Championship Hub: NASCAR tripleheader at Phoenix Raceway

Everything you need to know for the 2022 NASCAR national series championship races this weekend, including breaking news and race results.

Full weekend schedule | Where to find NASCAR on TV | See the three championship trophies

Cup Series

Championship 4 drivers: Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain
2021 champion: Kyle Larson
Approximate start time: Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
The purse: $10,542,284
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 77 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 312 laps | 312 miles
Stages: 60 | 185 | 312
Phoenix 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: TBD
Pit stalls: TBD

Xfinity Series

Championship 4 drivers: Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry
2021 champion: Daniel Hemric
Approximate start time: Saturday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
The purse: $1,645,625
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 70 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 200 laps | 200 miles
Stages: 45 | 90 | 200
NXS news: Get up to speed
Starting lineup: TBD
Pit stalls: TBD

Truck Series

Championship 4 drivers: Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith and Chandler Smith
2021 champion: Ben Rhodes
Approximate start time: Friday, Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
The purse: $817,025
Forecast: Mostly clear, with a low around 47 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 150 laps | 150 miles
Stages: 45 | 90 | 150
NCWTS news: Get up to speed
Starting lineup: TBD
Pit stalls: TBD

Key things to know 🔑

Cup Series

The final race of the Next Gen’s debut season is upon us with a whirlwind of story lines attached to each of the very strong contenders. Joey Logano and Chase Elliott are vying to be the next two-time champion of the premier series, while Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain are trying to cap off incredible underdog stories. Either way it shakes out, the eventual champion will have a strong resumé after maneuvering through a season that featured a revamped schedule, 19 different winners (for now) and learning a brand-new car. Logano and Elliott both know what it takes to put on a clutch performance to win a championship, most recently proven by Elliott’s marvelous 2020 title run. But neither Bell nor Chastain have won at Phoenix Raceway before, so will either of their Martinsville momentum be enough to carry them to their first Bill France Cup?

Xfinity Series

To win his first national series championship, Ty Gibbs will have to achieve an incredible feat — beating three championship-contending JR Motorsports cars. Adding fuel to the fire, the Gibbs vs. Gragson rivalry has sparked following the controversial race ending at Martinsville Speedway last week. On the track, Gragson has had the lion’s share of the momentum in recent months with five wins in the last nine races, including four consecutive from Darlington Raceway to Texas Motor Speedway. But with all eyes on this matchup Saturday, don’t count out Justin Allgaier who is the active leader in wins and laps led in Phoenix. Also flying under the radar is Josh Berry, who finished third in the spring race here. What a championship story that would be.

Truck Series

Unlike the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, the Truck Series has a chance for a repeat champion with Ben Rhodes back in the Championship 4. Rhodes didn’t win the race in 2021 but outran the other three contenders en route to a memorable night for the rising star. But looking at the tale of the tape this season, the most recent title winner could be the biggest underdog of the bunch with Zane Smith, Chandler Smith and Ty Majeski likely being favored to win over Rhodes. After all, the series hasn’t had a back-to-back-champion since Matt Crafton achieved the feat in 2013-14. Bragging rights are up for grabs on Friday night for not just the coveted trophy, but also the claim to be the last champion in the Camping World Truck Series era with the sponsor shifting back to Craftsman in 2023.

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Final schemes of the 2022 season | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: How each of the 12 Championship 4 drivers stack up | Read more
• End of season goodbyes: What we are missing after 2022 season | Read more
• Silly Season: Catch up on driver, team changes | Read more
• Stay tuned in: Full weekend results, schedule and more | View schedule here
• Playoff Hub: More information for all three series | See more here

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up this weekend’s finales.

• All eyes on Ross: Chastain still in the spotlight after Martinsville move | Read more
• Title two?: Chase Elliott and Joey Logano eye second championship | Read more
• Bell focused: Despite obscure status, Christopher Bell remains confident | Read more
• Legend speaks: Kyle Petty sounds off on ‘punk move’ by Ty Gibbs | Listen here | Joe Gibbs’ take
• Bowman’s back: Hendrick Motorsports driver returns to action | Read more
• Reddick also returns: Tyler Reddick cleared to race Sunday in Phoenix | Read more
• Can Rhodes go back-to-back?: Truck Series championship preview |Read more
• Gragson talks about Gibbs: Listen to what No. 9 said on Media Day | Read more
• Truck Series winners: Top drivers by wins in Camping World era | View them here
• Sheldon Creed: Driver will return to RCR for the 2023 season | Read more
• Key pairing: Lambert, Gragson locked in for a chance at championship | Read more
• New track president: Phoenix Raceway names Latasha Causey as leader | Read more

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Truck Series: Friday night’s race will be the final race for Kyle Busch Motorsports under the Toyota banner.
• CWTS: GMS Racing won two of the last five races at Phoenix; the only repeat team winner in the last six races.
• CWTS: The average starting position of Phoenix winners is 4.3.
• Xfinity Series: The MOV at Phoenix last November was 0.030 seconds, the closest ever at the track.
• NXS: The final green-flag stretch was less than 10 laps in only four of the last 15 races at Phoenix.
• NXS: Three of the last four races at Phoenix had a track record 16 lead changes.
• Cup Series: The last seven Phoenix races were won by different drivers.
• Cup: Nine of the last 10 Phoenix races were won from a top-10 starting position.
• Cup: Nineteen different winners in 2022 is tied for the most all-time.

Cup Series check-in 🛎️

Exclusive NASCAR Cup Series content to get you ready to crown the first champion of the Next Gen era.

Making the case 👨‍⚖️

Analyzing what makes each driver a good bet to win the title on Sunday.

• Why Joey Logano will win the Cup Series championship
• Why Christopher Bell will win the Cup Series championship
• Why Ross Chastain will win the Cup Series championship
• Why Chase Elliott will win the Cup Series championship

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• Betting odds: Favorites, long shots to win Sunday at Phoenix | See the favorite
• The Action Network: Best matchup bet for Phoenix race | Expert analysis
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Reaching the pinnacle 🏆

A driver’s highest achievement in stock car racing is becoming a Cup Series champion.

• Starting hot: Drivers with fewest starts before first championship | Learn more
• Title-race history: Complete list of drivers with Championship 4 appearances | See them here
• Master strategists: Crew chiefs to win title with multiple drivers | Full list
• First time’s the charm: Drivers to win championship in first appearance | Short list