Ryan Blaney secured a dramatic victory at the NASCAR Cup Series race held Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, overcoming two pit stop setbacks to claim his second consecutive win at the track. His strong late-race charge culminated in a decisive pass on Ty Gibbs with just 10 laps remaining, marking Blaney’s first triumph of the 2026 season and cementing the Team Penske driver’s resilience in the desert event.
The stunning win at the Straight Talk Wireless 500 came right after Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden claimed victory in the IndyCar race the previous day, completing a rare NASCAR-IndyCar sweep for the team over the Phoenix weekend.
Blaney Battles Back from Pit Road Troubles to Capture Victory
Blaney began the day on a promising note by capturing the opening stage lead, demonstrating strong early pace. However, his race took a challenging turn when he was forced to pit twice in stage two due to loose wheel issues, causing him to fall deep into the field. Despite these setbacks, the North Carolina native methodically worked his way through traffic, overtaking a total of 49 competitors over the course of the 312-lap event.
His final and most crucial pass came on Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota with 10 laps remaining as Blaney seized control of the race lead and never relinquished it. The surge highlighted his determined comeback and showcased his skill in navigating a demanding race.
Everybody on the 12 group persevered all day. We had a couple of mistakes that we learned from and got better and had to come from the back a couple of times. Honestly, the 20 [Christopher Bell] was the best car. [Crew chief Jonathan Hassler] made a great call to take two [tires] and we were able to get the lead and hold them off,
Blaney said.
Christopher Bell finished second after leading the most laps with 176, followed by Kyle Larson in third place, Ty Gibbs in fourth, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five finishers.
Tire Failures and Multi-Car Crashes Affect Numerous Drivers
Sunday’s race at Phoenix was marked by persistent tire problems and several multi-car accidents, producing a total of 12 caution periods — tying the record for the most in Phoenix’s NASCAR Cup Series history. Tire blowouts caused damage to several drivers’ chances and forced multiple withdrawals.
Kyle Busch experienced a right front tire failure on lap 93, resulting in contact with the wall. The race was briefly unaffected until Shane van Gisbergen suffered a similar tire issue, triggering the first caution. Several other drivers, including Chase Briscoe and Noah Gragson, were eliminated due to separate tire-related single-car wrecks.
Later in the race, a significant multi-car collision was sparked after contact between Joey Logano and Ross Chastain on lap 210. This incident took out Chastain, Anthony Alfredo, and Austin Cindric, all sustaining major damage that ended their races.
Another pileup on lap 254 occurred after Logano spun out following contact with A.J. Allmendinger, involving multiple competitors such as Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, and others. Tire issues continued to plague the field late in the race when Austin Dillon suffered a right front tire blowout while holding ninth place with 26 laps to go.
The final caution of the race came with 19 laps remaining after a three-car crash on the backstretch involving Zane Smith, Ty Dillon, and John Hunter Nemechek, effectively concluding the race’s major incidents.
Stage Wins Highlight Strong Performances from Blaney and Bell
Joey Logano, starting from the pole, led the first 46 laps before Blaney took over and maintained control until the end of stage one. Christopher Bell then assumed the lead at the start of stage two after pit stops and led the majority of the race laps.
Bell, driving the No. 20, led a commanding 176 laps and showed strong pace throughout, though a late pit stop where he took four tires dropped him back to eighth. Despite an impressive recovery to second place, Bell could not close the gap to Blaney in the closing laps.
You win some, you lose some. This one stings, but on a positive side, I’m really proud of our entire team. … It’s something to build on. It was a day that we needed. We got a lot of stage points, finished second. … Just bummed whenever they get away like that,
Bell said.
After the race, Tyler Reddick continued to lead the championship standings despite not winning Sunday’s event, followed closely by Blaney in second place, trailing by 60 points. Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, and Shane van Gisbergen complete the top five in the season rankings.
The NASCAR Cup Series will shift focus next week to the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, scheduled for Sunday with a 4 p.m. Eastern green flag. Fans can catch the race live on FS1 or listen via the Performance Racing Network.
Oh man, Ryan Blaney had to pit again. Loose wheel. He would have restarted P3. This might cost him stage points but still 86 to go in Stage 2.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 8, 2026
Logano wins race off pit road over Bell and Hamlin.
Oh man…another loose wheel for Blaney! He had to stop in Logano's pit. Two loose wheels for Blaney.
"Stop in the 22 box, stop in the 22 box! 22 box, pit stall one."
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 8, 2026
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/2030789220114059534
Another wreck on the backstretch…Zane Smith, Ty Dillon, JHN.
That is Caution No. 12 and ties the track record.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 8, 2026
https://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX/status/2030774682925031547
Smooth sailing for @CBellRacing!
He wins Stage 2 at @phoenixraceway. pic.twitter.com/U72kPgbd8E
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 8, 2026
"This one stings."
With 176 laps led, @CBellRacing showed plenty of speed today, but he'll have to settle for a second-place finish. pic.twitter.com/mFPsUDgdrO
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 8, 2026
