NASCAR Cup Series Returns to Phoenix

Photo: 11 Denny Hamlin is on top of the points standings

The Phoenix Raceway is gearing up for the return of NASCAR on the weekend October 16-18. The three day event will begin with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, October 16 at 4:30pm local time. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday will also start at 4:30pm and the weekend wraps up with the Freeway Insurance 500 on Sunday starting at noon. The Sunday race is the first of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

The drivers have been battling throughout the spring, summer and now getting more intense as the drivers and crews are working very hard to earn valuable points to get them into better starting positions in the final race. Leading the pack is Denny Hamlin who has 4 official cup wins and 2,135 points. Hamlin has won a total of five races including three in a row on May 31, June 7 and June 14. His win in the All-Star Race on May 17 did not count in the point standings.

On This Day in History — 1977

Bob Meusel, American baseball player and sailor (born 1896) (1896–1977) 🔗

Photo: The Phoenix Raceway saw a big crowd enjoy the Straight Talk Wireless race in March

Right behind Hamlin and in second place is Christopher Bell who has one win with 2,123 points. Bell has 14 top 10 finishes and that has been earning him some big points. Ryan Blaney, who won the Straight Talk Wireless 500 race at the Phoenix Raceway in March, has 3 overall wins and is third with 2,119 points. Fourth place is Tyler Reddick who has the most wins this year with 5 and has 2,111 points. Chase Briscoe has a win and 2,098 is fifth. Just two points behind him is Ty Gibbs with 2,096 and has won twice this season. In seventh place is Kyle Larson, eighth is Joey Logano. Chase Elliot and Bubba Wallace round out the top 10. The next six to make it are Chris Buescher, Carson Hocevar, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, Ryan Preece, and William Byron.

The 16 drivers that made it this far will still be battling each other through the next five races leading up to the Phoenix race. The final race will be on Sunday, November 8 at the Homestead-Miami Raceway in Homestead, Florida.

Next up is Sunday, September 13 at noon for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on the USA Network and HBO Max.

Information including tickets for the race weekend can be obtained at www.phoenixraceway.com