Overview
- Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing face Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Kyle Larson in a winner‑take‑all finale at Phoenix Raceway.
- Friday’s 50‑minute Cup practice was disrupted by multiple left‑rear tire failures, with issues reported for Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Daniel Suárez, Riley Herbst and Chase Elliott.
- JGR crew chief James Small attributed the failures to aggressive setups with low air pressure and excess camber, as Ty Gibbs topped practice, Hamlin led the title contenders in fifth, and Briscoe logged limited laps in 16th.
- Cup qualifying is set for Saturday on TruTV, with the race scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC at the one‑mile Phoenix oval.
- Corey Heim won Friday night’s Truck Series race and clinched the championship, while Layne Riggs kept the pole on paper but was sent to the rear with a pass‑through penalty after an illegal panel was found on his No. 34.