The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on November 10, 2024, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps on the one mile (1.6 km) oval, it is the 36th and final race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Joey Logano won the race, clinching his third career Championship. Ryan Blaney finished 2nd, and William Byron finished 3rd. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five, and Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, and Daniel Suárez rounded out the top ten.
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 36 of 36 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 2024 program, featuring 2023 champion Ryan Blaney. | |||
| Date | November 10, 2024 | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (499.2 km) | ||
| Weather | Sunny with a temperature around 80 °F (27 °C); wind out of the northwest at around 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h). | ||
| Average speed | 106.203 miles per hour (170.917 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 26.618 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 143 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 1.60 (2.895 million) | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Todd Gordon | ||
| Turn Announcers | Mike Bagley (1 & 2) and Tim Catalfamo (3 & 4) | ||
The race was notably interrupted when the pace car crashed[10] while trying to get off the track for a restart on lap 69 to begin the second stage. The driver of the car swerved to make the turn onto pit road at the last second, and the abrupt turn spun the car to the left into a brief slide towards the protective sand barrels at the end of pit road. The impact moved several barrels and scattered sand across the apron. The red flag was brought out for several minutes while the barrels were fixed and the track was cleaned, and the race resumed as normal soon after.
This was the final race for Stewart–Haas Racing, as the team reformed into Haas Factory Team from the 2025 season onwards. [11] This was also the final race for 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. as a full-time driver, as he announced his retirement from full-time racing on June 14, 2024.[12]
Report
editBackground
edit
Phoenix Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
Championship drivers
edit- Joey Logano was the first of four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, winning the first race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas.[13]
- Tyler Reddick clinched the second spot in the Championship 4, winning the second race of the Round of 8 at Homestead.[14]
- Ryan Blaney clinched the third spot in the Championship 4, winning the final race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville.[15]
- William Byron clinched the final spot in the Championship 4, though only after original championship driver Christopher Bell was penalized in the preceding Xfinity 500 after making an illegal maneuver. As such, Byron inherited his place based on points.[16]
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
- (CC) denotes championship contender.
Practice
editRyan Blaney was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 27.174 seconds and a speed of 132.480 mph (213.206 km/h).[17]
Practice results
edit| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (CC) | Team Penske | Toyota | 27.174 | 132.480 |
| 2 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 27.205 | 132.324 |
| 3 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.233 | 132.193 |
| Official practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editMartin Truex Jr. scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.618 and a speed of 134.741 mph (216.845 km/h).[18]
Qualifying results
editRace
edit- Note: Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and William Byron were not eligible for stage points because of their participation in the Championship 4.
Race results
editStage results
editStage One Laps: 60
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Joey Logano (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 2 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 5 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 7 | 45 | Tyler Reddick (CC) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 8 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 1 |
| Official stage one results | |||||
Stage Two Laps: 125
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 4 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 45 | Tyler Reddick (CC) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| Official stage two results | |||||
Final Stage results
editStage Three Laps: 127
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 22 | Joey Logano (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 312 | 40 |
| 2 | 17 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (CC) | Team Penske | Ford | 312 | 35 |
| 3 | 8 | 24 | William Byron (CC) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 34 |
| 4 | 4 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 39 |
| 5 | 7 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 49 |
| 6 | 10 | 45 | Tyler Reddick (CC) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 312 | 31 |
| 7 | 29 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 312 | 30 |
| 8 | 5 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 38 |
| 9 | 24 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 312 | 33 |
| 10 | 34 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 27 |
| 11 | 14 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 35 |
| 12 | 21 | 10 | Noah Gragson | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 312 | 25 |
| 13 | 11 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 312 | 25 |
