NASCAR Race Today: Ryan Blaney Wins Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 8, 2026 5:45 PM ET

NASCAR Race Today

Ryan Blaney is victorious. The Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway is complete, and Team Penske's Ryan Blaney edged Christopher Bell and Joey Logano to claim his first win of the 2026 season. Tyler Reddick's bid to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first four races of a season came up short — finishing fourth.

Final Results: Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway

The top 10 finishers at Phoenix Raceway today: Ryan Blaney (No. 12, Team Penske Ford), Christopher Bell (No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Joey Logano (No. 22, Team Penske Ford), Tyler Reddick (No. 45, 23XI Racing Toyota), Denny Hamlin (No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Austin Cindric (No. 2, Team Penske Ford), Daniel Suarez (No. 7, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet), Ty Gibbs (No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), William Byron (No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet), and Ross Chastain (No. 1, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet).

Race Story: Logano Led Most Laps, Blaney Stole It Late

Joey Logano led the most laps in the race at 48 and recorded the fastest lap of the day at 27.402 seconds. Christopher Bell led 30 consecutive laps in the middle portion of the race before Logano retook the lead. Stage 1 was won by Ryan Blaney, who completed lap 60 with a 0.65-second lead over Bell.

The race featured multiple lead changes, several caution periods, and a green-white-checkered finish that set up a frantic final restart. Blaney, a Phoenix specialist, executed perfectly in traffic to secure the win.

Tyler Reddick's Historic Bid Falls Short

Tyler Reddick entered today's race at Phoenix having won the first three events of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at Daytona, Atlanta, and Circuit of the Americas — making him the first driver in the 78-year history of the Cup Series to win a season's first three consecutive events. No driver has won four straight races at any point since Jimmie Johnson in 2007.

Reddick finishes fourth and remains a massive points leader, but the streak is over. He still holds a 77-point lead over Bubba Wallace heading into Las Vegas.

NASCAR Points Standings After Phoenix

Updated standings after the Straight Talk Wireless 500: Tyler Reddick leads with 193 points, Bubba Wallace second at 116, Chase Elliott third at 114, Ryan Blaney fourth at 110, and Joey Logano fifth at 98.

What Channel Was NASCAR Today? Where to Watch Next Week

The Straight Talk Wireless 500 aired live on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The race began at 3:30 p.m. ET from Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

The next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Sunday, March 15. Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

2026 NASCAR Rule Change — New Horsepower at Phoenix

Phoenix was the first race of the 2026 season affected by NASCAR's new short-track horsepower rule. For 2026, NASCAR raised engine output to 750 horsepower for all races on tracks shorter than 1.5 miles, up from the previous limit of 670 horsepower. The added power made restarts at Phoenix more aggressive than in recent years, with drivers using the dogleg frontstretch to gain positions under green.