Byron, Blaney, Bell & More! | Analyzing Phoenix NASCAR Contenders

After two superspeedways and a road course, the Cup Series returns to a more traditional oval at Phoenix Raceway. The same tire combination that caused several blowouts in last fall’s race is back, but now the cars have more horsepower. That adds another variable for teams trying to balance speed, tire wear, and strategy. In this preview, Eric Estepp and WinTheRace.info’s Ryan Stevens look at the main storylines heading into Sunday.

• Could the same tire issues from last fall return now that the cars have more horsepower?
• Is Tyler Reddick capable of extending his winning streak to four races in a row?
• Why do drivers like Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin consistently show speed at Phoenix?
• Which drivers from Hendrick Motorsports could be contenders, and can Alex Bowman turn around his early-season struggles?

The conversation also looks at potential contenders across the field, including drivers with strong track history and a few possible dark-horse picks for the weekend.

Watch Also