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NASCAR at Phoenix Raceway

The NASCAR Cup Series circuit heads to Phoenix Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, March 8. The Straight Talk Wireless 500 is set for 312 laps and 312 miles around the 1.0-mile Arizona track.

Heading into the race weekend, Team Penske star Ryan Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin enter as the favorites to win by the odds makers.

Meanwhile, there are a few longshots, such as RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski, to watch for this Sunday.

Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin open as Phoenix favorites

In the opening odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbooks, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin are the ones to watch. Both drivers have the best odds to win at +550 each.

Blaney has a phenomenal record at Phoenix in recent memory. The driver of the No. 12 took the checkered flag in last year’s season-finale race at Phoenix over Brad Keselowski.

On top of that, Blaney has posted eight top-five finishes in the last nine Phoenix races. Based on those statistics, it’s evident why the 2023 Cup Series champion is favored this weekend.

That same race Blaney won last year is the one Hamlin led a race-high 208 laps in his bid for his first championship. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 11, his chances at the title were thwarted as Larson left with the crown.

Still, the 60-time Cup winner had the dominant car at Phoenix the last time around. In the last five races at Phoenix, the Virginia native has finished no worse than 11th.

Close behind Blaney and Hamlin in the odds is Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, both at +650 to win. Larson has finished no worse than fourth in five of the last six Phoenix races. Yet, the driver of the No. 5 hasn’t won at Phoenix since November 2021.

Bell, meanwhile, won the last two spring races. He might not be the top favorite, but Bell will be one to contend with this Sunday.

Brad Keselowski among key longshots for Phoenix

While this week’s favorites at Phoenix all make a great case, there’s a few underdogs to keep an eye on. One of those is Brad Keselowski, who enters at +2800 to win on Sunday.

In the last eight Phoenix races, Keselowski has only mustered two top-10 finishes. However, the driver of the No. 6 narrowly missed out on winning last year’s fall Phoenix event before placing runner-up to Ryan Blaney.

Another driver to watch on Sunday is Kyle Busch at +3000 to win. The driver of the No. 8 is on a nearly three-year winless drought. However, the Richard Childress Racing driver has two top-10 finishes in the last two Phoenix races.

Although Alex Bowman is a major longshot to win at +6500, the driver of the No. 48 has a respectable history at Phoenix. Bowman has posted two top-10 finishes in the last six Phoenix races and finished no worse than 20th in the rest of them.

Entering Sunday 36th in the points standings, Bowman will be seeking a bounce back weekend at Phoenix.

The Straight Talk Wireless 500 is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. The race can be watched on FS1 or listened to on the Motor Racing Network.

 

John Breeden John Breeden is a NASCAR contributor at Heavy Sports. He has five years of sports journalism experience. He graduated from James Madison University in May of 2022 with a degree in media arts and design. John is also a sports reporter for the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Previously, John was a sports writer for JMU’s The Breeze and a NASCAR content writer for Sportskeeda. More about John Breeden

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