argue that NASCAR and its playoff system did Phoenix wrong.
How Did New-England-Connected NASCAR Drivers Do In Phoenix?
First of all, Joey Logano of Middletown, CT won the 2024 Cup Championship again! While Chase Briscoe won the race with Joey Logano coming in eighth then Corey LaJoie in ninth. Then it was Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT coming in 12th while Boston’s Kaz Grala had to settle for 34th. Corey LaJoie is the son of Two-Time NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Randy, who was a native of Norwalk, CT before moving to the Charlotte, NC area to be closer the top NASCAR Divisions.
Riley Herbest won the Xfinity race with Parker Kligerman of Westport, CT turning in a 14th finishing position then it was Blaine Perkins coming in 22nd with Patrick Emerling of Long Island, NY and Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT being awarded 36th. Both Perkins and Alfredo race team cars for Cape Cod’s Chris and daughter Mary Our of Chatham, MA
Stewart-Haas Racing: NASCAR Season Finale from Phoenix & End of the SHR Era (2009-2024)
SHR End of an Era (2009-2024):
● Phoenix marked SHR’s 576th and final NASCAR Cup Series race. The team made its official debut on Feb. 15, 2009 in the Daytona 500 with drivers Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, who finished eighth and 36th, respectively. However, that was not the team’s first on-track outing. Some important dates led up to that moment… (more…)
JOEY LOGANO WINS 2024 NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC AND PEACOCK
“I love the playoffs…I don’t know if I’m the best driver, but we have the best team.” – Joey Logano to Marty Snider on winning his third Cup Series Championship
“Joey Logano steps into history! At the end of the Charlotte Roval [race], Logano was out. The [Alex] Bowman disqualification put him back in and he never missed a spot.” – Leigh Diffey
“There is just something about these moments for Joey Logano and Paul Wolfe where they come to life. They didn’t have the most speed, but man did they maximize their opportunities.” – Snider
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Nov. 10, 2024 – Team Penske driver Joey Logano won the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship this afternoon on NBC and Peacock – his third career Cup Series title and third straight title for Team Penske after Ryan Blaney won in 2023. Logano outdueled fellow Championship 4 contenders Ryan Blaney (2nd place), William Byron (3rd place), and Tyler Reddick (6th) at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.
Tyler Reddick Is Focused On The Championship Race In First Attempt At Cup Title
If the spring event at Phoenix Raceway is an indication, Tyler Reddick has cause for optimism entering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at the one-mile track (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
William Byron Is Ignoring ‘Outside Noise’ as Title Race Approaches
William Byron stood anxiously next to his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet last Sunday on Martinsville (Va.) Speedway’s pit lane as NASCAR officials settled a points tiebreaker between Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell—the winner receiving a ticket to the Championship Four, the other forced to wait until next year for a title opportunity.
Years of Champ 4 Experience Have Given Joey Logano Sanguine Perspective
At 34 years old, Joey Logano is competing in his 16th full-time season of NASCAR Cup Series racing, and on Sunday, he’ll try for his third series title in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Ryan Blaney Hopes Championship Race Is Just As Sweet The Second Time Around
AVONDALE, Ariz.— Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney smiled and acknowledged that having won a title in NASCAR’s premier series last year helped prepare him for his second shot this weekend.
Cole Custer Wants To Cap Stewart-Haas Career With Another Xfinity Title
Cole Custer’s life is about to change again—and he wants it to happen with as much gusto as possible.
The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is carrying the banner for Stewart-Haas Racing, which will cease to exist at season’s end.
Justin Allgaier Is Poised And Prepared To Run For Elusive NASCAR Xfinity Title
AVONDALE, Ariz. — JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier arrives at Phoenix Raceway as the most seasoned NASCAR Xfinity Series driver competing for the 2024 championship.
With New Deal For 2025, Corey Heim Is Focused On NASCAR Truck Championship Race
For Corey Heim, last year’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race fell apart in the final stage—in a big way.
Christian Eckes Likes His Chances in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Title Race
Christian Eckes makes his debut in the Championship 4 as an absolute favorite to hoist his first series trophy.
Not only is he coming off a dramatic win in last weekend’s Martinsville (Va.) Speedway race, but he is also the only one among the four title contenders to have a past win at the Phoenix Raceway mile—claiming the trophy last year although he wasn’t part of the Championship 4.
AM Racing to Field ARCA Menards Series West Entry for Kole Raz at Phoenix Raceway
AVONDALE, Ariz.: AM Racing proudly announced today they will field an entry for Friday’s ARCA Menards Series West Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 for driver Kole Raz at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
Raz, 21, will pilot the team’s No. 76 Ford Mustang for the 100-lap race with support from Cyclum Renewables. (more…)
What is going on with NASCAR?
First of all, let’s get the Martinsville results out of the way. Ryan Blaney drove his rear off and won the race to complete his effort to try for his second title. That makes it Blaney, Joey Logano (for title number three), Tyler Reddick and William Byron as the Championship Four. That is quite the foursome, but it also begs the question, is this the right foursome to compete for the title?
Time Is Now: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four to Vie for the Bill France Performance Cup in Phoenix
For four drivers – Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and William Byron – an entire season’s worth of work will come down to this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Outperforming the rest of the Playoff field through the previous nine weeks of the postseason, has landed these four elite competitors into the series’ Championship 4 Round vying for the title this weekend.
One Race To Go For The Championship! Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Steve Letarte, And Brad Daugherty Preview NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race This Sunday, Nov. 10, At 3 P.M. Et On NBC And PEACOCK
“It has given us some of the most crazy, exciting, chaotic races and finishes that we’ll remember forever, so if something bizarre or historic happens on Championship Weekend, I won’t be surprised.” – Leigh Diffey on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
“This was probably the best Round of 8, so you knew going forward that whatever four came out of this were going to be an outstanding Championship 4, and that’s exactly what we have.” – Dale Jarrett on the Championship 4 drivers
STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 6, 2024 – With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship race from Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., this Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, it’s time to check in with our NBC Sports NASCAR commentators to hear what storylines and moments they’re most excited for this weekend.