Before the Green Flag drops at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona in an hour, here is a quick rundown of the key headlines for the 312-mile race, which will consist of 37 drivers and teams, looking to turn heads, collect points and steal a win.
Katherine Legge makes her NASCAR Cup Series debut
For the first time since the 2018 Daytona 500, a woman will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. Katherine Legge follows in Danica Patrick’s footsteps, as Patrick retired from full-time NASCAR competition after a 35th-place finish in the Great American Race. Legge will start 37th in her first-ever Cup Series race, and will pilot the #78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. Legge’s goal should be complete every lap, stay out of trouble and finish the race in one piece.
Red Option Tires vs. Traditional Yellow Tires
Today’s race will see the soft, red-wall tire utilized, just like the NASCAR Cup Series did last year at the second Richmond and Martinsville races. The red tire is softer and allows more grip and passing, giving crew chiefs the option of when to use the tire, while the original yellow tire is harder and has less grip. Teams will definitely make a late gamble to run to the front, holding onto the red tires until the end
Spire Motorsports is FAST; AJ Allmendinger makes his 450th career-start
Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar were fastest in practice yesterday, after Spire Motorsports upped their program over the course of the last few years. With Hocevar’s career-best finish coming at Atlanta a few weeks ago, look for him to contend for the win today at Phoenix, after qualifying 3rd, while McDowell qualified 7th and their teammate Justin Haley will roll off 8th. Also in the Chevrolet camp, AJ Allmendinger will run his 450th-career NASCAR Cup Series race today, and his #16 Celsius Chevrolet will roll off 16th this afternoon.
Can Christopher Bell win three-in-a-row?
Christopher Bell won the last two races at Atlanta and COTA, and has won at Phoenix Raceway in the past. Bell has the chance to win three-in-a-row, with Brad Keselowski last doing so in 2018, a feat hard to repeat. Don’t be surprised if Bell can seal the deal today, as he’s already proven to be a super early favorite to be the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. But he’ll have pole sitter William Byron looking to stop this feat, as well as Carson Hocevar, defending Champion, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott. Also be on the lookout for Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick, all of who are willing to gamble for a victory in the desert.
The Spring race at Phoenix Raceway has been a classic in years past and you won’t want to miss today’s Shriner’s Children’s Hospital 500 at 3:30PM EST/12:30 PM PST on FS1. Tune into FS1 for the remainder of NASCAR Raceday and 312 laps of door-to-door action!
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