NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Set to Conclude at Phoenix Raceway

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to conclude on Sunday, November 10, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The Championship Race, which begins at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock, promises to be an exciting finale to the season.

Martin Truex Jr., who is entering his final full-time season, will start on the pole. Truex is on a 51-race winless streak and expressed his hope to celebrate a win on Sunday, which would be a fitting end to his full-time career. Other drivers to watch include Ross Chastain, starting third, and Kyle Larson, the winningest driver this season with six victories, starting fourth. Christopher Bell, who won at Phoenix in March, qualified seventh and has extra motivation after being eliminated from the Championship 4 race last weekend at Martinsville[4][5].

The title contenders for the championship are Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Tyler Reddick. Joey Logano starts second, the best among the title contenders, while William Byron qualified eighth and Tyler Reddick will start 10th. Ryan Blaney, despite being fast in practice, qualified 17th. The race strategy and track position are expected to be crucial, with William Byron’s team boasting the best pit crew among the four title contenders[4][5].

Historical trends suggest that the final stages of the race could be caution-free, similar to the last two years where the final 31 and 32 laps were run without cautions. Crew chiefs will play a significant role in making strategic pit calls, as seen in previous races where such decisions have significantly impacted the outcome. NASCAR officials have also emphasized that they will closely monitor restarts, having penalized several drivers in the preceding Truck and Xfinity races for infractions related to restart procedures[4].

The race at Phoenix Raceway, known for its challenging restarts and critical track position, is anticipated to be highly competitive. The combination of experienced drivers, strategic pit calls, and the pressure of the championship finale is expected to make for an intense and thrilling conclusion to the NASCAR Cup Series season.