After two superspeedways and a road course, it’s time for some normality in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. For the fourth race of their 2025 season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series headed out west to Phoenix Raceway for some traditional oval racing. That’s right, today was the Call811.com. Every Dig. Every Time. 200 and we got our first look at who the season-long contenders might be and who was just cruising off of some superspeedway magic. Here are the three biggest takeaways from today’s race. Check it out.
It was business as usual for the defending series champion, Justin Allgaier. The 7 JRM Chevy picked up where they left off by capturing the race lead in stage 2. And, despite some competition from the likes of Aric Almirola and Alex Bowman, Justin Allgaier put on a clinic down in Phoenix. But, yet again, a green, white, checkered finish snatched away the win from the JRM number 7 team. Allgaier opened the door for Aric Almirola and Alex Bowman and the 7 car fell back to 5th. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola were in a drag race coming to the line. In the end, Aric Almirola got loose underneath Bowman, which resulted in the 19 and 17 getting together. With Bowman crowded up in the wall, Almirola edged him out at the line. Aric Almirola wins.
It seems that no matter what kind of track they’re on, Sheldon Creen and Austin Hill are always around one another. The teammates-turned-bitter rivals got together again today in Phoenix. The incident in question went down as the race restarted following the conclusion of Stage 1 and it was simply the result of driver error. Upon the restart, Hill clipped the apron, which upset his car, and he shot up the track. The ended with him collecting his former teammate Sheldon Creed in the Haas 00 Ford. The two rivals spun out and backed each of their cars into the outside SAFER barrier.
This wreck was instantly heartbreaking for Creed as he qualified on the outside pole. The 00 driver clearly had a quick hotrod and it’s a shame that he was taken out the way he did. Also of note is Austin Hill’s performance prior to this incident. After dominating Daytona, winning in Atlanta, and running solidly in the top 5 at COTA, Hill seemed to falter some in the Valley of the Sun. The 21 RCR Chevy just wasn’t showing the same kind of speed he had earlier in the season, though he was running just outside the top 10. Check out the latest tangle between these two in the clip below.
Ultimately, Creed was able to continue at first. Meanwhile, Austin Hill was done for the day. The CW Sports crew caught up with Hill after he was checked and released from the infield care center. After the damage proved too big to repair, Creen joined Hill in the garage.
I know that it’s an Xfinity Series race but if a Truck win can restore the reputation of Kyle Busch why can’t a dominant Xfinity Series performance do the same for Alex Bowman? It seems as though every single year Alex Bowman is the odd man out in the Hendrick Cup stable with rumors being spread that he might be out of his 48 ride. While most of those rumors are unfounded, you know it must sting Bowman behind the scenes. But in the Valley of the Sun, Alex Bowman went out and made a statement by scoring the pole. He then went on to lead every lap of the opening stage on his way to the stage victory.
The second stage was a slightly different story though the HendrickCars.com number 17 was still plenty strong. That said, he did lose his stranglehold on the competition. After losing the lead on pit road to Aric Almirola, the 19 JGR Toyota set the pace through the restarts that started the second stage. As the 19 and 17 battled, it allowed Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones to come into the equation as we had a 4-driver battle for the lead in the closing laps of Stage 2.
Though his car in the latter stages of the race wasn’t as good as in the first stage, Bowman still gave the leaders a run for their money on the final green, white, checkered restart. Unfortunately, he got squeezed into the wall as Almirola got loose beneath him. He ended the race in second place.
Justin Allgaier started today’s race solidly in the top-10 and it took no time at all for him to start working his way through the field. By the end of the first stage, Allgaier was 3rd, earning him 8 stage points, the most of any series regulars. After a few false start restarts to begin the second stage, Allgaier put everyone on notice as he battled hard on the outside, taking the lead from Aric Almirola and Alex Bowman. Fans were in for a treat from there as those three, with the addition of Brandon Jones, battled for the race lead. Inside 10 to go on the stage; however, Allgaier cleared them all. He went on to win the stage, marking his 7th stage win at Phoenix.
His performance here today was him picking up where he left off back in the fall of 2024. He dominated the race here in the spring last year and won the title at the track last November.
Unfortunately for Allgaier, for the second year in a row, Allgaier’s Phoenix curse reared its ugly head. As the 7 crew took 5 laps to go, the 07 wrecked, backing it into the outside wall. This triggered a late race restart which saw Allgaier overdrive the first corner. He drifted up the track which opened the door for Almirola and Bowman. He ultimately finished the race in 5th.
That does it for us, Daily Downforce readers. I know Phoenix tends to get a bad rap because of its typical lackluster racing product. However, I personally think that was a solid race! What did you make of it? What are your thoughts on that finish? Let us know! And be sure to come back here at DailyDownforce.com as we break down the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix!
