Practice – Saturday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Qualifying – Saturday, March 12 at 2:05 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Race – Sunday, March 13 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Weekend Format
- With practice and qualifying back on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup Series, with it comes a unique format. For Phoenix, the field will be separated into two groups who will each have a 15-minute warm-up/practice.
- Immediately following that brief session, qualifying will begin, also split into two groups, with the top five fastest cars in each group transferring to the final round. The final round of qualifying to determine the pole sitter will feature 10 cars, as all qualifying this weekend will include just one lap per car.
Keselowski at Phoenix Raceway
- Keselowski makes his 26th start at Phoenix this Sunday, where he has 13 top-10s all-time with an average finish of 12.5. Despite no wins at the 1-mile track, Keselowski has three-straight top-10s in Arizona with a runner-up result in the 2020 season finale, one of his two P2 finishes there (2018, fall).
- He’s led 283 laps at Phoenix in 14 different races and is coming off a 10th-place run last fall. In the 2021 spring event he finished fourth after starting from the pole.
- Keselowski is a two-time Xfinity Series winner in Phoenix, earning the victory in 2018 in the No. 22 entry, and in 2014 for Team Penske. Overall he has 21 NXS starts there with 15 top-10s. He also made two Truck starts there in 2005 and 2008 with a best finish of sixth in his own No. 19 truck for BKR.
Matt McCall at Phoenix Raceway
- McCall will call his 15th Cup race from Phoenix on Sunday where he has five top-10s and a best finish of second, which came in his very first start with Jamie McMurray back in 2015.
- Dating back three spring events from the desert, McCall has finishes of 15th (2021), sixth (2020) and seventh (2019). He most recently ran 16th with Kurt Busch last fall, and overall has an 11.7 average finish at the 1-mile track.
QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Phoenix:
“We obviously have our work cut out for us to try and get back on the right track here in terms of finishing position. We have no doubt had speed, I unfortunately just made a mistake last week and we have not been able to come away with finishes on paper to accompany our bright spots. I am confident in this team, though, and know we’re doing everything we can to put it together this weekend in Phoenix and come away with a great run in the Violet Defense Ford.”
Last Time Out
Keselowski was in the mix inside the top five after leading three laps in Sunday’s race from Las Vegas before spinning out on the front stretch. The spin would put him laps down to the leaders, something he was ultimately unable to overcome to finish 24th.
On the Car
Violet Defense returns for its second points race of 2022 and third appearance overall.
RKF PR
