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Phoenix live blog: All the updates from NASCAR Championship Weekend

steve luvender
·3 min read
Phoenix live blog: All the updates from NASCAR Championship Weekend

We‘re bringing you live updates leading up to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App, Peacock). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from the 1-mile track in the desert.

Overview:

  • The 1-mile Phoenix Raceway hosts the 312-lap championship race on Sunday afternoon. Leaving the weekend, we‘ll have our 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.

  • Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick all escaped the Round of 8 and will compete for the 2024 title.

  • The goal is simple, yet extraordinarily difficult — be the first among the four to take the checkered flag, and you’re the champ.

  • It’s the third youngest Championship 4 ever. Team Penske teammates Blaney and Logano are the only former champions among them, and are the two most recent champs. Byron is a returner from last year’s Championship 4, while it’s Reddick’s first appearance.

Links to keep handy:

  • What to Watch, a guide for all things Phoenix. (Seriously, read this and you‘ll know what you‘re talking about this weekend.)

  • Photos from the track from the more camera-talented folks among us.

  • Keep up with the action on the go with NASCAR Mobile, and follow along with live leaderboards and scanner audio with Race Center.

All times listed are Eastern.

Friday, November 8

7 p.m.: The Cup Series hits the track next tomorrow afternoon for qualifying (5 p.m. ET, USA Network). Tonight, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series crowns its champion among Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim and Ty Majeski (8 p.m. ET, FS1).

6:55 p.m.: That‘s it for practice! It‘s Ryan Blaney‘s 27.174-second lap (132.48 mph) stands as the quickest time in the field. William Byron was fourth overall at 27.272, while Joey Logano (ninth, 27.323) and Tyler Reddick (21st, 27.524) trailed.

6:54 p.m.: Close call for William Byron at the end of practice.

6:46 p.m.: Blaney‘s car is quite speedy. Not only has he set the fastest lap in the session, he‘s also set the fastest five-lap, 10-lap, and 15-lap average.

6:35 p.m.: Ryan Blaney has just jumped to the top of the leaderboard with a super-quick 27.174-second lap.

6:25 p.m.: In his final start as a full-time driver, Martin Truex Jr. is the quickest so far at the 20-minute mark. Of the Championship 4 drivers, William Byron is third, Joey Logano is 12th, Ryan Blaney is 23rd, and Tyler Reddick is the 25th-fastest driver.

6:11 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson has gone for a spin, slowing practice for a brief caution. Johnson did a remarkable job keeping the No. 84 off the wall and damage-free.

6:05 p.m.: Cars are on track for the final practice session of the year. Teams have three sets of tires to use over the next 50 minutes ahead of tomorrow‘s qualifying session.

6 p.m.: We‘ll know the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion in about 48 hours from now. The weekend kicks off for the Cup Series with a 50-minute practice session at 6:05 p.m. ET, airing on USA Network. Follow along with the entire weekend schedule.