The final race of the NASCAR season belongs to the NASCAR Cup Series. The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race from Phoenix Raceway will crown a champion. Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and William Byron all have an opportunity to raise the Bill France Cup at the end of the race on Sunday, with the highest finisher taking the Championship. This is the youngest Championship Four that NASCAR has had, with an average age of 28 years, 11 months and 25 days, proving that the young guns are here.
Which of these young guns will be able to take the crown? Let’s look into the season stats and the career stats at Phoenix Raceway for each of the Championship Four, give the NASCAR odds for each racer, and then give our NASCAR Cup Series Championship prediction.
Phoenix Raceway Track Facts
Opened: 1988 (Also the year of the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix)
Races held at the Track: 54
Most Wins: Kevin Harvick (9)
Most Starts: Kevin Harvick (41)
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Prediction and Odds
Kyle Larson- #5 (+160)
The only driver in the Championship Four who has won the Bill France Cup before. Kyle Larson was able to hold off Christopher Bell at Las Vegas to be the first driver to advance to the Championship round. Larson had a good run going at Homestead-Miami Speedway until he hit the barrels going into the pits. The driver of the 5 has been boom or bust this season: four wins, 14 Top-5s, 17 Top-10s and eight DNFs on the year.
Larson has won this race before back in 2021, his only win at the track. That goes along with his seven Top-5s and 11 Top-10s. Can Larson take advantage of the extra preparation time for his car and get the job done?
Ryan Blaney- #12 (+275)
Ryan Blaney was able to advance to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship with his win last week at Martinsville. Blaney has a little momentum coming into Sunday as he has finished top two in the last two weeks. YRB has accumulated three wins, seven Top-5s, 17 Top-10s on the year and three DNFs. Blaney has been under the radar thus far in the season.
In Blaney’s 15 starts at Phoenix Raceway, he has six Top-5s, 10 Top-10s and an average finish of 11.9. Can Blaney go back-to-back to close out the season and win the championship?
Christopher Bell- #20 (+400)
Christopher Bell was upset after he finished second at Las Vegas thinking that he just gave up his best opportunity to move into the Championship Four. Bell responded by going out and winning the 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami to clinch his spot in the Championship round. That win put Bell at two wins on the year with 10 Top-5s, 19 Top-10s and Three DNFs. Bell has never finished in the top five at Phoenix in his seven starts, but he does own four top-10s.
Christopher Bell was clutch in the playoffs last year until it came to this race. Can he flip that script and bring Joe Gibbs Racing Their first championship since 2019?
William Byron (+260)
William Byron emerged quickly out of the gate this season. Willy B had four career wins coming into the year in five seasons, He matched that by race 19 at Atlanta. Byron added two more wins on the year with 14 Top-5s, 20 Top-10s and three DNFs. Byron earned his only career win and Top-5 at Phoenix earlier this year. Can William Byron go from Iracing star to Cup Champion?
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Prediction
Ryan Blaney (+275) does what his dad could not and wins the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
