Hamlin had a car capable of fighting for the win before a tire failure and pit-road penalty ruined his afternoon. He finished 28th, trails the championship lead by 31 points and is off to Talladega. What could possibly go wrong?
Larson arrived at Phoenix 49 points clear and left with five. A miserable afternoon, a blown tire and a Chevrolet in the wall have turned his comfortable Chase into a tree-race fight for survival.
Love won by 0.128 seconds, took a 36-point championship lead and left Phoenix grinning. Three races remain, and the next one takes place at Talladega. What could possibly go wrong?
Ryan Blaney took pole at Phoenix as five of Kyle Larson’s closest championship rivals swept the top five spots. Larson? He’ll start 22nd. Suddenly, things get interesting.
Christopher Bell says he and Kyle Larson aren’t friends. After years of battling for trophies on dirt and asphalt, apparently mutual respect is quite enough.
Last week, Kaden Honeycutt watched Layne Riggs celebrate. Friday night at Phoenix, Honeycutt got his revenge, won his fourth race of the season and padded his championship lead.
Those chasing Kyle Larson for the NASCAR Cup Series championship might be tempted to look with dismay at the respective career statistics of the top competitors at Phoenix Raceway…
After looking lost all day, Larson prowled through the carnage and finished third, proving sometimes patience and cunning beat speed.
Blaney celebrated in Victory Lane while Joey Logano and Austin Cindric saw promising days end in crashes during a chaotic final stage.
Loose wheels, penalties, and trips to the back weren’t enough to stop Blaney, who charged through the field 49 times and stole victory from a dominant Christopher Bell.