TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Phoenix Raceway
March 8-9, 2025
The 2025 west coast swing will kick off this weekend, with the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series taking on the first stop of Phoenix Raceway.
The two-day event will get underway with the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s GOVX 200, where Chevrolet drivers will look to keep the Bowtie brand undefeated following three-straight trips to victory lane to start the season. The weekend will conclude with NASCAR’s top division in Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500. Part two of the trip out west will see the Craftsman Truck Series rejoin the action for a tripleheader weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
CHEVROLET AT PHOENIX RACEWAY:
The NASCAR Cup Series has a 57-race history at Phoenix Raceway, with Chevrolet pacing the series with 27 all-time victories at the one-mile Arizona venue. The Bowtie brand made its first trip to victory lane in just the series’ third appearance at the track with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (Nov. 1990). Chevrolet’s winning record at the track includes a streak of 10-straight triumphs logged between Nov. 2005 and April 2010 – a record that still stands today. The manufacturer’s driver lineup sees five past Phoenix winners, with Kyle Busch topping that list with three career wins at the track (second-best among all active drivers). Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have one win a piece to their names, with each of those victories leading to their respective championship titles. Most recently, it was William Byron and Ross Chastain that tallied a win under the Chevrolet banner at Phoenix Raceway – delivering the manufacturer a season sweep at the track in 2023.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series saw the addition of Phoenix Raceway added to its schedule in Nov. 1999 – a series debut that saw career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, take the victory. In 46 races, seven different drivers have earned a combined nine victories at the track with Chevrolet – most recently in March 2022 alongside JR Motorsports with Noah Gragson behind the wheel. Just four full-time Xfinity Series competitors have found victory lane at Phoenix Raceway, with reigning champion, Justin Allgaier, leading the way as the series’ only active two-time winner at the track (March 2017; Nov. 2019).
LEGGE SET FOR CUP SERIES DEBUT
For the second consecutive weekend, Chevrolet will see a first-time competitor in NASCAR’s top division. Katherine Legge is set to make her NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend – piloting the No. 78 Chevrolet entry for Live Fast Motorsports. Legge’s debut will go down in series’ history as the first time in seven years that a female has competed in NASCAR’s top division. The 44-year-old England native will become just the second female driver in series’ history to compete at Phoenix Raceway – joining Danica Patrick, who has 11 career Cup Series starts at the track.
Legge has previously tallied five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, with her most recent coming at Road America in 2023. Her racing resume expands across a variety of racing disciplines, including 19 starts in the NTT INDYCAR Series – four of which have come in the Indianapolis 500. She has also made 92 starts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – earning four wins, 11 podium finishes and two poles.
THREE-FOR-THREE
Connor Zilisch was able to keep Chevrolet undefeated in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season by earning the victory and an early ticket into the series’ playoffs at Circuit of The Americas last weekend. The victory – his second in just seven career starts in the series – didn’t come easy for the rising star. To no surprise, the 18-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native started his trip to Texas by earning the pole position for Saturday’s event. But the race quickly became an uphill battle when Zilisch was forced to start at the tail end of the field due to a penalty endured at the end of the first stage for pitting under an untimely caution. Battling back through the field, Zilisch went on to tally a race-high 26 laps led en route to the victory. Zilisch is the third different Chevrolet driver to reach victory lane in the series this season, with Richard Childress Racing teammates, Austin Hill and Jesse Love, each claiming a playoff berth in the series’ first two events of the season.
BYRON, HILL ON TOP
Heading into the doubleheader weekend, Chevrolet sits atop the driver points standings in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series.
Reigning DAYTONA 500 champion, William Byron, came just short of a repeat trip to victory lane last weekend at Circuit of The Americas – ultimately taking the checked flag in the runner-up position. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native was one of just six drivers to earn points in both stages at the Austin, Texas, circuit. With his second top-five finish of the season, Byron was able to move to the top of the points standings with a two-point lead over former champion Ryan Blaney. In the Next Gen era at Phoenix Raceway, Byron has collected a victory (March 2023) and four top-six finishes.
Coming off a fourth-place finish at Circuit of The Americas, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill was able to maintain the points lead – heading into the first stop of the west coast swing with a 13-point advantage over second-place Jesse Love. The 30-year-old Winston, Georgia, native quickly rebounded from a disappointing season-opener with a dominating performance at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway – a race that ended with a trip to victory lane and the series’ second ticket into the playoffs. With a fourth-place finish last weekend, Hill is one of just two drivers that has a pair of top-fives to his name thus far this season. Hill has just six career Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, but he has earned top-10 finishes in all but one of those races, including a career-high fourth-place finish in the series’ spring race at the track last season.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Chevrolet will pace the field in the doubleheader weekend at Phoenix Raceway, with the Corvette Stingray leading both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series to the green flag in their respective events.
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway:
Kyle Busch – three wins (2019, 2018, 2005)
Ross Chastain – one win (2023)
William Byron – one win (2023)
Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
Chase Elliott – one win (2020)
· In 57 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 27 victories – including a sweep of the 2023 events with William Byron (March) and Ross Chastain (November).
· Among Chevrolet’s series-leading 27 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Phoenix Raceway includes a record-setting streak of 10 straight – recorded by six different drivers between 2005-2010.
· In 111 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 53 victories – a winning percentage of 47.4%.
· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 867 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Shriners Children’s 500
Sunday, March 9, at 3:30 p.m. ET
(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
GOVX 200
Saturday, March 8, at 5 p.m. ET
(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
What do you think about the option tire at Phoenix?
“I don’t have any thoughts on it yet until I run it at the track, so time will tell.”
It was announced a few weeks ago that Kubota extended their partnership with Trackhouse, how does that feel?
“It’s a great feeling when a sponsor sees the value in the partnership. It’s especially great that Kubota is so authentic to who I am, and my background in agriculture. I’ve really enjoyed the partnership and I’m looking forward to the years to come. This weekend at Phoenix is the first race this season with the Kubota scheme on the car and it includes their Orange Days annual sale event. It’s a great time to buy a Kubota, I know that much!”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on racing at Phoenix Raceway this weekend?
“Phoenix Raceway is a tough track that has seen changes over the years, and I think it’s made the track more challenging, which makes it fun for drivers. Phoenix is one of those places where you hit it or don’t, so we will need to get our Chevrolet dialed in on Saturday. Pit stops are going to be key here. The pit road is tight; getting in and out of the stall clean can put us in a good track position. The restarts are wild, sometimes we will run three, four, and fine wide getting into turn one. On Sunday, Phoenix Raceway could be a good place for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/ Winchester Chevrolet team to come out with a top 10”
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on Phoenix?
“Phoenix is always a fan favorite and that makes it fun for the driver. The track is so difficult and it’s tough to have a well-balanced car in all four corners and throughout the race. It keeps you guessing all weekend. I competed in the No. 7 at Phoenix last fall with Spire, so I’m excited to use what we’ve learned since then and continue building momentum.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
We’ve got the two tire combinations. We got the primary tire, a little bit harder tire, and an option tire, softer tire, two sets for the race. Do you like this option of having two different types of tires? I think we all kind of feel like it’s a little bit of a science project to see what they can carry back there in November, but do you like doing this?
“Yeah, I don’t mind it. You know, I think throwing a little bit different stuff out there to kind of see how it works and what it works like in competition because testing it versus racing it is entirely different. I liked how the race went at Richmond. I thought it was kind of cool to kind of see, you know, green flag pit stops and guys coming out on different tires and how you ran those tires and how you were able to preserve the tire or get your positions when you wanted to get your positions to kind of get yourself further up in the running order.
So, I didn’t mind it. I think playing with that again here for Phoenix is a good idea to kind of see where we need to be and what we need to come back with for the fall for the championship race. But, you know, what was interesting last year is we ran a more traditional shared setup with all the Chevy group guys at Richmond, and we were going to run, I think we were in third or fourth or something like that.
