NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Race Results

For the first time in a points-paying race during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Tyler Reddick isn't the race winner. Instead, Ryan Blaney was able to dust off the old Team Penske magic at Phoenix Raceway to score his first win of the season and his 18th career win.
Blaney, who now has three career wins at the 1-mile oval in Avondale, AZ, rebounded from issues on pit road on several occasions, and was able to out-strategize the race's dominant driver, Christopher Bell, to steal the lead and the win in the closing laps.
Ultimately, a two-tire pit call by Blaney's crew chief Jonathan Hassler with 22 laps to go proved to be the difference, as Bell took four fresh tires, and had to claw from the eighth position.
Blaney would cross the finish line ahead of Bell by a margin of victory of 0.399 seconds, while Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five finishers.
Straight Talk Wireless 500 Race Results
Fin | Car | Driver | Laps | Diff | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | Ryan Blaney (S1) | 312 | -- | 65 |
2 | 20 | Christopher Bell (S2) | 312 | 0.399 | 54 |
3 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 312 | 2.175 | 36 |
4 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 312 | 2.608 | 36 |
5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 312 | 2.914 | 47 |
6 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 312 | 3.563 | 37 |
7 | 24 | William Byron | 312 | 4.569 | 32 |
8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 312 | 5.039 | 39 |
9 | 71 | Michael McDowell | 312 | 5.694 | 28 |
10 | 43 | Erik Jones | 312 | 6.086 | 27 |
11 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | 312 | 6.304 | 26 |
12 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | 312 | 6.413 | 26 |
13 | 60 | Ryan Preece | 312 | 6.709 | 24 |
14 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 312 | 7.126 | 30 |
15 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 312 | 7.223 | 22 |
16 | 3 | Austin Dillon | 312 | 7.532 | 21 |
17 | 8 | Kyle Busch | 312 | 8.422 | 20 |
18 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 312 | 9.141 | 19 |
19 | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | 312 | 9.230 | 18 |
20 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | 312 | 9.627 | 21 |
21 | 33* | Austin Hill (i) | 312 | 9.779 | 0 |
22 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 312 | 9.896 | 15 |
23 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 312 | 10.089 | 14 |
24 | 51 | Cody Ware | 312 | 10.504 | 13 |
25 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | 312 | 14.804 | 12 |
26 | 10 | Ty Dillon | 311 | 1 lap | 11 |
27 | 38 | Zane Smith | 294 | Out | 10 |
28 | 1 | Ross Chastain | 286 | 26 laps | 10 |
29 | 88 | Connor Zilisch # | 281 | Out | 8 |
30 | 7 | Daniel Suarez | 254 | Out | 11 |
31 | 22 | Joey Logano (X) | 253 | Out | 23 |
32 | 21 | Josh Berry | 253 | Out | 5 |
33 | 48 | Anthony Alfredo (i) | 217 | Out | 0 |
34 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 216 | Out | 13 |
35 | 41 | Cole Custer | 159 | Out | 2 |
36 | 4 | Noah Gragson | 155 | Out | 1 |
37 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 131 | Out | 1 |
(S1) Stage 1 Winner
(S2) Stage 2 Winner
(X) Xfinity Fastest Lap
# Rookie of the Year contender
* "Open" Entry
(i) Driver ineligible to score points
Time of Race: 3 hours, 32 minutes, 12 seconds
Average Speed: 88.219 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.399 seconds
Cautions: 12 for 86 laps
Lead Changes: 23 among 8 drivers

Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.
Follow toby_christie