Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

Phoenix International Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and penultimate track on the schedule.

Qualifying results

Second practice

Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 26.573 and a speed of 135.476 mph (218.027 km/h).^[15]

Final practice

Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 26.401 and a speed of 136.358 mph (219.447 km/h).^[16]

First half

Alex Bowman led the field to the green flag at 2:48 p.m. Kyle Larson brought out the first caution of the race on the first lap after he got loose and spun out in turn 4.

The race restarted on lap 6. During the run, pre-race favorite Kevin Harvick slid back through the field reporting that his car started loose, then started "plowing through the center." Martin Truex Jr., who started 40th, broke into the top-10 on lap 63. A number of cars started pitting under green on lap 79. Trying to get on pit road, Ryan Newman locked up his brakes, spun out and slammed into the rear-end of Larson's car, bringing out the second caution on lap 82. Truex, who was leading the race when the caution flew, was held a lap on pit road for "pulling up to pit."^[17] This gave the lead back to Bowman.

The race restarted on lap 91. Joey Logano drove to the outside of Bowman going into turn 1 to take the lead on lap 93. Bowman tried to dive to the inside of Logano going into turn 3 on lap 118, but it cost him second to teammate Jimmie Johnson, who proceeded to pass Logano on the backstretch to take the lead on lap 120. Debris on the fronstretch brought out the third caution on lap 132. Logano exited pit road first. Johnson was held a lap on pit road for "pulling up to pit."^[18] Following the race, Johnson said that "guys have been pulling up like that all weekend to go to pit lane. In 15 years that has never been a concern, and I was always told that the last thing NASCAR wanted to do would be to penalize the leader, and as you pull off onto the apron, you accelerate to the commitment line. If you are held by the pace car, you’re at a disadvantage as the leader and it allows everybody to catch you and catch up, so even in drivers’ meetings they’ve said, we know you’re going to pass the pace car; it’s okay. The majority of the tracks we go to, you naturally just gradually pull ahead of the pace car coming to pit lane. I mean, this happens all the time. I am still baffled, and I don’t know if I will stop being baffled, but all I can say is if they called me on it and they continue to call everybody else on it every week, then shame on me.’’^[19]

Second half

The race restarted on lap 140. Bowman pulled up to and passed Logano on the backstretch to retake the lead on lap 158. Debris in turn 1 brought out the fourth caution on lap 210.

The race restarted on lap 218 and Bowman only made it to turn 2 before caution flew for the fifth time when Austin Dillon backed into Greg Biffle and Johnson, and got turned sideways in turn 1.

The race restarted with 84 laps to go. The sixth caution flew with 56 to go for a two-car wreck involving Truex and Newman. Truex went on to finish 40th.^[20] Denny Hamlin opted not to pit and assumed the lead. Biffle was sent to the tail end of the field on the restart for speeding on pit road.

The race restarted with 51 to go. Matt Kenseth overtook Hamlin with ease and assumed the lead with 50 to go. Debris in turn 3 brought out the seventh caution with 46 to go.

The race restarted with 43 to go. Bowman demonstrated his car was the fastest in the run to the finish as he worked his way through the top-five to take second with under 20 to go. But the gap from second to Kenseth in the lead was almost four seconds and not closing fast enough. The dynamic of the race changed when Michael McDowell suffered a tire blowout, slammed the wall in turn 3 and brought out the eighth caution with two laps remaining, forcing overtime.^[21]

Overtime

Post-race

Race results

Race summary

• Lead changes: 5 among different drivers
• Cautions/Laps: 9 for 53
• Red flags: 0
• Time of race: 3 hours, 8 minutes and 59 seconds
• Average speed: 102.866 miles per hour (165.547 km/h)

Television

NBC covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road on the television side.

Radio

MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.