Joey Logano Sweeps Phoenix Raceway Stages in NASCAR Cup Series Chase
Joey Logano swept the opening two stages of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Chase race at Phoenix Raceway, banking maximum points during the seventh event of the 10-race postseason. Logano converted strategy and track position into stage wins, holding off challengers across multiple restarts in the desert.
The race, broadcast live on USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, featured intense tire strategy and mid-race cautions that reshuffled the field. Chase Briscoe finished second in the stage standings, while Christopher Bell took third place.
Pit Strategy and Tire Wear Dictate Early Phoenix Staging
Ryan Blaney started on the pole and paced the opening 44 laps of the 312-lap event before the first caution of the afternoon waved. Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst crashed in Turn 4 while battling for 20th position after close-quarters racing down the backstretch.
During the ensuing pit stop, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Chase Elliott took two tires to gain track position, while Logano elected for four fresh Goodyear tires. Logano used that rubber advantage to pass Hamlin on Lap 51, securing the Stage 1 victory.
On the Stage 1 restart, Logano held the top spot after taking right-side tires, but Bell passed the three-time champion in Turn 2 on Lap 69 to take his first lead of the afternoon. Bell built a multi-second advantage before pitting on Lap 123 for four tires and fuel.
Midway through green-flag service, Brad Keselowski spun entering pit road and nudged the rear of Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, though the race remained green. Blaney and Kyle Larson pitted on Lap 127, while Logano surrendered the lead a lap later. That sequence cycled Bell back to the front, with Logano running seven seconds behind on fresher tires.
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Austin Dillon Flat Tire Triggers Second Caution
Austin Dillon suffered a flat tire entering Turn 3 on Lap 157, bringing out the second caution of the race and bunching the field back together. Most leaders came down pit road for four tires during the yellow flag.
Logano narrowly edged Bell as the first car off pit road, reclaiming the lead for the restart. Because all lead-lap cars pitted, Kyle Larson—who had fallen a lap down earlier while struggling on a two-tire strategy—took the wave around to rejoin the lead lap in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
When the race went back to green, Logano maintained control of the lead. Briscoe advanced into second place, marking the highest running position for the driver in his quest for three straight wins. John Hunter Nemechek later nursed a fading tire to pit road with 15 laps remaining in the stage, allowing the frame to finish under green.
Top-10 Stage Results and Playoff Points
Behind Logano, Briscoe, and Bell, the remainder of the top-ten points earners across the opening segments included Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Todd Gilliland, and Chase Elliott. The maximum stage points strengthen Logano’s standing in the postseason standings as the Chase narrows down its remaining rounds.
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