The NASCAR Cup Series is headed back to the track the 2020 Championship was won on, the Phoenix Raceway. Will one of the Cup Series veteran top performers final score a 2021 win in this weekend’s Instacart 500?
The first winner of the season was a 14 year veteran of NASCAR’s top division. However, winning the 2021 Daytona 500 was Michael McDowell’s first career Cup Series win.
Christopher Bell scored his first Cup Series win in his second year as a full-time Cup Series driver in the second race of the 2021 season on the Daytona Road Course.
The third race of the 2021 Cup Series season was held Homestead-Miami Speedway. William Byron scored his second Cup Series win in that race in only his fourth year driving full-time in NASCAR’s top division.
Kyle Larson is in his eighth year in the NASCAR Cup Series. However, his win last week in Las Vegas was only the seventh win of his Cup Series career.
What about the veteran drivers that have double digit win totals? Drivers including: Kevin Harvick (58 wins), Kyle Busch (57 wins), Denny Hamlin (44 wins), Brad Keselowski (34 wins), Kurt Busch (32), Martin Truex Jr. (27 wins), Joey Logano (26 wins), Ryan Newman (18 wins) and even Chase Elliott (11 wins). Are we watching a year that will usher in a “changing of the guard” as it were in the NASCAR Cup Series?
Here is what the drivers are all facing regardless of their time in the top division of NASCAR.
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
Instacart 500 Data
Season Race #: 05 of 36 (03-14-21)
Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers
Stage 1 Length: 75 laps
Stage 2 Length: 115 laps
Final Stage Length: 122 laps
Not that statistics like these have made much difference in the first four races this year, but here are the top overall active drivers at Phoenix Raceway.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Phoenix
Kevin Harvick………………………. 110.6
Chase Elliott……………………….. 108.4
Kyle Busch…………………………. 104.7
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 98.4
Brad Keselowski……………………. 95.0
Kurt Busch……………………………. 94.5
Joey Logano…………………………. 93.1
Kyle Larson………………………….. 93.0
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 89.4
Martin Truex Jr………………………. 88.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (32 total) among active drivers at Phoenix Raceway.
Here are the active NASCAR Cup Series drivers who have won previously at Phoenix Raceway.
Kevin Harvick – 9 Wins (All-Time Leader)
Jimmie Johnson – 4 Wins
Kyle Busch – 3 Wins
Ryan Newman – 2 Wins
Denny Hamlin – 2 Wins
Joey Logano – 2 Wins
Kurt Busch – 1 Win
Chase Elliott – 1 Win (2020 Championship Race)
Perhaps this weekend will see the race won by a driver we see more often in Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick is at the top of the Driver Ratings and is the all-time leader on the winners list at Phoenix Raceway. Maybe he can get back to his winning ways.
Even Chase Elliott could be considered a more regular winner. While he is at the bottom of the list of double digit winners at 11, those wins have come in his mere first five years as a full-time Cup Series driver. He is second on the list of top driver ratings at the track. He won his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship last November at Phoenix Raceway. Perhaps Chase can lock his chance to defend his championship in this year’s Playoffs by winning back-to-back race at Phoenix.
Then again, the way things seem to be going this season I would not rule out another first time winner.
We will have to see what unfolds as the laps count off Sunday, March 14th starting at 2:30 p.m. central time (3:30 p.m. eastern time) at Phoenix Raceway in the Instacart 500.
Just a friendly reminder that Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 14th as well. If your clocks don’t automatically adjust for the time change, make sure you “Spring Forward” one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night, March 13th. Otherwise, you will be an hour late all day Sunday.
By: Buck Stevens
