NASCAR Phoenix Sunday, March 6, 2022
PHOENIX RACEWAY NASCAR CUP SERIES STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Phoenix 3/21
Martin Truex Jr.
Phoenix March winner – Started 5th, finished 17th in Stage 1 & 2nd in Stage 2, first lead on lap 224, 64 laps led
Winner pit stops: Martin Truex Jr. (7 Stops) 33, 79, 141 (Green), 194, 254 (Green), 264, 284
Longest green flag run: 93 Laps (99-191)
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: Joey Logano (2nd & 1st), Denny Hamlin (4th & 3rd), Brad Keselowski (3rd & 4th), Ryan Blaney (1st & 5th)
Speeding: Elliott 5th, Larson 7th, Almirola 11th, Dillon 17th, Chastain 19th,
Suarez 21st, Briscoe 22nd, McDowell 23rd, Reddick 29th, Bilicki 35th
Rear of field: Elliott 5th, Larson 7th, Byron 8th, Houff 32nd, Smithley 34th, Ware 36th
Best HMS: Chase Elliott 5th
Best JGR: Martin Truex Jr. 1st
Best SHR: Kevin Harvick 6th
Best TPR: Joey Logano 2nd
Fuel window: 86-90 Laps
Phoenix 11/21
Kyle Larson
Phoenix Nov. winner – Pole, finished 5th in Stage 1 & Stage 2 winner, 7 times led for 107 laps (most), champion
Winner pit stops: Kyle Larson (7 Stops) 8, 79, 131, 156, 193, 251, 285 (All under caution)
Longest green flag run: 56 Laps (21-76)
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: Larson (5th & 1st), Truex Jr. (1st & 4th), Hamlin (4th & 3rd), Elliott (3rd & 2nd)
Speeding: Almirola (6th), Kurt Busch (16th), McLeod (27th), Starr (33rd), Hill (38th)
Rear of field: Bilicki (30th), Hill (38th)
Best Hendrick: Kyle Larson (1st)
Best Gibbs: Martin Truex Jr. (2nd)
Best Stewart-Haas: Aric Almirola (6th)
Best Penske: Ryan Blaney (4th)
52nd NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix race – First race: 1988 (Alan Kulwicki winner)
4th of 36 races this season – 23 Races before Playoffs – 33 Races remaining this season
6 Different winners last 6 Phoenix races –
Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. & Kyle Larson
First Phoenix win last 3 winners – Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. & Kyle Larson
Phoenix wins:
Kevin Harvick 9
Kyle Busch 3
Denny Hamlin 2, Joey Logano 2
Kurt Busch 1, Chase Elliott 1, Kyle Larson 1 & Martin Truex Jr. 1
Champion winless at Phoenix:
Brad Keselowski: 0 for 25
Finished top 5 both Phoenix races last season: Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin & Martin Truex Jr. (3 of Championship 4)
Finished top 10 both Phoenix races last season:
Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski & Martin Truex Jr.
2-Brad Keselowski: 2012 Champion – Winless in 25 Phoenix races
2-Brad Keselowski: 8 Top 5 & 13 Top 10 finishes at Phoenix – Most of winless drivers at Phoenix
2-Brad Keselowski: 13 Phoenix top 10 finishes – 3 Straight Phoenix top 10 finishes
4-Kevin Harvick: Phoenix – Wins: 9 / Top 5: 18 / Top 10: 27 / Laps Led: 1663 – Most all-time
4-Kevin Harvick: 1 Win last 11 Phoenix races – 6 Wins previous 8 Phoenix races
4-Kevin Harvick: 17 Straight Phoenix top 10 finishes – All-time longest streak: 18 Earnhardt & R. Petty at North Wilkesboro
(37-Years-old last time finishing outside top 10 at Phoenix)
4-Kevin Harvick: Running at finish all 38 Phoenix races
4-Kevin Harvick: Last win with Childress – Phoenix 11/10/13 / First win with Stewart-Haas – Phoenix 3/2/14
5-Kyle Larson: 2021 Phoenix Championship race winner – Finished 7th or better last 6 Phoenix races
9-Chase Elliott: 1 Phoenix win (11/20) – 5 Top 5 finishes in last 9 races
9-Chase Elliott: 5 Phoenix top 5 finishes – 3 Straight Phoenix top 5 finishes
9-Chase Elliott: Finished 7th or better last 4 Phoenix races – 3 Straight Phoenix top 5 finishes
Alan Gustafson: 4 Phoenix wins with 4 different drivers – Kyle Busch 11/05, Martin 4/09, Gordon 2/11 & Elliott 11/20
10-Aric Almirola: Speeding penalties both Phoenix races last season – Finished 11th & 6th
11-Denny Hamlin: 3 Straight Phoenix top 5 finishes – Finished top 5 in Stage 1 & 2 all 3 races
11-Denny Hamlin: 5 Top 5 finishes last 6 Phoenix races – 3 Straight Phoenix top 5 finishes
12-Ryan Blaney: 7 Phoenix top 10 finishes – 3 Straight Phoenix top 10 finishes
12-Ryan Blaney: 7 Phoenix top 10 finishes – 5 Top 10 finishes last 6 Phoenix races
