Nascar Phoenix review

Story posted March 16, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Ethan Ellis

The NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Phoenix Raceway on Sunday for a race that looked to test not only the Nextgen car’s racing capabilities on one-mile tracks but also to provide a preview for the Championship weekend in November.

It’s safe to say that it passed the test. Racing was some of the best that has been seen at the track in a good couple of years, a statement that’s been repeated after most of the races this year.

Ryan Blaney started on pole for the race and used that position to be a dominant force in the race. Blaney would go on to lead a race-high 143 laps on the day and also record a stage two win with William Byron winning the first stage.

As with most races where he dominates the race, Blaney did not go on to win. This has been a familiar theme throughout his career and is something that Blaney will need to get better at if he is to continue to bring in the wins for Roger Penske.

Blaney was not the only young gun who had a good showing on Sunday, however. For much of the race, Blaney was challenged by Chase Elliott until Blaney had a late-race pitstop go awry that ultimately pitied him in the back.

Some of the more traditional drivers that are seen at the front of the field on a typical Sunday seemed to be absent from the front.

One of the big ones not seen at the front was Martin Truex Jr. Truex was the victim of an accident that completely removed the possibility of him returning for the day. Another driver who suffered issues was Kyle Larson.

Larson had a valve stem go late in the race that put him in the garage for a long time, effectively ending his chances for a decent finishing position.

Larson had been running midpack for most of the race before he suffered the issue. Once again, Brad Keselowski was not seen anywhere close to the front of the field.

Keselowski has continued to struggle with both the new car and with his new team as for yet another Sunday, he was forced to run mid to back of the pack.

While some drivers had struggles, others set records and made history. Kevin Harvick was one of these drivers.

Harvick showed the field why he will always reign supreme at Phoenix as he tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most consecutive top 10s at a track with the three of them having 18 apiece. Harvick will look to break this record when he returns in the fall for Championship weekend. 

After all this, the race came down to one final restart. Chase Briscoe was able to get a good jump on the restart and was able to block both Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain on the inside dogleg.

In the end, Reddick and Chastain got side by side battling for second, allowing Briscoe to run away with the win. Chastain would finish second and Reddick would be credited with a third-place finish.

This was the first win of Briscoe’s career and he became the 200th winner in NASCAR Cup Series history.

The Cup Series travels to the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway for a race that is sure to excite as it is a big unknown.

Ethan Ellis is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at ece5133@psu.edu