2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 4 of 36 in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
| Date | March 8, 2026 | ||
| Location | Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.000 miles (1.609 km) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 88.219 miles per hour (141.975 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Team Penske | ||
| Time | 26.561 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 176 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Time | 27.402 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe (stage 2) | ||
| Nielsen ratings | 2.841 million | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley, and Todd Gordon | ||
| Turn announcers | Dan Hubbard (1 & 2) and Kurt Becker (3 & 4) | ||
The 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on March 8, 2026, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps on the 1.000 mi (1.609 km) oval, it was the fourth race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Ryan Blaney won the race. Christopher Bell finished 2nd, and Kyle Larson finished 3rd. Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five, and Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell, and Erik Jones rounded out the top ten.
Report
Background
Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race between 2020 and 2025. Phoenix Raceway has also hosted the CART, IndyCar Series, USAC and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The raceway is currently owned and operated by NASCAR.
Straight Talk Wireless was announced as the title sponsor for the 2026 race, which became the "Desert Double" weekend with the Good Ranchers 250 NTT IndyCar Series.[7]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Alex Bowman, the original driver of the No. 48, was sidelined for the race due to vertigo sustained at Austin a week prior.[8]
Practice
Daniel Suárez was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 26.877 seconds and a speed of 133.943 mph (215.560 km/h).
Practice results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.877 | 133.943 |
| 2 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.961 | 133.526 |
| 3 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.983 | 133.417 |
| Official practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Joey Logano scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.561 and a speed of 135.537 mph (218.126 km/h).[9]
Qualifying results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 26.561 | 135.537 |
| 2 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.678 | 134.943 |
| 3 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 26.731 | 134.675 |
| 4 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.744 | 134.610 |
| 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 26.747 | 134.595 |
| 6 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 26.757 | 134.544 |
| 7 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.758 | 134.539 |
| 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 26.787 | 134.394 |
| 9 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.791 | 134.373 |
| 10 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 26.814 | 134.258 |
| 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.819 | 134.233 |
| 12 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.836 | 134.148 |
| 13 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 26.837 | 134.143 |
| 14 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.840 | 134.128 |
| 15 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 26.858 | 134.038 |
| 16 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.862 | 134.018 |
| 17 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 26.875 | 133.953 |
| 18 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 26.878 | 133.939 |
| 19 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 26.882 | 133.919 |
| 20 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.897 | 133.844 |
| 21 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.899 | 133.834 |
| 22 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 26.902 | 133.819 |
| 23 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 26.905 | 133.804 |
| 24 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 26.906 | 133.799 |
| 25 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 26.948 | 133.591 |
| 26 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.956 | 133.551 |
| 27 | 33 | Austin Hill (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 26.959 | 133.536 |
| 28 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 27.021 | 133.230 |
| 29 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.037 | 133.151 |
| 30 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 27.041 | 133.131 |
| 31 | 48 | Anthony Alfredo (i) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.088 | 132.900 |
| 32 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 27.094 | 132.871 |
| 33 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 27.133 | 132.680 |
| 34 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 27.182 | 132.441 |
| 35 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 27.207 | 132.319 |
| 36 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 27.516 | 130.833 |
| 37 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Official qualifying results | ||||||
Race
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 60
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage Two Laps: 125
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 1 |
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 127
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 312 | 65 |
| 2 | 12 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 54 |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 36 |
| 4 | 14 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 36 |
| 5 | 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 47 |
| 6 | 28 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 312 | 37 |
| 7 | 9 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 32 |
| 8 | 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 312 | 39 |
| 9 | 16 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 28 |
| 10 | 32 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 312 | 27 |
| 11 | 18 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 26 |
| 12 | 30 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 312 | 26 |
| 13 | 13 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 312 | 24 |
| 14 | 17 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 312 | 30 |
| 15 | 37 | 5 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 312 | 22 |
| 16 | 25 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 21 |
| 17 | 29 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 20 |
| 18 | 22 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 312 | 19 |
| 19 | 23 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 18 |
| 20 | 7 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 21 |
| 21 | 27 | 33 | Austin Hill (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 0 |
| 22 | 21 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 15 |
| 23 | 26 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 14 |
| 24 | 34 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 312 | 13 |
| 25 | 15 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 312 | 12 |
| 26 | 33 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 311 | 11 |
| 27 | 24 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 294 | 10 |
| 28 | 6 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 286 | 10 |
| 29 | 19 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 281 | 8 |
| 30 | 4 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 254 | 11 |
| 31 | 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 253 | 23 |
| 32 | 10 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 253 | 5 |
| 33 | 31 | 48 | Anthony Alfredo (i) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 217 | 0 |
| 34 | 3 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 216 | 13 |
| 35 | 36 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 159 | 2 |
| 36 | 35 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 155 | 1 |
| 37 | 20 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 131 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 23 among 8 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 12 for 86
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 3 hours, 32 minutes and 12 seconds
- Average speed: 88.219 miles per hour (141.975 km/h)
Media
Television
Fox Sports covered the race at the Phoenix Raceway. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and nine-time Phoenix winner Kevin Harvick called the race from the broadcast booth, with Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe joining for Stage 2. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled pit road for the television side, and Larry McReynolds provided insight on-site during the race.[10][11]
| FS1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters | In-race analyst |
| Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy Color-commentator: Clint Bowyer Color-commentator: Kevin Harvick Color-commentator: Townsend Bell (Stage 2) Color-commentator: James Hinchcliffe (Stage 2) |
Jamie Little Regan Smith |
Larry McReynolds |
Radio
MRN covered the radio action for the race which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley, and former crew chief Todd Gordon called the race when the field races past the start/finish line. Dan Hubbard called the action from turns 1 & 2, and Kurt Becker called the action from turns 3 & 4. Pit lane was manned by Lead MRN Pit Reporter Steve Post and Chris Wilner.
| MRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Alex Hayden Announcer: Mike Bagley Announcer: Todd Gordon |
Turns 1 & 2: Dan Hubbard Turns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker |
Steve Post Chris Wilner |
Standings after the race
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References
- ^ "2026 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ^ "Phoenix Raceway". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. March 2, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ "Straight Talk Wireless 500 Results". Racing-Reference. March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ "Excitement builds for Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, March 8". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ "Alex Bowman to miss NASCAR race at Phoenix due to vertigo diagnosis; Anthony Alfredo to fill in". Hendrick Motorsports. March 5, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ^ DeGroot, Nick (March 7, 2026). "2026 NASCAR Cup at Phoenix full starting lineup: Joey Logano on pole". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500". Fox Sports. 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "2026 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule". NBC Sports. 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-18.