18-Kyle Busch only repeat winner last 10 Phoenix races (2 Wins) – 8 Others 1 win each
19-Martin Truex Jr. 1 Phoenix win (3/21) – 3 Straight Phoenix top 10 finishes
19-Martin Truex Jr. won first Phoenix race in 31st try (3/21) – Most of all drivers
19-Martin Truex Jr. passed for final lead change last Phoenix race
22-Joey Logano passed for final lead change 2 of last 3 Phoenix races
Joe Gibbs Racing won 4 of 7 Phoenix races since start/finish line moved –
Kyle Busch 2, Denny Hamlin 1 & Martin Truex Jr. 1
Hendrick Motorsports: 2 Wins last 3 Phoenix races – Winless previous 9 Phoenix races
Hendrick Motorsports won 12 Phoenix races with 8 different drivers
Alan Kulwicki & Tony Stewart only drivers to win Phoenix in first try
Last defending champion to win Phoenix: Kevin Harvick (2014 Champion & 3/15 winner)
9 Phoenix races finished in Overtime – Leader at scheduled distance won 7 times
2 Won first career race at Phoenix – Alan Kulwicki 1988 & Bobby Hamilton 1996
2 Rookie of the Year contenders won Phoenix – Tony Stewart 1999 & Kyle Busch 11/05
Closest Phoenix finish: .010 Seconds (3/16) Kevin Harvick over Carl Edwards
Stage 1 winner went on to win only 1 of 10 Phoenix races
Phoenix History:
1988 Phoenix Alan Kulwicki won for the first time in his career in the first race at Phoenix
Jeff Gordon tied Dale Earnhardt with 76 wins 4/07 & Cale Yarborough with 83 wins 2/11
Phoenix 3/18 Kevin Harvick passed Tony Stewart all-time Stewart-Haas Racing wins
Phoenix 4/09 Mark Martin won at 50-years-old driving for Hendrick Motorsports
PHOENIX RACEWAY NASCAR XFINITY SERIES STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Daniel Hemric:
Phoenix 11/21 winner – Started 4th, finished 2nd in Stage 1 & Stage 2 winner, 48 laps led, last lap pass for win, champion
Ty Gibbs:
Finished 2nd at Phoenix 3/21 – Started 27th, finished 10th in Stage 1 & 9th in Stage 2, 1 lap led
Justin Allgaier:
2 Phoenix wins – 11 Top 10 finishes last 14 Phoenix races
Noah Gragson:
Finished 12th at Phoenix 11/21 – Started 7th, finished 5th in Stage 1 & 2, 3 laps led, finished 3rd in championship
AJ Allmendinger:
Finished 14th at Phoenix 11/21 – Started 12th, finished 7th in Stage 1 & 6th in Stage 2, 4th of Championship 4
Chris Gayle:
3 Phoenix NXS wins as crew chief
Luke Lambert:
1 NCS win as crew chief – Ryan Newman at Phoenix 3/17
1 Phoenix NXS win (First win) – Elliott Sadler 3/12
Jason Ratcliff:
1 Phoenix NCS win as crew chief – Matt Kenseth 11/17
4 Phoenix NXS wins as crew chief
41st NASCAR Xfinity Series Phoenix Raceway race – First race: 1999 (Jeff Gordon winner)
4th of 33 races this season – 23 Races before Playoffs – 30 Races remaining this season
21 Different Winners in 40 NASCAR Xfinity Series Phoenix Races
4 Swept Phoenix NXS & NCS races same weekend – Burton (2000), Harvick (4/06), Edwards (11/10) & Kyle Busch (3/19)
Justin Allgaier: 2 Phoenix wins (3/17 & 11/19) – First win with JR Motorsports 3/17
Kyle Busch (Phoenix) & Mark Martin (Rockingham) record 11 wins at a single track
3 Different leaders last 3 laps at Phoenix 11/20 – Allgaier, Gragson & Cindric
3 Lead changes last 3 laps at Phoenix 11/21 – Daniel Hemric winner
Crew chief Brian Wilson won 3 of last 8 Phoenix races – Brad Keselowski 3/18, Austin Cindric 11/20 & 3/21
2 Won first career race at Phoenix – Sam Hornish Jr. 11/11 & Daniel Hemric 11/21
Greg Biffle & Jeff Gordon only drivers to win Phoenix in first try
10 of 40 won Phoenix from pole
Driver starting first failed to win last 10 Phoenix races
Only 4 of 40 Phoenix races won by drivers starting outside top 10
Only 4 drivers won a Phoenix race & championship in same season –
Kevin Harvick (2006), William Byron (2017), Austin Cindric (2020) & Daniel Hemric (2021)
11 Phoenix races finished in Overtime – Leader at scheduled distance won 8
Last 2 Phoenix Championship races ended in Overtime – Leader at scheduled distance failed to win
Leader of most laps failed to win 4 of last 5 Phoenix races
4 Rookie of the Year candidates won Phoenix –
Greg Biffle 2001, Carl Edwards 11/05, William Byron 11/17 & Christopher Bell 11/18