Weekend Recap: Phoenix

Welcome back everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Spring is for sure coming and I couldn't be anymore ready for some warm weather. Now that we have that out of the way, let's recap the weekends action once again as the Xfinity and Monster Energy Cup Series ran their races at Phoenix Raceway. The big topic of the weekend would be the heat, as the drivers would try to keep themselves and their cars cool. But what do you expect racing in the desert. The Xfinity Series DC Solar 200 race on Saturday wasn't too bad as Kyle Busch would not compete in the race, which meant there would be a good chance to have a non cup winner. And that would sure be the case. The first and second stage would consist of 60 laps with the final stage being 80 laps. Young star William Byron would qualify on the pole with Erik Jones alongside on the front row. This race would be the first of four dash for cash races, where the highest finishing Xfinity regular would receive $100,000. Justin Algaier in his #7 Brandt Chevy would win the race and the $100,000 dash for cash bonus. Now onto the Cup race.

The Cup series would run on Sunday with the main headline being the fight between Kyle Busch and Joey Logano last week at Las Vegas. Would the two of them get together once again? Well it wasn't likely and hate to say it, it didn't happen. I'll just throw that out there. But there was some great racing however. Speaking of Logano, he would start the Camping World 500 from the pole with a surprise alongside​. Ryan Blaney would qualify his #21 Wood Brothers Ford on the front row. Stages 1 and 2 would consist of 75 laps while the final stage would be the final 162 laps to make up the 312 that were run on the 1 mile track.


The first caution came out with 47 laps to go in stage 1 as Corey Lajioe would continue his rough start to the season as he would make contact with Reed Sorenson on the backstretch. I apologize for not having a picture for this incident as I get all my photos from Google Images. Both drivers were ok.

Joey Logano would win Stage 1 from the pole. His luck would run out though. More on that later.



Corey Lajioe's bad luck would continue as he would later cut a tire going into turn 1 as a result of the earlier contact with Reed Sorenson. Lajioe would be out of the race. Again sorry for not having a picture. Couldn't find one to post.

Chase Elliott would take home stage 2 after taking off from the rest of the field after the restart to start stage 2. Logano would get caught speeding during caution flag pit stops. He would go to the rear of the field.

This picture is a screenshot from YouTube. Its onboard from Joey Logano. I'm having trouble finding pictures but I'm doing the best I can. The 3rd caution came out in the final stage on lap 191 as Matt Kenseth would blow a tire after having a tight car and he would hit the turn 4 wall hard. He would walk away ok, no injuries.

The races 4th caution would also come out in the final stage with 107 laps to go as Gray Gaulding in the #23 car would make contact with David Ragan in the #38 car going into turn 1. Again the picture is a screenshot from YouTube.

The last caution came out at lap 306 as Joey Logano's luck would run out, as he like so many others would blow a tire going into turn 1, ending his day. The caution would be a time for strategy as Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and Martin Truex Jr would stay out.

The race would restart and Ryan Newman's strategy would pay off as he held off Kyle Larson to win the race and snap a 127-race winless streak just for himself. And Richard Childress Racing's winless streak of 111 races would also be over. It was surely a great weekend for winless streaks being broken as Justin Algaier broke his winless streak in the Xfinity Series.

Well I hope you enjoyed the recap. Next up, the final race in the NASCAR Goes West tour at Auto Club Speedway in California. See ya next week! Goodnight everyone!