NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway

Stock car races in the NASCAR Cup Series are held at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

Spring race

The Straight Talk Wireless 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series race held at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner.

Race history

As part of the 2005 schedule changes, a second date was awarded to what was then Phoenix International Raceway in the spring. Subway would be the title sponsor of the new race. As there was already a race sponsored by Subway on the schedule (the now Xfinity 500 at Martinsville), the name "Subway Fresh 500" was devised to reduce confusion. Subway later added the word "Fit" to the sponsorship to promote its Fresh Fit combo choices.[citation needed]

In the 2007 race, Jeff Gordon won for the first time at Phoenix from the pole (the first winner from the pole at Phoenix), scoring his 76th Cup Series win (tying Dale Earnhardt). After the race, Gordon celebrated with a black flag with Earnhardt's famous No. 3 on it.

With the new 2010 NASCAR start time rule change that starts races only at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 7:30 pm Eastern Time, track officials were concerned that the new start time (45 minutes earlier than in the past) would put the majority of the race in the day instead of the planned night. At that time of year in Phoenix, sunset takes place at roughly 7:00 pm MST (because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, this is the same as Pacific Daylight Time). As a result, the race was stretched to 600 km (372.8 mi) so that the extra 100 km (62.1 mi) would take place during the day, and most of the race would still take place at night as planned.

The race saw three changes in 2011. After only 1 year as a 600 km race, the race returned to 500 km and 312 laps that year, it was moved from Saturday to Sunday, it was run entirely during the daytime for the first time, and it became the second race of the Cup Series season, replacing the race at Auto Club Speedway. Jeff Gordon would win the race again that year, snapping a 66-race winless streak (the longest of his career) and tied Cale Yarborough with his 83rd career win.

In 2013, Carl Edwards won the Subway-sponsored race in a Subway-sponsored car and snapped a 70-race winless streak.

In 2015, this race became the fourth race of the season, replacing the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway which was moved from March to April due to bad weather plaguing the spring Bristol race for numerous years. This move allowed for the creation of a three-race west coast swing with the Phoenix race now being between the races at Las Vegas and Fontana, providing cost efficiencies to the teams. (The race at Atlanta became the second race of the season in 2015, replacing Phoenix.)

In 2023, United Rentals became the title sponsor of the race, replacing Ruoff Mortgage. In 2024, Shriners Hospitals for Children replaced United Rentals as the race's title sponsor. In 2026, the race became the Straight Talk Wireless 500.

Past winners

• 2010, 2013, 2016–2017, 2020, and 2023: Race extended due to NASCAR overtime.

Multiple winners (drivers)

Multiple winners (teams)

Manufacturer wins

Fall race

The Freeway Insurance 500 is the current name of the fall race. It is one of five NASCAR races run with a length measured in kilometers; the Straight Talk Wireless 500 (the other Cup Series race at Phoenix which is held in the spring) and three of the Cup Series' road course events (the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Go Bowling at The Glen, and Bank of America Roval 400) are the others.

History

This race from 1988 to 2019 was either the third to last or penultimate race of the season. From 2020 to 2025 it was the season finale as the date went to the NASCAR Championship race in 2020.

Freeway Insurance was announced as the title sponsor, after the announcement of Freeway becoming a Premier Partner in the Cup Series.

Past winners

Notes

• 2020–2025: Races were held as the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.
• 1998 & 2015: Race shortened due to rain.
• 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, & 2025: Race extended due to NASCAR overtime.

Multiple winners (drivers)

Multiple winners (teams)

Manufacturer wins

External links

• race results at Racing-Reference