We were okay, and Austin ran kind of an off-the-wall different setup, and he was not very good on the control tires, but he was really good on the soft tires, where I felt opposite with that. I felt really good on the control tires and not so good on the soft tires. So, we’re trying to take the notes of both of those things and kind of mirror them together as much as you can to then be able to go out there and be good on both sets. So, I think that’s what everybody pulled from last year and how they’re going to attack this race.”
You sit ninth in the points. Where do you feel like you guys are at maybe compared to a year ago or maybe where 2024 ended?
“Yeah, I would like to think we’re ahead of the game there. We’re in a better spot or in a better position. You know, we had some good hires over the off season, some good engineers and some good people from other teams to kind of up our performance. Obviously, anytime you do that and you chase good people, that’s what you’re going for, right? You’re going for the performance that they can bring to the table. So fresh ideas, different things and whatnot.
But also just, you know, the, the way Randall and I have worked over the years, we’ve, we’ve been able to do all we feel like we could do and get our balances with our race cars as close as we can get them at the racetracks. And they just weren’t fast enough, you know, but, two super speedways, which I feel like RCR has always had superspeedway speed since I’ve been there with this new next gen and it we’ve had opportunities to win those races. I feel like we’ve given more away maybe than we’ve won for sure.
But you know, going to being in the top three in position to win the 500 and getting crashed out there was definitely a bummer. You know, just wish that race could have played out the last 15 laps to the end and seeing how everybody would have stacked up. And then, you know, Atlanta, we were fortunate enough to kind of miss some of those wrecks that happened a little bit in front of us there.
But again, we were, we were the leader there late, I think within the last 20 laps, we led some laps and we restarted up front and we just didn’t quite have when it seemed like when it was a Ford pushing a Chevy or vice versa, you know, when you can keep those Ford separated, you had a better shot of being able to race in the top four spots and race for a win. But then once two of the Ford’s got together, it seemed to streamline that line and they were able to kind of get ahead of us a little bit. So we got shuffled back a little bit.
But again, you know, decent speed there to be able to go for a win. And then code obviously felt really good to race up front and lead those laps and be there like that. I think that’s all really good, right? So hats off to RCR, ECR engines, everybody in Welcome, North Carolina for working as hard as they do and busting their butts as hard as they do and putting in the grit and you know, those men and women there certainly have more grit than anybody.
They’re not going to outwork us. That’s for sure. But I think the next test is definitely going to be the next two weeks going to Phoenix, the short track, a place where we kind of struggled as of late to see how we can turn that program around.
I feel like a legit top-10 run and top-10 finish there would be a win for us right now. And just trying to turn that table, get a good feeling racecar and a good car that we could drive and have speed with. And then going back to Vegas, you know, a place where it’s home for me and I’d really love to win there and run well there.
We were fast there last year and we’d love to repeat that speed to go race for a win there.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“Phoenix is a racetrack that I might have the most experience of any racetrack. I ran a lot of K&N West races there early in my career, so I’ve raced there a lot. It’s a track that I’ve always had a good, natural feel around. When they repaved it and changed the location of the start finish line, it changed a little bit for me, but still a place that I look at as an opportunity because I feel very confident in how to navigate the racetrack. Phoenix kicks off our first run of normal tracks that you see in the meat of our season, and I’m excited to see where we stand there.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“Phoenix has been a difficult track for us on both the Xfinity and Cup side. It will be the first true oval test of all the new ideas and hard work that were put in over the off season so I’m looking forward to getting on-track with the opportunity to be better than we have in the past. Expectation wise, I think if we can run inside the top 20, that would be a really good run there.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What is it like returning home and racing in front of so many family members and friends?
“Any time you get to race in front of your hometown crowd, it’s fun. It’s great to see friends and family and catch up. It’s a long season, so having an opportunity to go home and see everybody is fun. The season is off to a pretty good start. We haven’t gotten all we wanted, but we’ve managed the races well and got ourselves sitting pretty good in the points. Our team is building some really great momentum.”
What is your anticipation like for this weekend’s events at Phoenix?
