From a NASCAR Fan’s View
This is the first time the NASCAR Cup teams have returned to Phoenix since the disastrous ending to the championship race for Denny Hamlin. I’m sure you all remember what happened in the closing laps during that race. You know, when Kyle Larson ended up winning the championship, even though Denny had dominated the entire race and probably would have won had it not been for that very late race caution.
Oh well… that was last year. This is a new one.
It is hard to tell from the practice and the qualifying, but although some are hoping for the Hamlin/Larson rematch, this fan isn’t so sure something like that will happen. The race this time appears to be between the Fords and the Chevys. Well, that is at first glance of the qualifying order, at least from this fan’s view.
Joey Logano won the pole position, and Kyle Larson is starting next to him on the front row. In fact, the Fords and Chevys occupy the top seven starting positions, with the Toyota of Tyler Reddick starting in eighth.
Sure, I realize you can’t always judge a race by the way they qualify. Although not always, but often, the top qualifiers can run that fast qualifying lap, but when it comes down to the longer runs, they do tend to drop back into the pack, and sometimes even drop like rocks until they get to that first pit stop to make any adjustments. Will that happen at Phoenix today? Well, this fan doesn’t know for sure, but it could.
There are three Penske Fords starting in the top five. I’ve already mentioned Logano, but starting third is Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney is starting fifth. Although it has happened in the past, it is not a given that those three will drop like rocks. Joey is hoping to win for a fifth time at Phoenix. Him starting on the pole and having the choice of the best pit stall could be a sign of how today’s race could go. After all, Tyler Reddick started on the pole last weekend, and we all know how that turned out.
Just because I mention Logano first doesn’t mean those other two Penske drivers are going to be out of the running. When it comes down to it, both Cindric and Blaney showed speed in practice and qualifying, and both could end up at the front by the time the final checkered flag drops for the day.
Does that mean I’m picking the Penske Fords to run up front all day and take the win? No, not at all. I’m just stating the obvious when it comes to how they usually perform at Phoenix. Cindric could surprise us all and end up dominating the day. Ryan Blaney has often shown great long-run setup and could be the one who shows up in Victory Lane at the end of the day. Do I expect this is the way the day is going to go? Once again, no. There are just too many variables for me to do that. There are also other drivers that run well at Phoenix, and I can’t and won’t count them out.
The top fifteen is full of possible winners in today’s race, and I’ve already mentioned Kyle Larson. Just to mention a few more would be Ross Chastain, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Preece. Does that mean there are no others that could take the win? Obviously, that would be a big no.
Who knows, this could be the day that it all comes together for Ty Gibbs and he wins his first points-paying Cup race. Since we’re talking about drivers looking for their first Cup win, how about John H. Nemechek
Ok, I know there are a bunch of hungry drivers in the lineup, and, given the right set of circumstances, there are a bunch of possible winners amongst them. I won’t mention any specifically, but there are more than a few.
All of that being said, where does that leave us when it comes to the rematch between Hamlin and Larson? Well, let’s see. Larson starts second; Hamlin starts eleventh. Does anyone really believe they couldn’t be the ones battling it out in the final laps for the win? Yeah, that is definitely something that could happen…
Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© March 8, 2026 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
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