At Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) recorded its second top-10 finish in just four NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races in 2026. On March 7, team drivers Jeb Burton and Rajah Caruth crossed the finish line seventh and eighth, respectively, marking a strong performance for the team early in the season with the focus on Jordan Anderson Racing top-10 placements.
Team owner Jordan Anderson expressed deep emotion after the race, highlighting the hard work by everyone involved.
“Yeah, I had tears in my eyes that last lap, I’m almost speechless,”
Anderson told Frontstretch.
“It takes a village. Everybody on this team works so hard. It’s a team effort between the effort that Jeb has put in, Blaine [Perkins] has put in, having Rajah come in and his first race [of the season with the team] was a top 10.”
Standing Out at Phoenix Versus Earlier Season Performances
Although JAR also secured two top-10 finishes at Daytona International Speedway to open the season, the team noted that the race at Phoenix presented different challenges. Anderson emphasized the significance of this result. This isn’t a superspeedway race, he pointed out, adding that Phoenix Raceway demands a distinct combination of skill and strategy on a short to intermediate track. “Phoenix is Phoenix, man.”
Anderson celebrated the consistency of the No. 32 car, which has finished in the top 10 in every race this year.
“This is cool, two top 10s for our organization, a lot of smiles and a big morale boost. The [No.] 32 car has finished top 10 every single race this year. I think that’s four in a row. That’s awesome for our team.”
Drivers Reflect on Their Strong Finishes
Jeb Burton shared his appreciation for the team’s effort and the speed of the car.
“Yeah, the guys really brought a fast car, and I just appreciate them working really hard,”
Burton said.
“We got stage points in both stages and a P7. I feel like we’re a seventh- to a fifth-place car all night, and it’s good for us to get the result.”
Burton added insight into the progress made this season:
“We’ve had really fast cars this year, and our team just hadn’t got the results. So it’s good momentum built for us this weekend. We were fastest in practice, ninth in qualifying and seventh in the race and got stage points in both stages.”
Rajah Caruth, pleased with his eighth-place finish—his third top 10 of 2026—explained the adjustments he made during the race.
“Yeah, I think we were definitely chasing the balance the first part of the race, but, really by the start of stage three we got into a space where I felt like I could get the most out of it and we were able to gain a lot of track position,”
Caruth said.
“I would have liked to have gotten stage points earlier, but I think with how that all played out with running long and how much ground we were making up before the stop, pitting later, so we had a tire advantage it just kind of worked out great in our favor. So yeah, super proud of the effort.”
Team Expansion and Strategic Partnerships Fuel Progress
Jordan Anderson Racing expanded its lineup to three full-time entries in 2026 and strengthened its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing shortly before the season, moves that have supported better race outcomes. Burton credited collaboration and resource sharing as key factors.
“Just a lot of hard work and working with Chevrolet and everybody there and then also RCR, we’re just taking every inch of information we can,”
he said.
“We got really smart people on our little team. We just need to keep getting some information and the tools. I know I can drive it and my guys can put it together.”
Anderson highlighted how these improvements have come together at Phoenix Raceway:
“We’re finally getting the dots to connect here, and we’ve been so close. You go back and look at the stats, we’ve qualified like 10th to 15th a lot here at Phoenix, and to see it all kind of come together is just so big for us. So it’s a great opportunity for us to see it all come together.”
Current Standings and Outlook for Jordan Anderson Racing
Following the Phoenix event, Jordan Anderson Racing holds an encouraging position in the season standings. The No. 32 car, driven by Burton, Ross Chastain, and Anderson himself, is eighth in owner’s points. Meanwhile, Burton’s No. 27 ranks 13th, and the No. 31 driven by Blaine Perkins sits 20th. The team’s upward trajectory suggests a promising path as the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series progresses.
