Race Weekend Preview

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Race: Can-Am 500
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date and Time: Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (312 laps)
What to Watch For: Phoenix marks the penultimate race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and serves as the cutoff event to determine the Championship 4. The Chase Grid currently shakes out as follows: Jimmie Johnson (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Martinsville), Carl Edwards (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Texas), Joey Logano (one point ahead of Matt Kenseth on the cutoff line), Kyle Busch (+1), Kenseth (-1), Denny Hamlin (-2), Kevin Harvick (-18) and Kurt Busch (-34). … All six of the Chase drivers vying for one of the final two Championship 4 berths have won at Phoenix except Joey Logano. … Alex Bowman, from Tucson, Arizona, returns to his home state as a substitute in the No. 88 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. … Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory in the NSCS at Phoenix was earlier this season (3/13/16) when Kevin Harvick beat Carl Edwards to the line by 0.010 seconds.

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Race: Ticket Galaxy 200
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 miles (200 laps)
What to Watch For: All four berths remain up for grabs in the Championship 4 heading into the penultimate race of the season at Phoenix. Daniel Suarez (17 points above Justin Allgaier on the cutoff line) sits atop the Chase Grid, followed by Elliott Sadler (+16), Erik Jones (+7), Blake Koch (+1), Allgaier (-1), Ryan Reed (-5), Darrell Wallace Jr. (-20) and Brendan Gaughan (-33). … Two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. returns to the series for the first time in three years in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race: Lucas Oil 150
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date and time: Friday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. ET
Tune-In: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 150 miles (150 laps)
What to Watch For: Johnny Sauter goes for his third consecutive win. He is the only driver who’s earned a berth in the Championship 4 going into Friday’s race at Phoenix. Sauter leads the Chase Grid, followed by William Byron (five points ahead of Timothy Peters on the cutoff line), Christopher Bell (+4), Matt Crafton (+1), Peters (one point behind Crafton on the cutoff line) and Ben Kennedy (-13). … Timothy Peters’ visit to Victory Lane at Phoenix last fall is the only win by a Chase driver at the one-mile track. … NASCAR Next member Noah Gragson is scheduled to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Elliott Sadler is one contest away from a single-race four-driver shootout for the NASCAR XFINITY Series title.

Before he can prepare for running in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sadler must transfer through the penultimate event of the season in the series where names are made – Saturday’s Ticket Galaxy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

Positioned 16 points ahead of his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier – the first driver out for a berth in the Championship 4, — the 41-year-old Virginia native has a strong Phoenix resume. In 15 starts at the one-mile track, he claims one win (spring 2012), four top fives, eight top 10s and a 12.1 average finish. He has finished 12th or better in his last seven Phoenix starts.

“I have won at Phoenix before and I ran well there in the spring, but I have had some races there that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Sadler said. “That is on my mind going into Phoenix, but this is a new year, new points system, and a new set of circumstances. I feel good right now and anytime that you are above the cut line, you’ve got to feel good in this deal.”

Sadler used a baseball analogy to further explain his points situation.

“We don’t have to hit a grand slam to make it to Homestead, we just need to hit a few singles, and it is a lot easier doing that,” he said. “We just need to do our job and continue doing what we have been doing and if we stay focused to ourselves, we’ll be fine.”

William Byron hopes his next race at Phoenix International Raceway goes better than his first one when he returns to the one-mile track for Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 (10 p.m. ET on FS1).

Last season, the 18-year-old Charlotte native made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Phoenix, finishing 31st after crashing on the sixth lap. He returns to the Sun Devil State in his 2016 campaign with a series-leading six wins, 10 top fives and 15 top 10s.

More importantly, Phoenix is the only obstacle separating Byron from a Championship 4 berth at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Heading into Friday’s race, he ranks second on the Chase Grid, five points above Timothy Peters on the cutoff line.

“It’s a little bit of pressure for everyone who is not locked in,” Byron said. “Hopefully we can capitalize on that and have the finish we need to get in order to get to Homestead. I think we’re going to have a really good shot at a win, so if we can do that it would be the easiest way to ensure we are in the Championship 4 next weekend.”

Although Byron had a hard-luck NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish at Phoenix last year, he did finish runner-up there in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race.

“(My Phoenix experience) is definitely going to be beneficial,” Byron said. “Just having the track time from running the K&N Pro Series West race last year and getting seat time in the truck as well. I know what I’m going to need before I get there, so that will be a big help. I’m actually really excited that I’ve been there, even though my first truck start did not go as planned when we fell out of the race so early.”

Albertsons Companies announced today a decision to terminate their NASCAR program at the conclusion of 2016. The company is currently a partner with Richard Petty Motorsports, supporting Boise-native Brian Scott and the No. 44 team.

“Local sports sponsorships are an important part of our marketing strategy in communities across the country,” said Albertsons Companies Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer Shane Sampson. “While we have decided to focus our investments elsewhere in 2017, we appreciate the work that Brian, Richard Petty Motorsports and the entire No. 44 team put forth for Albertsons Companies this year, and we wish them the very best in the future.”