The NASCAR Cup Series speeds into Phoenix Raceway Sunday for the first of two races this season – the second, of course, will crown the 2025 champion later this year.

The drivers last raced at Phoenix in November when Joey Logano won the 2024 championship race to capture his third career Cup Series title.

While success in the early Phoenix race doesn’t necessarily presage a strong finish in the season finale, it has proven to be a fairly decent indicator – at least since the championship race moved to the Avondale, Arizona, track in 2020.

In four of the past five seasons, at least three drivers who finished in the top seven of the first race at Phoenix also finished in the top seven in the season finale. In 2022, five drivers finished in the top seven of both races.

Last season proved to be an exception, however, with just Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney earning top-seven finishes at Phoenix in both March and November. Bell, who won this race last year , is seeking his third consecutive victory of the 2025 season on Sunday.

It’s worth noting, however, that in the same five-year span, no driver has won both races at Phoenix in the same season. Will that change this year?

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix start?

The Shriners Children's 500 starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local) at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix on?

FS1 is broadcasting the Shriners Children's 500 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local).

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix?

The Shriners Children's 500 can be live streamed on Max and the FoxSports app. Viewers can also stream the race on Fubo , which is offfering a free trial to new subscribers.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix?

The Shriners Children's 500 is 312 laps around the 1-mile oval at Phoenix Raceway for a total of 312 miles (502.115 kilometers). The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 127 laps.

Phoenix Raceway: March to November comparison in last five years

What is the lineup for the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix?

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