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The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be decided today when drivers hit the track at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Championship Race.
After 26 regular-season races and nine playoff races, the championship hopefuls have been trimmed from 16 to a final four: Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson.
Blaney, Bell and Larson won the past three playoff races, respectively, to secure their spots, while Byron scored the final berth as the driver with the most points in the third round of the playoffs without a win.
Now, these title contenders will battle the desert heat and a field of 32 other drivers Sunday on the 1-mile oval to race for the championship trophy.
Follow along for live updates of all the action from championship race day:
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A caution flag has shaken up the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race as all the cars came down pit road, with some teams taking two tires and some taking four.
Denny Hamlin and Erick Jones, on two-tire stops, emerged with the lead, but the championship competitors were not far behind with Kyle Larson in third, Wiliam Byron in fifth and Ryan Blaney in sixth. Ross Chastain was fourth after the pit stops.
Kyle Busch spins out with 37 laps remaining, bringing out the caution flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race
The championship competitors were all racing in the top five when the yello flag flew.
Ryan Blaney, who has battled Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr. for the race lead in the final stage, was second behind Chastain with Truex in third. The remaining two title contenders were not far behind with Kyle Larson in fourth and William Bryon in fifth.
William Byron and Kyle Lason were the first two championship contenders to pit under green, getting fuel and ties on lap 241 of 312. Byron led Larson as they came down pit road, but Larson jumped his teammate with faster service.
The final championship competitor, Ryan Blaney came down pit road with race leader Ross Chastain one lap later and both maintained their positions.
With nearly all of the lead lap cars now having gotten service, Chastain leads Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and William Byron. As the top Championship 4 driver, Blaney is in position to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title.
With less than 100 laps remaining in the NASCAR Championshp Race, all three remaining title contenders are in the top five. While non-championship participant Ross Chastain continues to lead the race, Ryan Blaney has surged into second as he chases first title. William Bryon, also seeking his first championship, is running fourth, while Kyle Larson, who won the 2021 title, is in fifth. Martin Truex Jr. also races in the top five in third.
Chris Buescher passed Ross Chastain on lap 171 and held the lead as Stage 2 of the NASCAR Championshp Race ends. Chastain finished second and Kevin Harvick third.
Pole sitter William Byron has been the top Championship 4 driver most of the race. Byron finished the stage in fourth, Ryan Blaney sixth and Kyle Larson seventh. Martin Truex Jr., who is not racing for the title, finished in fifth between Byron and Blaney.
The other championship contender, Christopher Bell, was knocked out the race on Lap 109 after slamming into the wall with brake rotor issues.
One more stage, of 127 laps, remains before the 2023 Cup Series champion is crowned.
Ross Chastain has led the second half of Stage 2 of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race after passing Kevin Harvick on Lap 117. Chris Buescher has moved up to second with Harvick dropping to third and Martin Truex Jr. in fourth.
Among the three remaining championship contenders, William Byron remains the top driver. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has settled into fifth, with Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney in sixth and Hendrick’s Kyle Larson settling into seventh.
The second stage is 125 total laps.
After complaining about his brakes, Christopher Bell slammed into the outside wall on Lap 109 of 312 when his brake rotor explodes and his right front tire goes down, sending the No. 20 Toyota hard into the outside wall.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had been racing in the sixth position behind fellow championship contenders Ryan Blaney and William Byron and just ahead of Kyle Larson. Bell, who was racing for his first Cup Series championship, will not be able to finish the race.
Following Bell’s accident, all the cars came down pit road for tires.
Ryan Blaney is now the best of the championship contenders after passing William Byron for third during the middle of Stage 2. Byron had led every lap until Kevin Harvick passed the pole winner on Lap 93.
Kevin Harvick passed pole winner and Championship 4 driver William Byron on Lap 93 after Byron had led every lap since the green flag dropped at Phoenix Raceway. Harvick, who won the first NASCAR Cup Series championship under this current playoff format in 2014, is racing his final event before he retires from full-time racing.
Ross Chastain also passed Byron, who dropped back to third. Ryan Blaney has surged to fourth, Christopher Bell is sixth and Kyle Larson is seventh, with Chris Buescher in fifth.
William Byron kept the No. 1 spot following the first round of pits stops for tires and fuel in the NASCAR Championship Race. By virtue of winning the pole, Byron was able to select the best pit stall and that helped him keep his edge on Kevin Harvick on the race off pit road. Among the other three championship contenders, Kyle Larson gained one spot from fifth to fourth, Ryan Blaney gained two from 10th to eighth, and Blaney was also able to leapfrog fellow contender Christopher Bell, who held steady in ninth.
