What’s Happening?

NASCAR heads to Avondale, Arizona, and Phoenix Raceway for what could be a preview of this year’s championship race. Phoenix has a history of solid weather, as NASCAR skips the hot summer for mild spring and fall race dates, but how will the weather shake out this weekend?

• NASCAR first raced at the one-mile track in 1988. Since then, the track has undergone massive renovations. What was the front stretch was flipped to the backstretch, and the finish line was moved to the exit, which was turn two.
• The NASCAR Cup Series was the original series to race at the track in 1998. However, the Xfinity Series did not race at Phoenix until 1999, and eventually, both series raced twice a year beginning in 2005.
• In 2020, NASCAR moved its Championship race weekend to Phoenix from Homestead-Miami Speedway. During its tenure, unlike Phoenix, Homestead had one race a year. However, the two race dates provided by Phoenix make this race weekend all the more important.

Weekend Weather Forecast via the National Weather Service (All Listed Times MST)

Saturday, March 8: Focused Health 250 on the CW (TV) and PRN (Radio) at 1:30 PM

Before the Race (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)

• Temperature: 63°F at 1:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 1-2 mph

During the Race (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

• Temperature: 69°F from 4:00 – 5:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 2 to 5 mph

After the Race (5:00 PM – 9:00 PM)

• Temperature: 69°F at 5:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 3 to 5 mph

Sunday, March 9: Shriners Children’s 500 on FS1 (TV) and MRN (Radio) at 12:30 PM

Before the Race (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

• Temperature: 68°F at 12:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 5 mph

During the Race (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

• Temperature: 75°F at 4:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 6 mph

After the Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)

• Temperature: 76°F at 5:00 PM
• Precipitation: 0% Throughout the Day
• Wind: 3-6 mph

Recent Weather Events at Phoenix: 2015 the Final Earnhardt Win

Phoenix has a notorious history of great weather. That is partially the reason that NASCAR moved Championship weekend to the desert, away from the wild weather of south Flordia. In its time as the championship track, Phoenix has not had a rain delay on Sunday, something that almost entirely justifies NASCAR’s move.

The last major event at Phoenix was in 2015 when a mid-race rainstorm broke out. With the race past the halfway mark, NASCAR decided to call the race at the rainy track just 219 laps in. As a result, Dale Earnhardt Jr walked home with the win after leading just 22 laps. This win was the last of Earnhardt’s career.

Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.