Daniel Suarez took the fastest lap during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Phoenix Raceway, asserting his presence with a time of 26.877 seconds (133.944 mph) in the No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Suarez, who previously won at this one-mile track in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2016) and NASCAR Mexico Series (2014), topped the speed charts in a session split into two 25-minute groups. His Spire Motorsports teammate Carson Hocevar closely followed, securing second place as he continues to seek his first career Cup Series victory.
Top Performers and Notable Lap Averages
Chase Briscoe posted the third fastest time, with Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric completing the top five drivers. Cindric, piloting the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske—a team with a strong track record at Phoenix—was notably fastest across various lap averages, including 10, 15, 20, and 25-lap runs. Ty Gibbs finished sixth overall and was the quickest driver in the second practice group. The top ten was rounded out by Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, and Michael McDowell.
Tire Concerns and On-Track Incidents Mark the Session
Tire wear and flats emerged as recurring issues, echoing concerns from last November’s NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix. Chris Buescher and Riley Herbst both experienced flat tires but managed to avoid major damage. However, Brad Keselowski was less fortunate; a right-front tire cut entering Turn 3 caused significant harm to his No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse, forcing him off track.
“There are more practice problems! This time, it’s @keselowski! pic.twitter.com/JNPknAy874”
?NASCAR
Tyler Reddick, fresh off making history as the first driver to win the opening three races of the season at Circuit of The Americas, spun exiting Turn 4 during practice, reflecting the challenging conditions drivers faced.
“That car looks extremely …” @ClintBowyer saw that coming. pic.twitter.com/StYTQQB6GN”
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Practice Wraps Up Ahead of Qualifying
The practice session concluded with drivers preparing for the qualifying round, which was scheduled to begin after a brief 10-minute pause. This upcoming qualifying session will determine the starting grid, with track conditions and tire wear likely influencing team strategies as Sunday’s race approaches.
Complete Rankings from the Straight Talk Wireless 500 Practice
1. #7 – Daniel Suarez
2. #77 – Carson Hocevar
3. #19 – Chase Briscoe
4. #1 – Ross Chastain
5. #2 – Austin Cindric
6. #54 – Ty Gibbs
7. #12 – Ryan Blaney
8. #20 – Christopher Bell
9. #45 – Tyler Reddick
10. #71 – Michael McDowell
11. #17 – Chris Buescher
12. #88 – Connor Zilisch
13. #43 – Erik Jones
14. #9 – Chase Elliott
15. #11 – Denny Hamlin
16. #23 – Bubba Wallace
17. #8 – Kyle Busch
18. #5 – Kyle Larson
19. #22 – Joey Logano
20. #51 – Cody Ware
21. #24 – William Byron
22. #3 – Austin Cindric
23. #34 – Todd Gilliland
24. #47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
25. #38 – Zane Smith
26. #35 – Riley Herbst
27. #60 – Ryan Preece
28. #33 – Austin Hill
29. #48 – Anthony Alfredo
30. #10 – Ty Dillon
31. #97 – Shane Van Gisbergen
32. #16 – AJ Allmendinger
33. #21 – Josh Berry
34. #6 – Brad Keselowski
35. #42 – John Hunter Nemechek
36. #4 – Noah Gragson
37. #41 – Cole Custer
Implications for the Race and Teams at Phoenix
Daniel Suarez’s strong showing in the Daniel Suarez Phoenix Practice signals a promising performance heading into Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500. However, the prevalence of tire issues and incidents underscores the challenges drivers and teams will face as they balance speed with durability on this demanding one-mile course. With qualifying set to determine the starting order amid uncertain track conditions, teams like Spire Motorsports, Team Penske, and RFK Racing will need to carefully manage tire wear and vehicle setup to capitalize on strong practice performances and avoid costly setbacks during the race.
There are more practice problems!
This time, it's @keselowski! pic.twitter.com/JNPknAy874
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 7, 2026
"That car looks extremely …" @ClintBowyer saw that coming. pic.twitter.com/StYTQQB6GN
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 7, 2026