| 14 | 16 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 23 |
| 15 | 27 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 312 | 22 |
| 16 | 9 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 312 | 21 |
| 17 | 1 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 31 |
| 18 | 15 | 77 | Carson Hocevar (R) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 19 |
| 19 | 3 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 18 |
| 20 | 32 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 17 |
| 21 | 25 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 16 |
| 22 | 19 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 311 | 15 |
| 23 | 22 | 31 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 14 |
| 24 | 39 | 4 | Josh Berry (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 311 | 13 |
| 25 | 26 | 16 | Derek Kraus | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 12 |
| 26 | 23 | 84 | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 310 | 11 |
| 27 | 36 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 10 |
| 28 | 13 | 7 | Justin Haley | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 310 | 9 |
| 29 | 12 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 310 | 8 |
| 30 | 18 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 310 | 7 |
| 31 | 35 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 309 | 6 |
| 32 | 20 | 51 | Corey LaJoie | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 309 | 5 |
| 33 | 30 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 309 | 4 |
| 34 | 31 | 15 | Kaz Grala (R) | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 308 | 3 |
| 35 | 37 | 44 | J. J. Yeley (i) | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet | 306 | 0 |
| 36 | 38 | 66 | Chad Finchum (i) | Power Source | Ford | 302 | 0 |
| 37 | 33 | 41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 302 | 1 |
| 38 | 40 | 50 | Jeb Burton (i) | Team AmeriVet | Chevrolet | 294 | 0 |
| 39 | 28 | 71 | Zane Smith (R) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 247 | 1 |
| 40 | 6 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
edit- Lead changes: 16 among 8 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 4 for 33
- Red flags: 1 for 5 minutes, and 47 seconds
- Time of race: 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 16 seconds
- Average speed: 106.203 miles per hour (170.917 km/h)
Media
editTelevision
editNBC covered the race on the television side. Leigh Diffey, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Kim Coon, Parker Kligerman, and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.
| NBC | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Leigh Diffey Color-commentator: Jeff Burton Color-commentator: Steve Letarte |
Dave Burns Kim Coon Parker Kligerman Marty Snider |
Radio
editThe race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Todd Gordon called the action from the broadcast booth when the field races down the front straightaway. This race was the final event for Jeff Striegle, who was retiring after a 28 year career with the network. Mike Bagley called the action from turns 1 & 2 and Tim Catalfamo called the action from turns 3 & 4. Pit Lane for MRN Radio was covered by MRN Lead Pit Reporter Steve Post, Dillon Welch, Jacklyn Drake and Chris Wilner.
| MRN Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Alex Hayden Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Todd Gordon |
Turns 1 & 2: Mike Bagley Turns 3 & 4: Tim Catalfamo |
Steve Post Dillon Welch Jacklyn Drake Chris Wilner |
Standings after the race
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References
edit- ^ "2024 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Phoenix Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ Taranto, Steven (October 3, 2023). "NASCAR Cup Series 2024 schedule announcement: New additions, race dates, plus the complete calendar". CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "NASCAR reveals 2024 Cup schedule as Atlanta, Watkins Glen move to playoffs". National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. October 4, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "Practice Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Qualifying Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ "NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "NASCAR championship race halted as pace car crashes". www.motorsport.com. 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ Fryer, Jenna (May 28, 2024). "Stewart-Haas Racing to close NASCAR teams at end of 2024 season, says time to 'pass the torch'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Spencer, Reid (June 14, 2024). "Martin Truex Jr. set to retire from full-time competition after 2024 season". NASCAR. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Cain, Holly (October 20, 2024). "Joey Logano lands Championship 4 berth, denies Bell with victory at Vegas". NASCAR. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Cain, Holly (October 27, 2024). "Tyler Reddick rides high line to Homestead victory, clinches Championship 4 berth". NASCAR. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Cain, Holly (November 3, 2024). "Ryan Blaney surges to Champ 4 with repeat walk-off Martinsville win". NASCAR. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Champ 4 is set; William Byron clinches on points after official review". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ DeGroot, Nick (November 8, 2024). "Title contender Ryan Blaney dominates NASCAR Cup practice at Phoenix". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ DeGroot, Nick (November 9, 2024). "Truex earns pole in last Cup race as full-time driver, Logano tops title rivals". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 9, 2024.