“It’s the first short track of the year, so no different than these first few races. This weekend, we will see where we end up and how we unload with a new car and package, which is almost a new kind of direction. Phoenix has been good for me in the past, but we are going into a new season with a new team with fresh eyes and outlook. I am looking forward to having a 45-minute practice, which will be great to run through some of the things we want to work on and get comfortable with our Workforce Chevrolet and the new package. I will enjoy the weekend and try to keep this momentum going. It has been a good start to the year, and we want to keep the momentum up through the West Coast swing. We know every week is a new challenge and opportunity, and so far, we’ve made the most of them.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
The No. 77 Spire Motorsports team has had a strong start to the season. How do you keep that going as the series moves on to a short track and an intermediate track in the coming weeks?
“This is where the real test starts and where we’ll see how we stack up against the other teams. We’ve shown that Spire Motorsports is committed to doing better and I think this past weekend at COTA, where all three of us were running in the top-half of the field, was a really good race for us. We’re improving as an organization and it’ll be interesting to see how that continues through the next few races.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Your development on ovals has progressed so quickly. Is there anyone that you try to learn from? How has the process of learning to race on ovals been for you?
“I learn from everyone. I study as much as I can and I’ve had some good teachers. I had Marcos Ambrose a lot last year and Kevin Harvick and I talk with Kevin this year whenever I need him. There is nothing like this type of racing anywhere in the world on ovals. Every week, even Atlanta a couple of weekends ago, I was learning something every lap. You just have to keep your eyes open and keep learning and trying to evolve. It’s easy to forget these guys have done that type of racing since they were kids. There are some guys that I’m two seconds a lap quicker than around a road course, but on an oval, they are unbelievable.”
Being full-time at Trackhouse now, what is it like working with Justin (Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing) behind the scenes?
“Even though I was racing fulltime Xfinity last year, I still spent a lot of time and spoke to him quite a lot. He is such a forward-thinking person and it’s amazing with how in tune with he is with everything and how good of a person he is too. I’m truly enjoying my time at Trackhouse, surrounded by Justin and my teammates.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Are you excited about the return of Daniel’s Amigos to the track this weekend?
“I always look forward to Amigos. Coca-Cola and NASCAR work with the track and put on a great event. It’s a lot of fun for the guests and it’s always fun for me. Whenever we host the Amigos it makes me feel like I am at home. It’s also fun to bring people to the track for the first time. NASCAR in person is a cool experience and I hope this allows them to see what a fun sport we have. It’s fun to spend time with them in the morning and here their stories and impressions of NASCAR. It’s easy to find them in the stands too. I hope we can give them a lot to cheer about this weekend.”
Do you get extra motivated racing in the West?
“Yeah, of course. I think that every time that I come to the west coast to Las Vegas, Sonoma, and when we ran Auto Club Speedway it was very, very big. Phoenix and Los Angeles – it’s amazing to feel an incredible amount of support from the Latino community, and I feel very, very proud to be the face of this community in the Cup Series. We embrace it and I’m very happy that the race tracks embrace it with us.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
How much did you learn in your first NXS race at Phoenix last fall?
“Phoenix is a place that I’ve already been to once before and I’m excited to go back there with the experience that I have. I made a mistake in qualifying there last year that I’ll learn from. It was definitely helpful for me to get those laps. Phoenix is a crucial race on our schedule because it’s the last race of the championship. I’m excited to go back there this weekend and build on our fourth-place finish there last fall.”
The restarts at Phoenix are intense with three and sometimes four-wide racing. How do you manage that?
“With how wide that track is, there is a lot you can do on restarts and that’s very challenging. I’m going to go back and look at my notes and watch races to see what works best because restarts are crucial at Phoenix.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 43
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2024
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2025 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 167
Top-Fives: 7
Top-10s: 13
Stage Wins: 1
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 867 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 753
Laps led to date: 252,878
Top-fives to date: 4,376
Top-10s to date: 9,020
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,201
Chevrolet: 867
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 840
Ford: 740
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 191
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
