Stock car races in the NASCAR Cup Series are held at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
March race
The Straight Talk Wireless 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series race held at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner.
Race history
As part of the 2005 schedule changes, a second date was awarded to what was then Phoenix International Raceway in the spring. Subway would be the title sponsor of the new race. As there was already a race sponsored by Subway on the schedule (the now Xfinity 500 at Martinsville), the name "Subway Fresh 500" was devised to reduce confusion. Subway later added the word "Fit" to the sponsorship to promote its Fresh Fit combo choices.
In the 2007 race, Jeff Gordon won for the first time at Phoenix from the pole (the first winner from the pole at Phoenix), scoring his 76th Cup Series win (tying Dale Earnhardt). After the race, Gordon celebrated with a black flag with Earnhardt's famous No. 3 on it.
With the new 2010 NASCAR start time rule change that starts races only at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 7:30 pm Eastern Time, track officials were concerned that the new start time (45 minutes earlier than in the past) would put the majority of the race in the day instead of the planned night. At that time of year in Phoenix, sunset takes place at roughly 7:00 pm MST (because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, this is the same as Pacific Daylight Time). As a result, the race was stretched to so that the extra would take place during the day, and most of the race would still take place at night as planned.
The race saw three changes in 2011. After only 1 year as a 600 km race, the race returned to 500 km and 312 laps that year, it was moved from Saturday to Sunday, it was run entirely during the daytime for the first time, and it became the second race of the Cup Series season, replacing the race at Auto Club Speedway. Jeff Gordon would win the race again that year, snapping a 66-race winless streak (the longest of his career) and tied Cale Yarborough with his 83rd career win.
In 2013, Carl Edwards won the Subway-sponsored race in a Subway-sponsored car and snapped a 70-race winless streak.
In 2015, this race became the fourth race of the season, replacing the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway which was moved from March to April due to bad weather plaguing the spring Bristol race for numerous years. This move allowed for the creation of a three-race west coast swing with the Phoenix race now being between the races at Las Vegas and Fontana, providing cost efficiencies to the teams. (The race at Atlanta became the second race of the season in 2015, replacing Phoenix.)
In 2023, United Rentals became the title sponsor of the race, replacing Ruoff Mortgage. In 2024, Shriners Hospitals for Children replaced United Rentals as the race's title sponsor. In 2026, the race became the Straight Talk Wireless 500.
Past winners Year Date Driver Team Manufacturer Race distance Race time Average speed(mph) Report Ref Laps Miles (km) 2005 April 2397 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford312312 (502.115)3:02:16102.707 Report 2006 April 2229 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:54:51107.063 Report 2007 April 2124 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:53:48107.71 Report 2008 April 1248 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)3:01:14103.292 Report 2009 April 185 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:53:16108.042 Report 2010 April 1039 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet378*378 (608.332)3:48:1499.372 Report 2011 February 2724 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)3:01:49102.961 Report 2012 March 411 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota312312 (502.115)2:50:35110.085 Report 2013 March 399 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford316*316 (508.553)3:00:15105.187 Report 2014 March 24 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:51:23109.229 Report 2015 March 154 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:57:01105.753 Report 2016 March 134Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet313*313 (503.724)2:45:53113.212 Report 2017 March 1931 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet314*314 (505.334)3:00:41104.271 Report 2018 March 114 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford312312 (502.115)2:53:13108.073 Report 2019 March 1018 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota312312 (502.115)3:04:05101.693 Report 2020 March 822 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford316*316 (519.742)3:20:5094.407 Report 2021 March 1419 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota312312 (502.115)3:00:20103.808 Report 2022 March 1314 Chase Briscoe Stewart–Haas Racing Ford312312 (502.115)3:06:34100.339 Report 2023 March 1224 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet317*317 (510.161)3:00:18105.491 Report 2024 March 10 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota312312 (502.115)3:00:45103.568 Report 2025 March 920 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota312312 (502.115)3:23:1092.141 Report 2026 March 812 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford312312 (502.115)3:32:1288.219 Report
2010, 2013, 2016–2017, 2020, and 2023: Race extended due to NASCAR overtime.
Multiple winners (drivers) # wins Driver Years won 5 Kevin Harvick 2006, 2014–2016, 2018 2 Jeff Gordon 2007, 2011 Ryan Newman 2010, 2017 Christopher Bell 2024, 2025
Multiple winners (teams) # wins Team Years won 6 Stewart–Haas Racing 2010, 2014–2016, 2018, 2022 5 Hendrick Motorsports 2007–2009, 2011, 2023 Joe Gibbs Racing 2012, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025 2 Roush Fenway Racing 2005, 2013 Richard Childress Racing 2006, 2017 Team Penske 2020, 2026
Manufacturer wins # wins Manufacturer Years won 11 Chevrolet 2006–2011, 2014–2017, 2023 6 Ford 2005, 2013, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2026 5 Toyota 2012, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025
October race
The Freeway Insurance 500 is the current name of the October race. It is one of five NASCAR races run with a length measured in kilometers; the Straight Talk Wireless 500 (the other Cup Series race at Phoenix which is held in the spring) and three of the Cup Series' road course events (the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Go Bowling at The Glen, and Bank of America Roval 400) are the others.
