Winners and losers from thrilling NASCAR race weekend at Phoenix

Photograph finishes, wild incidents, a number of tire choices and and a seemingly unstoppable Christopher Bell had been the highlights from the fourth spherical of the 2025 NASCAR season at Phoenix Raceway. Each the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Sequence races resulted in dramatic trend, as did the ARCA race on Friday night time. Whereas the primary three races of the yr had been thought-about ‘wildcard’ occasions, Phoenix proved to be unpredictable as effectively and the battle for the win got here all the way down to the final flip.

Now, let’s check out the most important winners and losers from an exciting weekend of racing at Phoenix.

WINNER: Bell handles the stress … once more

Christopher Bell truly did it, successful three consecutive Cup races in a feat not but seen with the present period of race automobile (courting again to 2022). And whereas it is easy to name him a ‘winner’ for that reality alone, we’re taking a unique strategy. Not solely did Bell win these races, however he did it regardless of immense stress and nail-biting battles to the very finish. None of those victories had been a Sunday drive for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

First, he was shoved huge at Atlanta, battling from the surface in a three-wide state of affairs when the race-ending warning got here out. Bell had surged from fourth to first within the closing restart to win that race. The next week at COTA, he battled laborious with two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch for a number of laps earlier than lastly finishing the move, solely to then should take care of a charging William Byron and Tyler Reddick. Lastly, there was Phoenix, the place he held off teammate Denny Hamlin and a lurking Kyle Larson to tug off a three-peat in a dramatic photograph end. Bell retains showcasing that when the stress is on, he’s greater than able to rise to the event.

Watch: Bell retains Hamlin at bay to win third Cup Sequence race in a row

LOSER: Early error denies Logano a real shot on the win

The reigning Cup Sequence champion and four-time Phoenix winner got here into this race with excessive hopes. As soon as once more, he had one of many automobiles to beat on Sunday, however a self-inflicted error put him on the again foot for almost all of the occasion. Very early on he dipped his left-side tires under the road a second too quickly on a restart, leading to a drive-through penalty that despatched him to the rear of the sphere. His staff then used up one of many two units of possibility tires they’d out there as a way to regain some monitor place, which put him at an actual drawback for the ultimate run. We solely bought glimpses of the No. 22’s true potential as Logano completed thirteenth after main 81 laps.

Winners and losers from thrilling NASCAR race weekend at Phoenix

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Workforce Penske Ford

Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures

WINNER: Goodyear brings the motion with a number of tire compounds

Using a number of tire compounds was an absolute and resounding success on Sunday. The added technique made for fixed motion all through the sphere as drivers like Ryan Preece surged from thirty third to third in a single stage whereas others hoarded their tires for the top. With passing proving to be troublesome on the Arizona oval, the tires had been an enormous plus in guaranteeing there was all the time one thing occurring across the monitor. Hopefully, we see much more of this from Goodyear and NASCAR sooner or later after Sunday’s race.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures

LOSER: Briscoe take blame for restart pileup

Briscoe regained 100 helpful factors earlier within the week when Joe Gibbs Racing received its enchantment, however sadly, the great fortune did not comply with him into Phoenix. On Lap 99, Briscoe climbed over the right-front of Justin Haley’s automobile and triggered a large accident, eliminating seven automobiles from the race and damaging a number of others. Briscoe hit extraordinarily laborious as he and Carson Hocevar slammed the surface wall, blowing the right-side window out of the No. 19 automobile. Afterwards, he took accountability for it, saying “that is in regards to the largest you may crash at Phoenix.”

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Pictures

WINNER: Phoenix and its late-race restarts

It looks like the important thing to dramatic finishes at Phoenix is to ensure there’s all the time a two-lap sprint to the checkered flag. All three races this weekend (ARCA, Xfinity and Cup) resulted in such a approach, and every had two drivers door-to-door by the ultimate set of corners in a spectacular showdown for the race win. In case you added the margin of victory from the Xfinity and Cup races collectively, it might nonetheless be lower than a single tenth. In actual fact, Bell’s victory was truly the primary last-lap move for the win in your entire historical past of Cup racing at Phoenix Raceway. The one disadvantage was the followers in Atlanta who did not get to truly see one of many finishes…

Watch: Aric Almirola bests Alex Bowman with contact on the end line

LOSER: Austin Hill’s misjudges the entry

Austin Hill made a uncommon mistake this weekend, or as he stated: “That could be the dumbest transfer I’ve ever had occur to me in racing.” Hill, who’s already locked into the Xfinity playoffs courtesy of his win at Atlanta two weeks in the past, was working simply outdoors the top-five at Phoenix throughout a mid-race restart. Nonetheless, his automobile abruptly shot throughout the monitor and picked up two others, destroying the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. A replay confirmed that Hill had truly touched the within wall whereas getting into the nook, making an attempt to be just a bit bit decrease than the automobile forward of him. The contact despatched him careening throughout the monitor, wrecking himself, but in addition Sheldon Creed and Dean Thompson.

Watch: Austin Hill goes spinning after contact with inside wall on restart

WINNER: Ryan Sieg turns storage mishap into top-five run

The veteran driver/proprietor is used to having the chances stacked towards him, however this weekend was a singular problem for the Sieg and the No. 39 staff. His automobile suffered important nostril injury again within the storage as a result of a lip on the entry of a storage stall, forcing his staff to scramble and pull out the backup automobile. Ranging from the rear of the sphere, Sieg methodically marched his approach ahead, inserting fourth in a wildly spectacular rebound from how the day began.

Ryan Sieg, RSS Racing Ford

Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures

LOSER: Allgaier cannot catch a break at Phoenix

Within the Xfinity Sequence, Justin Allgaier is usually the driving force to beat when the collection involves Phoenix. Nonetheless, it additionally looks like he has discovered each doable technique to lose this race. Even when he received the 2024 Xfinity title at Phoenix, he confronted a number of setbacks and needed to give the win away on the ultimate lap as a way to protect his championship. Final spring at Phoenix, he blew a tire and crashed whereas main within the closing laps.

Whereas there are a number of different examples, the newest got here this previous weekend. Allgaier led 130 of 208 laps in a fully dominant displaying, however alas, a late-race warning compelled the race into additional time. As soon as once more, it did not work out for Allgaier as he pushed huge in Flip 1 and fell again to fifth as the sphere went four-wide for the race lead. He was completely dejected afterwards, and understandably so. Since his most up-to-date Phoenix win in 2019, Allgaier has led a complete of 396 laps on the monitor with out incomes one other Phoenix victory.

Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet