The race for the NASCAR Cup Series championship is finally here.
Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Christopher Bell will all race for the checkered flag on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway for the chance to be crowned series champion.
The odds are tight heading into the main event, with Larson the favorite to win (+175 at BetMGM). But the other three in the final four spots can all clinch the title with a win on Sunday or with top points, as each already has at least one playoff win this season. Larson is the only driver of the quartet to win a Cup championship, achieving the feat in 2021.
Even though these are the only four drivers capable of winning the Cup championship, anyone in the full field can take the checkered flag on the one-mile track.
Kevin Harvick, who races for the final time Sunday, has nine career Cup victories at Phoenix Raceway, sweeping both races in 2007 and 2014. His last victory there was in 2018. Joey Logano and Kyle Busch won there three career victories.
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Consider, however, that for the past nine seasons, the winner of the Championship Cup has also won the championship race. And Larson is the only one from Championship 4 to win a playoff race in Phoenix.
William Byron also scored a victory at the Arizona track during the regular season this year.
Paris FrontPage takes a look at the drivers to watch in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.; NBC).
(All ratings below are provided by PariMGM and are subject to change)
Pick to win: William Byron (+325)
It’s hard to imagine that the best driver of the 2023 season won’t finish with a victory.
Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, has six victories this season, including one in the playoffs at Texas Motor Speedway.
In 35 races, Byron has 20 top-10 finishes, including 14 top-five finishes. He won in Phoenix in March.
In 11 career starts on the one-mile track, Byron’s average is 11.9. He also has six top-10 finishes.
Top 3 Pick: Kyle Larson
Larson has four wins this season, including two in the playoffs – Darlington and Las Vegas.
And he has experience winning championship races, clinching the 2021 Cup title at Phoenix in 2021 with a victory in the final.
He was on pole in the March regular season race and finished fourth.
In 18 career starts at Phoenix, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has an average of 11.7, accumulating 11 top-10s, including seven top-5s.
Larson has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last nine starts at the one-mile track.
Top 10 Pick: Kevin Harvick
Not only does Harvick have nine wins at Phoenix, but he also has 20 top-5 finishes and 30 top-10 finishes in his 41 career starts.
Having retired after Sunday’s race, Harvick would like nothing better to score a victory at his best track.
And don’t count him out, even if he hasn’t won this season. Harvick hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in his last 20 Cup starts at the one-mile track. His average is 8.6, having led a total of 1,699 laps during his distinguished career.
Odds of winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship
Favorites to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway
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Mike Szvetitz is the general manager and chief content officer of FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a veteran reporter and editor for 23 years, including 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from prep to professional. His column “View From The Lazy Boy” has won several state and national awards. He can be reached at [email protected].
