The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on November 6, 2022, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps on the one mile (1.6 km) oval, it was the 36th and final race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Joey Logano won the race, claiming his second Cup Series championship.
Report
Background
Phoenix 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 road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 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 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 the last track on the schedule.
On October 28, 2022, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Alex Bowman would return to the No. 48 car for this race, having sat out the rest of Round of 12 and Round of 8 races (eliminating himself from Round of 12) after he suffered a concussion at the Texas playoff race. Ty Gibbs was set to participate in the race, but withdrew and was replaced by Daniel Hemric after the sudden death of his father Coy Gibbs the previous night.
Championship drivers Joey Logano was the first of four drivers to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, winning the first race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas. Christopher Bell clinched the second spot in the Championship 4, winning the final race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville. Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott clinched the remaining two spots based on points.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. (CC) denotes Championship Contender. (OC) denotes Championship Contender for the Owner’s Playoffs.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain (CC) Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson (OC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott (CC) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 A. J. Allmendinger (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell (CC) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano (CC) Team Penske Ford 23 Daniel Hemric (i) 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 45 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 77 Landon Cassill (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice Ross Chastain was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 27.019 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 27.019 133.240 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 27.060 133.038 3 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.075 132.964Official practice results
Qualifying Joey Logano scored the pole for the race with a time of 26.788 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 26.648 26.788 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 26.828 26.791 3 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 26.617 26.825 4 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.821 26.897 5 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.808 26.979 6 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 26.777 27.011 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 26.769 27.056 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.793 27.090 9 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 26.786 27.125 10 23 Ty Gibbs (i) 23XI Racing Toyota 26.746 27.175 11 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 26.831 — 12 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 26.846 — 13 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 26.873 — 14 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 26.874 — 15 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 26.877 — 16 16 A. J. Allmendinger (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 26.880 — 17 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 26.881 — 18 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 26.903 — 19 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 26.932 — 20 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 26.943 — 21 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.009 — 22 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.015 — 23 45 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 27.021 — 24 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.025 — 25 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 27.064 — 26 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 27.071 — 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27.085 — 28 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 27.114 — 29 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 27.143 — 30 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 27.226 — 31 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.256 — 32 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 27.292 — 33 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 27.561 — 34 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 27.718 — 35 15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 27.787 — 36 77 Landon Cassill (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 28.414 — Official qualifying results
Race Note: Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, and Chase Elliott were not eligible for stage points because of their participation in the Championship 4.
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 02 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 84 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 07 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 39 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 210 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 125
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 102 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 03 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 66 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 07 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 210 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 127
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 312 402 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 312 543 25 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 312 344 3 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 312 485 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 312 416 8 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 397 22 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 312 308 21 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 312 299 4 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 312 3810 17 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 312 27 11 14 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 312 2812 16 16 A. J. Allmendinger (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 312 013 15 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 312 2414 30 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 312 2315 12 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 312 3616 9 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 312 2117 10 23 Daniel Hemric (i) 23XI Racing Toyota 312 018 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 312 1919 6 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 312 1820 13 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 312 1721 19 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 312 1622 23 45 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 311 1523 11 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 311 1824 28 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 311 1325 20 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 311 1226 32 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 311 1127 26 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 311 1028 5 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 310 929 31 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 309 830 34 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 308 731 33 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 307 032 29 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 307 533 35 15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 304 034 24 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 304 335 18 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 270 236 36 77 Landon Cassill (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 84 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 11 among 16 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 6 for 39 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 58 minutes and 42 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton and three-time Phoenix winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Dillon Welch were the pit reporters. Rutledge Wood, who reported select races for NASCAR on NBC from outside the track in the city/metropolitan area of the racetrack in 2022, was at this race in-person serving as a roving reporter.
Steve Letarte, normally in NBC's broadcast booth, had to miss the race due to having an emergency appendectomy.
NBCBooth announcersPit reportersRoving reporter Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dave BurnsParker KligermanMarty SniderDillon Welch Rutledge Wood
Radio MRN covered the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace called the action from the broadcast booth when the field races down the front straightaway. Dave Moody called the action from turns 1 & 2 and Mike Bagley called the action from turns 3 & 4. Kim Coon, Steve Post, Brienne Pedigo and Jason Toy covered the action for MRN from pit lane.
MRN Booth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Mike Bagley Kim CoonSteve PostBrienne PedigoJason Toy
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings