The NASCAR Cup Series speeds into Phoenix Raceway Sunday for the first of two races this season – the second, of course, will crown the 2025 champion later this year.
The drivers last raced at Phoenix in November when Joey Logano won the 2024 championship race to capture his third career Cup Series title.
While success in the early Phoenix race doesn’t necessarily presage a strong finish in the season finale, it has proven to be a fairly decent indicator – at least since the championship race moved to the Avondale, Arizona, track in 2020.
In four of the past five seasons, at least three drivers who finished in the top seven of the first race at Phoenix also finished in the top seven in the season finale. In 2022, five drivers finished in the top seven of both races.
Last season proved to be an exception, however, with just Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney earning top-seven finishes at Phoenix in both March and November. Bell, who won this race last year, is seeking his third consecutive victory of the 2025 season on Sunday.
It’s worth noting, however, that in the same five-year span, no driver has won both races at Phoenix in the same season. Will that change this year?
Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the Shriners Children’s 500, Sunday at Phoenix Raceway:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix start?
The Shriners Children’s 500 starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local) at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix on?
FS1 is broadcasting the Shriners Children’s 500 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local).
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix?
The Shriners Children’s 500 can be live streamed on Max and the FoxSports app. Viewers can also stream the race on Fubo, which is offfering a free trial to new subscribers.
Watch NASCAR at Phoenix on Fubo (free trial)
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix?
The Shriners Children’s 500 is 312 laps around the 1-mile oval at Phoenix Raceway for a total of 312 miles (502.115 kilometers). The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 127 laps.
Phoenix Raceway: March to November comparison in last five years
Here’s how many drivers each year finished in the top seven of both Phoenix races since the championship race moved to the Avondale, Arizona, track in 2020:
2020: Joey Logano (March winner), Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott (November winner).
2021: Martin Truex Jr. (March winner), Denny Hamlin, Elliott, Kyle Larson (November winner).
2022: Chase Briscoe (March winner), Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Harvick, Kyle Busch.
The November race winner was Logano.
2023: William Byron (March winner), Blaney, Larson, Harvick.
The November race winner was Chastain.
2024: Christopher Bell (March winner), Blaney.
The November race winner was Logano.
What is the lineup for the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix?
(Car number in parentheses)
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(21) Josh Berry, Ford
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(78) Katherine Legge, Chevrolet
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