NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity come to Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix Raceway hosts the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend for two races in the Arizona desert.

NASCAR Cup Series: Facts and Figures

The Shriners Children's 500 will be the 58th Cup Series race at this one-mile asphalt oval. On Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, drivers will complete 312 miles with a purse of $11,055,250.

• 125 lead changes in the first three races of 2025, the highest amount for a season start.
• Average starting position of winners: 18.7, the lowest recorded for the first three races.
• 238 days between events in Phoenix, the longest interval in the 2025 schedule.

• Christopher Bell: After wins in Atlanta and Las Vegas, he seeks his third consecutive victory.
• Ryan Blaney: Nine consecutive races finishing in the top ten at Phoenix.
• Joey Logano: With four wins at Phoenix, he leads the list of active drivers.
• William Byron: Has finished in the top ten in 17 consecutive segments at Phoenix.

• Christopher Bell - 133 points
• Austin Cindric - 111 points
• Ryan Blaney - 108 points
• Denny Hamlin - 106 points
• Brad Keselowski - 98 points

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Data and Records

The GOVX 200 (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET on CW) will be the 48th race of this category at Phoenix, with a purse of $1,651,939 for 200 miles.

• Eight different winners in the last eight races.
• In 11 of the last 12 races, the winner started among the top eight.
• The last three races ended in Over Time.
• Joe Gibbs Racing has won seven of the last 13 races at Phoenix.

• Austin Hill - 135 points
• Jesse Love - 122 points
• Chandler Smith - 117 points
• Justin Allgaier - 112 points
• Cole Custer - 106 points

Historical Data

Phoenix Raceway has existed since 1964:

• Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Cup Series race in 1988.
• Phoenix has hosted the championship round for the sixth consecutive year (2020-2025).
• Katherine Legge will be the first woman to drive a NextGen car.
• The track was renovated in 2018 with an investment of $178 million.

Tires and Format

For the Cup Series race, teams will use optional tires:

• For practice: 1 primary set and 1 optional set.
• For qualifying: 1 primary set.
• For the race: 6 primary sets, 2 optional sets, plus the qualifying set.

This system adds a technical factor that teams will need to consider during the 312 laps.

The schedule at Phoenix includes two main NASCAR categories, valuable statistical data, and various drivers seeking positive results at the Arizona circuit.