Cup Standings After Phoenix
Christopher Bell made history at Phoenix by becoming the first driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races in the Next Gen car, and he did it in dramatic fashion by beating Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin to the finish line by .049 seconds — the second-closest finish at Phoenix in series history.
He’s the first Cup driver to three-peat wins since Kyle Larson in 2021, and Bell will strive to become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive Cup races next weekend.
Despite Bell’s three wins, William Byron continues to hold the regular season points lead after a sixth-place, 49-point day at Phoenix. They are the only drivers that have clinched a playoff spot this season.
Up Next: The Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 16. Coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
Xfinity Standings After Phoenix
Justin Allgaier was oh-so-close to a third Phoenix Xfinity win in dominant fashion, but it wasn’t meant to be. A caution with four laps to go set up an overtime restart, and Allgaier faded to fifth by the time the checkered flag waved two laps later. Nevertheless, Allgaier is only two points behind Jesse Love for the regular season points lead, and he currently enjoys a 51-point cushion on the cut line.
Rising to the occasion in the closing laps was Aric Almirola, who beat Alex Bowman to the line by .045 seconds after contact between the two sent Bowman into the outside wall. As a part-time driver, the win won’t get Almirola into the playoffs, but it will clinch a spot for the No. 19 car in the owners’ championship.
Love, Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch have punched their playoff tickets; nine spots remain.
NOTE: Almirola has scored 97 points, but since he is ineligible for the playoffs as a part-time driver, he won’t be included in these standings.
Up Next: The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 15. Coverage will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on your local CW provider.
Truck Standings After Phoenix
While the Cup and Xfinity series went west to tackle the desert, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had its second consecutive week off. Just two of the 25 scheduled races — Daytona and Atlanta — are in the books.
Corey Heim is the only Truck driver to clinch a playoff spot with his season-opening win at Daytona, while Grant Enfinger continues to hold a slim, one-point lead over defending champion Ty Majeski in the regular season standings.
Up Next: The Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 14. Coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
Stephen Stumpf is the NASCAR Content Director for Frontstretch and is a three-year veteran of the site. His weekly column is “Stat Sheet,” and he formerly wrote "4 Burning Questions" for three years. He also writes commentaries, contributes to podcasts, edits articles and is frequently at the track for on-site coverage.
Find Stephen on Twitter @stephen_stumpf