NASCAR heads to Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend after a weekend of domination by several drivers. Kyle Larson dominated the Cup race from the drop of the green flag and never let up, holding off a hard-charging Tyler Reddick in the closing laps. Chandler Smith and John Hunter Nemechek led nearly every lap of the Xfinity Series race on Saturday Evening. The most competitive race of the weekend was the Truck Series race on Friday Night, which saw Ty Majeski have a hold on the race in the first 2 stages, albeit with several challenges from the likes of Kyle Busch, Rajah Caruth, and several others. On the final cycle of green flag pit stops, the aforementioned Majeski would make a critical mistake that would end up costing him the race when he sped on pit road. Busch and Nick Sanchez also got penalties during the cycle, mistakes that also proved costly. These issues opened the door for two young drivers who were each searching for their first career win, Taylor Gray and Rajah Caruth. The two would battle for the presumptive lead following their pit stops (Although FOX refused to show it). Caruth would best Gray on Friday and drove off into the Vegas night to capture a historic first-career win. With that win, Caruth became the third African-American driver to win on NASCAR’s national level, joining Hall of Famer Wendell Scott and current Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace.
Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200
Saturday, March 9 @ 4:30PM EST
Avondale, Arizona
200 Laps/200 Miles
A windy and straight forward race in Las Vegas was dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing, with Chandler Smith dominating the first half of the race and his teammate John Hunter Nemechek taking over after the halfway mark and holding on to win comfortably.
Most Recent Winner At Phoenix
Cole Custer clinched the Xfinity Series title last time the series visited the Arizona Desert.
Names To Watch
William Byron: The reigning Daytona 500 champion will be making his first Xfinity Series start of the season, driving the #17 for Hendrick Motorsports. The 2017 Series Champion won 6 Cup races last season en route to his first Championship 4 appearance.
Frankie Muniz: The Malcolm in The Middle actor turned race car driver will be making his second start of the season. He will be piloting the #35 for Joey Gase Motorsports. His first start came at Daytona, though his race ended early after getting caught up in a crash.
My Pick To Win: Justin Allgaier
Shriners Children’s 500
Sunday, March 10 @ 3:30PM EST
Avondale, Arizona
312 Laps/312 Miles
Kyle Larson dominated in Las Vegas, leading 181 of 267 laps. Larson was not without challenge though. Tyler Reddick gave Larson a fight to the end, as Reddick seemed to be the only driver who could compete with Larson all day, but he came up just a bit short.
Most Recent Winner At Phoenix
Ross Chastain closed out last season on a high note, winning the season finale, though Ryan Blaney walked out Champion.
Names To Watch
Ross Chastain: The Watermelon Man is the defending winner at Phoenix Raceway and has had a strong start to the season. If Chastain and Trackhouse Racing as a whole can keep up the hot start they have had to the season, there could very well be a smashed Watermelon on the Start/Finish Line come Sunday Evening.
Ryan Blaney: The Champ is coming back to Phoenix, and he is looking to seal the deal and grab the win that just slipped from his grasp last fall. Blaney looks to end Chevrolets winning streak in the Cup Series that dates back to the previously mentioned Finale in November.
My Pick To Win: Ross Chastain
Betting Odds
Favorites
Kyle Larson +550
Ryan Blaney +650
William Byron +700
Ross Chastain +900
Denny Hamlin +900
Longshots
Chase Briscoe + 2500
Noah Gragson +6500
Josh Berry +7000
Image: Patrick Vallely