History This race from 1988 to 2019 was either the third to last or penultimate race of the season. From 2020 to 2025 it was the season finale as the date went to the NASCAR Championship race in 2020.
Freeway Insurance was announced as the title sponsor, after the announcement of Freeway becoming a Premier Partner in the Cup Series.
Past winners YearDateDriverTeamManufacturerRace distanceRace timeAverage speed (mph)ReportRefLapsMiles (km)1988November 67Alan KulwickiAK RacingFord312312 (502.115)3:26:5790.457Report1989November 59Bill ElliottMelling RacingFord312312 (502.115)2:57:08105.683Report1990November 43Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet312312 (502.115)3:13:2596.786Report1991November 328Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord312312 (502.115)3:15:3195.746Report1992November 128Davey AllisonRobert Yates RacingFord312312 (502.115)3:00:12103.885Report1993October 316Mark MartinRoush RacingFord312312 (502.115)3:06:30100.375Report1994October 305Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet312312 (502.115)2:54:12107.463Report1995October 2910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord312312 (502.115)3:03:18102.128Report1996October 2743Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac312312 (502.115)2:50:38109.709Report1997November 288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord312312 (502.115)2:48:55110.824Report1998October 252Rusty WallacePenske RacingFord257*257 (413.601)2:22:30108.211Report1999November 720Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac312312 (502.115)2:38:28118.132Report2000November 599Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord312312 (502.115)2:58:13105.041Report2001October 2899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord312312 (502.115)3:02:26102.613Report2002November 1017Matt KensethRoush RacingFord312312 (502.115)2:44:25113.857Report2003November 28Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet312312 (502.115)3:19:1193.984Report2004November 78Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet315*315 (506.943)3:19:1694.848Report2005November 135Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet312312 (502.115)3:02:23102.641Report2006November 1229Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet312312 (502.115)3:14:4496.131Report2007November 1148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet312312 (502.115)3:01:46102.989Report2008November 948Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet313*313 (503.724)3:12:0197.804Report2009November 1548Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet312312 (502.115)2:49:26110.486Report2010November 1499Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord312312 (502.115)2:49:01110.754Report2011November 134Kasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamToyota312312 (502.115)2:45:47112.918Report2012November 1129Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet319*319 (513.381)2:52:09111.182Report2013November 1029Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet312312 (502.115)2:57:03105.733Report2014November 94Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet312312 (502.115)3:07:1399.991Report2015November 1588Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet219*219 (352.446)2:03:22106.512Report2016November 1322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord324*324 (521.427)3:08:59102.866Report2017November 1220Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota312312 (502.115)2:57:23105.534Report2018November 1118Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota312312 (502.115)3:10:2098.354Report2019November 1011Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota312312 (502.115)2:48:00111.429Report 2020 November 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:47:00112.096 Report 2021 November 7 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet312312 (502.115)3:06:33100.348 Report 2022 November 6 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford312312 (502.115)2:58:42104.757 Report 2023 November 5 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet312312 (502.115)2:52:01108.827 Report 2024 November 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford312312 (502.115)2:56:16106.203 Report 2025 November 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford319*319 (513.38)3:15:5397.711 Report 2026 October 18 Report
Notes
2020–2025: Races were held as the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. 1998 & 2015: Race shortened due to rain. 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, & 2025: Race extended due to NASCAR overtime.
Multiple winners (drivers) # wins Driver Years won 4 Kevin Harvick 2006, 2012–20143 Jimmie Johnson 2007–2009 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2003, 2004, 2015 Joey Logano 2016, 2022, 20242 Davey Allison 1991, 1992 Jeff Burton 2000, 2001 Matt Kenseth 2002, 2017 Kyle Busch 2005, 2018
Multiple winners (teams) # wins Team Years won 8 Hendrick Motorsports 1994, 2005, 2007–2009, 2015, 2020, 20215 Roush Fenway Racing 1993, 2000–2002, 2010 Team Penske 1998, 2016, 2022, 2024, 20254 Richard Childress Racing 1990, 2006, 2012, 2013 Joe Gibbs Racing 1999, 2017–2019 3 Robert Yates Racing 1991, 1992, 1997 2 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 2003, 2004
Manufacturer wins # wins Manufacturer Years won16 Chevrolet 1990, 1994, 2003–2009, 2012–2015, 2020, 2021, 2023 Ford 1988, 1989, 1991–1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000–2002, 2010, 2016, 2022, 2024, 2025 4 Toyota 2011, 2017–2019 2 Pontiac 1996, 1999
References
External links