So far this year the NASCAR Cup Series has gone from the East Coast to the desert to the West Coast. This week is back to the desert for the FanShield 500.
This week the drivers and teams will be at Phoenix Raceway searching for that win and points. The track looks unassuming at first glance. However, veteran drivers know and rookie drivers find out it is a track that demands your focus. With not much banking, a driver can get in trouble quickly and miss out on the chance of a good finish.
This year the crew chiefs will need to be very focused as well. In the past (and in the first three races this season), the race had the same number of laps in stages one and two with the third stage being longer. This year the three stages of the race will all be a different number of laps.
Here is the data that requires drivers to pay attention from start to finish of the race.
Phoenix Raceway Data
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 11 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
FanShield 500 Data
Season Race #: 04 of 36 (03-08-20)
Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers
Stage 1 Length: 75 laps
Stage 2 Length: 115 laps
Final Stage Length: 122 laps
These active drivers have performed the best overall at the track during their careers in NASCAR’s top division.
Top 10 Active Driver Rating at Phoenix
- Kevin Harvick ………………………… 110.5
- Jimmie Johnson …………………….. 105.2
- Kyle Busch ……………………………. 104.7
- Chase Elliott ………………………….. 102.5
- Denny Hamlin …………………………. 98.9
- Kurt Busch………………………………. 95.0
- Brad Keselowski ……………………… 92.8
- Kyle Larson …………………………….. 92.5
- Ryan Blaney ……………………………. 91.9
- Joey Logano …………………………… 90.0
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (30 total) among active drivers at Phoenix Raceway.
These are seven active drivers that have won at Phoenix in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Active Drivers with Win(s) at Phoenix Raceway
- Kevin Harvick – 9 Wins (All-Time Leader)
- Jimmie Johnson – 4 Wins
- Kyle Busch – 3 Wins (Including this race last year)
- Ryan Newman – 2 Wins
- Denny Hamlin – 2 Wins
- Joey Logano – 1 Win
- Kurt Busch – 1 Win
Kevin Harvick has the highest driver rating and has won more races than any other driver at Phoenix by more than double. His nine wins include winning seven of the last 15 cup series races at the track (nearly half). However, he has not been to Victory Lane in Phoenix in the past three races.
Here’s the question … Is Kevin Harvick due for another win at Phoenix? Or, has the rest of the field finally learned how to race the track better after watching him for so many years?
We will find out when the green flag waives to start the FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway Sunday, March 8th starting at 2:30 PM central time (3:30 PM eastern time).
By: Buck Stevens
