he NASCAR Cup Series runs its first true oval race of 2026 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, with Tyler Reddick chasing an unprecedented four straight wins on a track that has not been kind to him
The NASCAR Cup Series makes its first trip to a traditional oval track in 2026 today, with the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. After opening the season on drafting tracks at Daytona and Atlanta and then heading to Circuit of the Americas for a road course last week, the series now faces a one-mile oval that tends to reward a different set of skills.
The green flag drops at approximately 2:40 p.m. CT on Today, March 8. The race covers 312 laps and 312 miles across three stages of 60, 125, and 127 laps respectively.
How to watch the Straight Talk Wireless 500
The race airs nationally on FS1, which is available through most standard cable and satellite packages. For viewers without cable, the FOX One app and Fubo both offer live streaming access. HBO Max carries in-car camera feeds for each driver for those who want a closer look at the action from inside the cockpit. Audio coverage runs on MRN radio and SiriusXM channel 90 for those who prefer to follow along that way.
Red carpet coverage and pre-race programming begins before the green flag. The full broadcast window on FS1 covers qualifying analysis, driver interviews, and pit road coverage leading into the race itself. Sunday’s event is one of two Phoenix races on the 2026 schedule, with the second coming in October as part of the playoff stretch run.
What to watch for on race day
Tyler Reddick enters Sunday having won all three races contested so far in 2026, taking checkered flags at Daytona, Atlanta, and most recently Circuit of the Americas. One more win would tie the modern NASCAR record for consecutive victories. He starts eighth and carries plus-1600 odds, reflecting a track history that gives forecasters reason for pause. In 12 career starts at Phoenix, Reddick has just two top-five finishes, and he finished 20th and 26th in the two Phoenix races last season.
Joey Logano starts from the pole after posting the fastest lap in Saturday qualifying at 26.561 seconds and enters Sunday as the second choice on the odds board at plus-500. Kyle Larson starts alongside him on the front row after a lap of 26.678 seconds and is listed at plus-750. Both are past winners at Phoenix.
Ryan Blaney leads the odds board at plus-340 despite not yet having a win in 2026. Christopher Bell follows at plus-700. Chase Elliott, who starts 26th after qualifying 26th, drew attention from analysts who noted his 11 career top-10 finishes at Phoenix and a win here in 2020. His average finishing position this season sits at 7.3, suggesting he has the speed to move through the field once racing begins.
William Byron qualified ninth and is a past Phoenix winner. Anthony Alfredo starts 31st in the No. 48 Chevrolet, filling in for Alex Bowman, who was ruled out this week after being diagnosed with vertigo.
The standings picture heading into Phoenix
Reddick leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 186 points, well clear of second-place Bubba Wallace at 116. Chase Elliott sits third with 114 points and Ryan Blaney fourth at 100. The gap Reddick has built is a direct result of his perfect start, but Phoenix represents the first track this season where his recent momentum runs directly into a historically difficult venue for him personally.
Next on the schedule after Phoenix is the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15, also on FS1. From there the series moves to Darlington on March 22 before heading to Martinsville on March 29. All three of those races air on FS1 as the season continues its early western and southern swing.
Today at Phoenix is where 2026 gets its first real answer about whether Reddick’s start is the beginning of something historic or a streak that meets its natural end on a one-mile oval in the Arizona desert.