How history will be made at NASCAR’s Phoenix Raceway finale

History will be made yet again here at the hallowed grounds of Phoenix Raceway, as four drivers share a date with destiny in the desert by being crowned the 2025 champion of their respective series. However, the anticipation for what profiles as one of the most competitive title fights is met with a bittersweet feeling, as NASCAR bids farewell to Arizona as its site of the finale – for now.

After half a decade of supplying fans with some of the most exhilarating and iconic moments in stock car racing, NASCAR recently announced it will be moving its “Championship Weekend” back to Homestead-Miami Speedway (the previous site of the finale for 18 years), as the sport braces for a game-changing overhaul in 2026.

The good news for Arizonans is, although a new playoff format is still to be determined, NASCAR has gone on record saying the site of the finale will rotate and Phoenix will be among the tracks to host in the future. Evolution is necessary, but Avondale’s desert jewel has also proved its worth in being a featured venue for the championship.

Courtesy of a $178 million, state-of-the-art renovation that rivals the best facilities across professional sports, Phoenix Raceway has become a destination location responsible for a $473 million economic boost for Arizona, according to Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego.

Nov. 2’s championship race is also trending toward a sixth sell-out in as many times hosting, with more than 70% of ticketholders traveling from outside Arizona. According to Track President Latasha Causey, all 50 states, 21 nations, and five continents will be represented in the grandstands and throughout the infield to witness who wins the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

While the Cup finale garners the most attention, there’s no shortage of incredible storylines spawned throughout the season across all three national series that viewers should be keyed in on before the checkered flag waves on Nov. 2.

Heavyweight title fight

Beginning with the main event, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Nov. 2 at 1 p.m.) will be a title fight for the ages, featuring a battle for supremacy between powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. To the surprise – and relief of fans and drivers alike – Team Penske failed to qualify for the winner-take-all race, meaning they will not contend for a fourth consecutive championship.

Instead, there will be a 50-50 shot at the Bill France Cup between William Byron and Kyle Larson representing HMS, with Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe vying for JGR.

Hendrick Motorsports claimed the final two spots in NASCAR’s final four last weekend at Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway, via a dominant, walk-off win by Byron and a gutsy top-five effort by Larson, who bested reigning Phoenix winner Christopher Bell by seven points for the opportunity to contend for his second title.

Just as they’ve done all season, Hamlin and Briscoe punched their tickets to Phoenix early with victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega (Alabama) Superspeedway, respectively. Serving as the class of the field in 2025, the duo has combined for nine of JGR’s 13 wins.

What makes this Championship 4 particularly intriguing and unpredictable is that each driver has won at Phoenix. All four also have unique qualities about them and their teams, which could give either a decisive edge over the rest.

Hamlin is proving age is just a number at 44, racking up a series-best six wins this season – his most recent being No. 60, which moved him to 10th on the all-time list. The other three drivers have three victories apiece in 2025, but Byron may have the advantage with momentum on his side as the regular-season champion with most laps led on the season (1,278) and making his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance.

Regarded as the best racer in motorsports right now, Larson is the only driver of the contending quartet with a title under his belt, back in 2021. Briscoe may be the biggest enigma of the bunch, but he’s effectively broken out in his first season with JGR, making his maiden Championship 4 appearance at the site of his maiden win.

The ascension of superstars

Those who follow NASCAR’s developmental series have had the privilege of witnessing two of the greatest campaigns in the sport’s history. Overshadowed by Cup, Connor Zilisch of the Xfinity Series and Corey Heim of the Craftsman Truck Series command respect, admiration and celebration for what they’ve been able to do in 2025.

Touted as a generational talent, Zilisch has lived up to the hype and then some in piloting the iconic No. 88 made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to 10 Xfinity wins. At one point, the 19-year-old phenom went on an 18-race tear of placing fifth or better in the 33-race season.

Heim has been essentially unbeatable all season in trucks, scorching the field with 11 wins, 1,525 laps led (more than 1,000 better than next-best) and posting a 5.6 average finish in 24 starts.

In order for both superstars to finish the job, they’ll have to go through the defending champions of their respective series. Far from a championship hangover, Justin Allgaier seeks to add to his Cinderella story of yesteryear in Xfinity, as Ty Majeski attempts to score his first win since the Truck Series championship in 2024.

When and where to watch

On Oct. 31, at 4:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1), Heim will attempt to best Majeski, Tyler Ankrum and Kaden Honeycutt in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race. A day later, the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race will feature Zilisch, Allgaier, Carson Kvapil and Jesse Love at 4:30 p.m. (the CW).

Nov. 2 will conclude a six-year tenure of Phoenix Raceway’s time as the finale, as Hamlin, Byron, Larson and Briscoe vie for the title of 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion at 1 p.m. (NBC).