Almost nine months, 37 weeks and a combined 89 races are in the books for 2024, leaving one history-making weekend left on the agenda for NASCAR.
Who wants to be called a NASCAR champion for the rest of their lives? Well, this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, 12 drivers across three NASCAR national series have a chance to pursue the crown and put an exclamation point on their season.
In its fifth season as host of Championship Weekend, Phoenix is sure to feature more than just a duel in the desert. On the NASCAR Cup Series side, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano look to deliver Team Penske its third straight title, while Tyler Reddick and William Byron are hungry for their first championship.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will feature a showdown between reigning champion Cole Custer versus three Chevrolet drivers: Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill and AJ Allmendinger.
Kicking off the weekend will be the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski will battle for the coveted title.
A colossal weekend calls for championship-like appearances, and plenty of those will be on hand as NASCAR’s 76th season is officially etched into the history books.
Honorary Starter
Multimedia star Whitney Cummings will be the final honorary starter to wave the green over the NASCAR Cup Series field in 2024. Cummings is an actor, writer, producer, director and comedian who had her CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls nominated for an Emmy.
Honorary Pace Car Driver
This man knows a lot about stepping up in the biggest moments. One of the most decorated Olympians of all time, Michael Phelps, will make laps on a racetrack instead of a swimming pool as the honorary pace car driver for the Cup race.
Phelps holds a record 28 Olympic medals, including amassing 23 golds during his career. He became the youngest swimmer for Team USA in 2000, and he capped off his legendary career in the 2016 Rio Olympics by winning five gold medals and one silver.
Pre-Race Concert
GRAMMY-Award winning artist Nelly will give the crowd a show to remember moments before the Cup championship race kicks off by performing the pre-race concert. The rapper is a multi-platinum, diamond-selling artist who has recorded multiple top singles in what has been a nearly 25-year career.
Guest Announcer
For the Xfinity championship race, actor Queen Noveen will introduce the drivers, national anthem performer, and other pre-race commands as the Guest Entertainment Announcer. She has performed multiple entertainment and sporting events as an announcer, and she can be heard on Amazon Prime Video’s Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.