William Byron, who is chasing his first title, led every lap of the opening stage of the NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Byron ran up front for all 60 laps, edging Kevin Harvick as the yellow flag dropped for the stage break. Byron’s teammate Kyle Larson dropped back to fifth after starting fourth, but Christopher Bell surged up to ninth after starting 13th, while Ryan Blaney also advanced to 10th after starting 15th.
Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace rounded out the Top 5, Chris Buescher finished sixth, Martin Truex Jr. seventh and Erik Jones eighth.
Championship 4 driver William Byron has led the first 30 laps after starting on the pole. Kyle Larson, who started fourth, moved up one spot from fourth to third, Christopher Bell gained two spots from his starting position of 13th to 11th, and Ryan Blaney moved up one position to 14th. The first stage is 60 laps.
The green flag has dropped for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Championship 4 driver and pole sitter William Byron leads the field as the final race of the season gets underway at Phoenix. Among the other title contenders, Kyle Larson started fourth, Christopher Bell 13th and Ryan Blaney 15th.
Any one of the 36 drivers entered in Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway can win the race, but only four – Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson – can with the 2023 Cup Series championship. Simply put, whichever of those four drivers has the best finish in the championship race will win the title.
Since NASCAR adopted this playoff format in 2014, however, the winner of the final race of the season has always been one of the Championship 4 drivers.
Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway starts at 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) in Avondale, Arizona.
NBC is broadcasting the race and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (Noon local). Peacock will have a post-race show beginning at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local).
Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway can be live streamed on Peacock, the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
It’s a hot one in Avondale, Arizona. Temperatures are in the 90s with plenty of sunshine and no signs of clouds raining on NASCAR’s parade.
Kevin Harvick won the first championship under this current format, which was put in place in 2014. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, who won last year’s championship, are the only drivers to win more than one title in this format.
Here are the past nine champions: Kevin Harvick (2014), Kyle Busch (2015), Jimmie Johnson (2016), Martin Truex Jr. (2017), Joey Logano (2018), Kyle Busch (2019), Chase Elliott (2020), Kyle Larson (2021), Joey Logano (2022).
CHRISTOPHER BELL
- Car No.: 20
- Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Age: 28 (29 on Dec. 16)
- Full-time Cup seasons: 4
- 2023 wins: 2; Top 5s: 10; Top 10s: 18
- Career wins: 6; Top 5s: 31; Top 10s: 61
KYLE LARSON
- Car No.: 5
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Age: 31
- Full-time Cup seasons: 9
- 2023 wins: 4; Top 5s: 14; Top 10s: 16
- Career wins: 23; Top 5s: 103; Top 10s: 162
RYAN BLANEY
- Car No.: 12
- Team: Team Penske
- Age: 29 (30 on Dec. 31)
- Full-time Cup seasons: 8
- 2023 wins: 3; Top 5s: 7; Top 10s: 17
- Career wins: 10; Top 5s: 68; Top 10s: 130
WILLIAM BYRON
- Car No.: 24
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Age: 25 (26 on Nov. 29)
- Full-time Cup seasons: 6
- 2023 wins: 6; Top 5s: 14; Top 10s: 20
- Career wins: 10; Top 5s: 40; Top 10s: 82
Championship contender William Byron won the pole position in Saturday’s qualifying and will start on the front row alongside Martin Truex Jr., who qualified second. Among the other Championship 4 drivers, Kyle Larson will start fourth, Christopher Bell will start 13th, and Ryan Blaney will start 15th.
NBC’s NASCAR analysts have made their picks for the 2023 champion as the Cup Series final race inches closer to going green. Three picked Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, two picked Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney and one picked Hendrick Motorsprts’ Kyle Kyle Larson. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing, sadly, go no love. Their picks:
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Ryan Blaney
- Jeff Burton: William Byron
- Steve Letarte: William Byron
- Dale Jarrett: Ryan Blaney
- Kyle Petty: William Byron
- Brad Daugherty: Kyle Larson
The United States Air Force Band Singing Sergeants performed the National Anthem ahead of the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., The Singing Sergeants is one of six musical ensembles from The United States Air Force Band and is the official chorus of the United States Air Force. Their performance was accompanied by a flyover by four F-35s from the 310th Fighter Squadron (“Top Hats”) from Luke Air Force Base in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
