March 8, 2026; Avondale, Arizona, USA; Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney, 12, during the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Image Ryan Blaney overcame two loose wheels after pit service and denied Tyler Reddick a chance at a NASCAR-record fourth straight win to start the season to win Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500 over Christopher Bell at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
After receiving a record-tying 12th caution and coming off a two-tire late stop, Blaney started second behind Ty Gibbs in the 12-lap sprint, but piloted the No. 12 Ford under the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who was looking for his first Cup Series win.
The 2023 Cup champion led all 28 laps and beat Bell by 0.399 seconds on four tires to claim his 18th career win.
Kyle Larson, Gibbs and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.
Reddick, seeking his fourth straight win, won his no. I finished 8th in my 45 Toyota.
Polesitter Joey Logano and Team Penske teammates Blaney and Austin Cindric ran a 1-2-3 until Blaney’s Ford rolled the center better than Logano’s No. 22 in as many cars and took the lead for the first time.
Stage 1 ended with Blaney taking the checkers, followed by Bell, Logano, Reddick and Hamlin.
Kyle Busch and Shane van Gisbergen had issues with the second caution on lap 93. Daniel Suarez and Chase Elliott struggled together on Lap 104.
Third-place Chase Briscoe’s right tire, hampered by tire vibration, spun seven circuits after passing Reddick on Lap 125 and hit the wall, resulting in his fourth yellow.
Noah Gragson’s no. 4 Ford, William Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet, Connor Zilisch’s No. 88 Chevrolet and Michael McDowell’s No. Tires became more of an issue on Lap 158 as all 71 Chevrolets experienced rubber failure.
Hamlin, who missed two tires and lost the title to Larson while leading late in the championship race last November, did so this time in the ensuing pit stop and easily moved to the front, but Bell won Stage 2, trailing Hamlin, Logano, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace.
Logano spun Ross Chastain and put Cindric’s No. 1 in the biggest hit of the race on lap 217. 2 Ford was created.
Contact with AJ Allmendinger ended Logano’s day on lap 254, while Elliott, van Gisbergen and Josh Berry also suffered damage.
–Field level media
