TC Daily Pit Stop: Byron Snags Second Consecutive Victory; Denny and Ross Have More Contact; Almirola Breaks Wheel at Phoenix
TC Daily Pit Stop: Byron Snags Second Consecutive Victory; Denny and Ross Have More Contact; Almirola Breaks Wheel at Phoenix
TC Daily Pit Stop: Monday, March 13th, 2023
William Byron Uses Bold Two-Tire Strategy to Capture Cup Series Win at Phoenix
Photo Credit: Harold Hinson | HHP | Courtesy of Team Chevy
For the second straight year, William Byron is the first multi-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, picking up the victory in Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
Byron, only the second driver to score back-to-back wins in the NextGen car, scored the victory in a similar template to last weekend at Las Vegas, thanks to a bold two-tire strategy call by crew chief Rudy Fugle.
After a great launch, Byron was able to stick to the outside of Larson on the final restart, finding himself able to clear the field heading into the third corner, and coming to the white flag, a gap he was able to maintain throughout the final lap.
Ryan Blaney, who nearly got into Kyle Larson on the second-to-last restart, came home in the runner-up position, with Tyler Reddick finishing in third – as the first driver to put four tires on his car during the final set of pit stops.
After leading 200-plus laps, Kyle Larson came home in fourth place, while Kevin Harvick was able to further extend his top-10 streak at Phoenix Raceway with a fifth-place finish.
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Video: Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain Find Each Other Again at Phoenix
The rivalry that just won’t end had another chapter written coming to the final lap of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway as Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain slammed into each other, ruining each other’s day.
The two drivers that were battling for a top-five finish on the overtime restart, ended up finishing 23rd and 24th respectively after a grinding crash into the outside wall in turns 3 and 4 with two laps remaining.
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Video: Wheel Breaks on Almirola’s Car, Sends Driver into Outside Wall at Phoenix
While running just outside the top-15 of the running order in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway, the wheel fell off for Aric Almirola — literally.
On lap 138 of the 312-lap event, the right front wheel apparently broke on Almirola’s car, which sent the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang hard into the outside wall in Turn 4.
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D.L. Wilson Evaluated for Concussion, Broken Ribs, and Sternum Issues After a Late Race Crash in the General Tire 150
PHOTO CREDIT: Fast Track Racing’s Facebook Page
D.L. Wilson, who was involved in a late-race crash in Friday’s ARCA Menards Series event at Phoenix Raceway was transported to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the crash.
On Saturday, Wilson’s Fast Track Racing team gave an update on the driver’s condition. Wilson was, “evaluated for a concussion, broken ribs, and damage to the sternum.” According to the team, Wilson is in good spirits and his wife is there with him.