PHOENIX RACE REVIEW

Date: 3-13-2022.
Name of the race: Ruoff Mortgage 500.
Track: Phoenix Raceway.
Laps: 312.
Pole winner: Ryan Blaney.
Outside pole: Denny Hamlin.
Stage 1 winner: William Byron.
Stage 2 winner: Ryan Blaney.
Stage 3 winner (won the race): Chase Briscoe.
Top 5: Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Kurt Busch.
FYI: The fourth race of the 2022 NASCAR season took place at Phoenix Race in Phoenix Arizona, marking the first race of the season at a short track (second counting the LA Clash at the colosseum) and yet another race in the books for the Next-Gen car. Ryan Blaney claimed the pole the day before in his number #12 Mustang with Denny Hamlin starting right beside in second in his #11 Toyota. Blaney held the lead as the Chevrolet of William Byron charged hard to contend for the lead, eventually claiming the stage win, holding off the hard chargers of Chase Briscoe's #14 Ford and Chase Elliott's #9 Chevy. In the pits the 2020 Champ Chase Elliott continuously came out on top with the Ford teams of Biscoe and Kevin Harvick in tow. Throughout the day Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain made notable charges towards the front to contend for the lead as Ryan Blaney climbed back up towards the front, eventually making it around Harvick and Elliott to win stage 2. Going into the 3rd stage, Chase Briscoe would continue to climb his way back towards the front, as Elliott would attempt to run him down, the hungry veteran Harvick in 3rd, as Briscoe and Elliott would battle it out for second. Martin Truex Jr. would spin bringing out the caution throughout the stage while defending champ Kyle Larson would suffer from a broken valve spring putting him out of contention as well. In the pits the #9 crew would put out their worst stop of the day, ending Elliott's contention for the lead while Harvick, Briscoe, Reddick, and Chastain would all pit one final time. One the final restart, Briscoe would hold off the entire field in one winning move, blocking the whole field by going down on the dogleg of the track, and claiming his first NASCAR cup series victory
Next race: Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (3-20-2022).