Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix featured 12 cautions, matching a report for the sequence on the Arizona oval. The race featured loads of drama, reduce tires, blown rotors, and a formidable comeback from Ryan Blaney and the #12 Staff Penske Ford.
Reddick nonetheless leads the championship standings, at the same time as his win streak involves an finish. Blaney is now second, 60 factors adrift of the lead, with Bubba Wallace third.
This is a take a look at the most important winners and losers from Phoenix Raceway:
WINNER: Blaney comeback completes Penske good weekend
Watch: Phoenix spring win ‘hits in another way’ for Ryan Blaney
Staff Penske received the pole for each the IndyCar and NASCAR Cup races at Phoenix, and went on to win each races as nicely. Most impressively, they did it with 4 totally different drivers. Ryan Blaney accomplished the sweep, regardless of having to pas many of the area twice resulting from a number of unfastened wheels. Undeterred, he put himself again in rivalry, and continued Penske’s Phoenix dominance.
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LOSER: Logano on the epicenter of two main wrecks in ‘tough day’
It was a really totally different consequence for Blaney’s Penske teammate and pole-sitter Joey Logano. He had a automobile able to successful the race, however issues began to go downhill quick within the remaining stage. A foul bump on a restart from the #22 despatched Ross Chastain spinning up the observe, accumulating Anthony Alfredo and Logano’s teammate, Austin Cindric. Logano took full duty for the incident. Quickly after, Logano was battling three-wide on the frontstretch when he got here up the observe and made contact with AJ Allmendinger, spinning out. The #22 slid again up the observe, accumulating Daniel Suarez and Penske-allied Josh Berry. All three drivers have been unable to proceed, and Logano completed thirty first. Despondently, he known as it a ‘tough day’ exterior the infield care middle.
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WINNER: 23XI win streak ends, however with a double high ten
Watch: Tyler Reddick reacts to win streak coming to finish at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick made historical past by successful the primary three races of the 2026 season, and whereas he didn’t accomplish the four-peat, it was nonetheless a really spectacular day for the group. Bubba Wallace completed sixth, and Reddick was eighth in a double top-ten for the group. Sunday at Phoenix made it clear that 23XI are actual contenders and are not going anyplace.
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LOSER: Chase Briscoe terrible season begin continues at Phoenix
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Picture by: Kevin Abele / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Briscoe made it to the Championship 4 in 2025 within the outdated playoff format, however within the new points-driven format for 2026, he’s already in a deep gap. Whereas he completed second at Atlanta, Briscoe’s different three finishes to begin the yr are all thirty sixth or worse — that is three totally different races the place he scored solely a single level in each. Briscoe is now thirty third within the championship standings.
WINNER: Two spins, and nonetheless high 5 in factors for SVG
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Shane van Gisbergen earned his career-best oval end at Atlanta, even after spinning twice. Effectively, he took an identical path to a strong Eleventh-place end at Phoenix, enhancing on his earlier finest results of twenty fourth on the observe. SVG spun twice at Phoenix, however nonetheless rebounded to just about rating a high ten end. He stays fifth within the championship standings, forward of a number of large names 4 races into the yr.
LOSER: A dominant Bell runs out of time
Watch: Christopher Bell feeling ‘sting’ of Phoenix runner-up
Christopher Bell led over half of Sunday’s Cup race, however a choice to take 4 tires in the course of the remaining warning proved pricey for the #20 automobile. He gave up the lead, falling again to eighth for the restart. He charged ahead, ending second, and solely didn’t get Blaney for the win as a result of he did not have sufficient laps. It was a bitter defeat for Bell, who felt like they gave a win away.
WINNER: Goodyear does not overreact, permits groups to resolve their destiny
Basic view
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
In November, 2025, the championship race at Phoenix was chaotic resulting from tire failures, and this previous weekend was no totally different. Nevertheless it’s not a Goodyear subject, it is a groups being grasping subject. Goodyear posted the next message on social media earlier than Sunday’s race: “Earlier than we go racing, bear in mind: The really useful tire pressures weren’t guesses.” The primary stage noticed no points, however groups continued to push the restrict because the race progressed. We title Goodyear as one of many ‘winners’ as a result of they did not overreact to final November’s race in an effort to guard groups from themselves, and once more introduced tires that promoted tire put on and passing.
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LOSER: A promising weekend for Suarez unravels
Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Pictures
Daniel Suarez was seventh within the factors coming into Phoenix, led the best way in follow, and certified fourth on the grid. Sadly, the race wasn’t as type. After scoring some factors in Stage 1, a mid-race spin left him with some minor harm. Nonetheless, he soldiered ahead, solely to get collected in a Stage 3 crash he had nothing to do with, ending the #7’s day and dropping him ten place within the factors.
WINNER: Ty Gibbs with one other sturdy run, and pointed phrases
Watch: Ty Gibbs feels he is with ‘the fitting guys’ after fourth-place end
Gibbs now has back-to-back high fives at COTA and Phoenix, and he was the driving force Blaney needed to go for the win with ten laps to go. He’s winless in 127 profession begins, however he continues to knock on the door. Gibbs additionally seems extra assured than we have seen him prior to now, and had some fascinating post-race feedback. “…Very proud of my group. All the fellows, I am with the fitting guys. That makes a distinction. So we’re operating good due to that. It reveals. Actually proud of my group, everyone has finished an ideal job, everyone believes in me, all of us imagine in one another. Proud of that.” Some have interpreted that as a reference to the continuing lawsuit in opposition to JGR’s former competitors director, Chris Gabehart, who was vital of Ty.
LOSER: Zilisch’s rookie marketing campaign cannot catch a break
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Zilisch would be the ROTY irrespective of in 2026, however he absolutely desires to be having higher outcomes than he’s proper now. Crashes at Daytona and Atlanta, two spins at COTA, and a number of tire failures and a blown rotor at Phoenix have plagued his season. He has solely completed on the lead lap as soon as this yr, and three of 4 races have seen the #88 end twenty ninth or worse. We’ve not been in a position to see what he’s really succesful but due to that, and now he sits thirty fourth in factors with a number of work to do in upcoming races.
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