TRACK – Phoenix Raceway (1-mile-oval)
NOAPS RACE – Timberland PRO 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, ESPN Mobile App at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
- Carson Kvapil will head to “The Valley of the Sun” this weekend for his fourth start at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
- Kvapil led 22 laps and brought home a third-place finish at Phoenix in March.
- Accompanying Kvapil, crew chief Rodney Childers had made 37 NASCAR Cup Series starts atop the box at Phoenix. In those starts, Childers has five wins, 12 top-fives and 23 top-10s.
- Kvapil heads into the sixth race in The Chase fifth in points, 40 markers back from the series lead.
- Champion Irrigation will be featured on the No.1 Chevrolet this weekend for their final primary sponsorship of the season.
- Justin Allgaier heads into the sixth race of The Chase just 15 points out of the lead.
- Allgaier is the most recent NOAPS winner at “The Valley of the Sun,” taking the checkered flag in March after leading the final 11 laps.
- Overall, Allgaier is a three-time winner at Phoenix, going to Victory Lane in the spring of 2017 and in this event in 2019 to accompany his win earlier this year at the 1-mile oval.
- Statistically, Phoenix is one of Allgaier’s strongest tracks on the NOAPS schedule, as the JRM driver’s 22 top-10s ranks first among all tracks he has competed on and his 14 top-fives rank tied for first with Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Additionally, Allgaier’s 824 laps led in the desert rank second among all tracks and his three wins rank tied for second with Nashville Superspeedway.
- Sammy Smith returns to Phoenix this Saturday, the track that he captured his first career NOAPS victory at, in the Spring of 2023.
- Smith has eight starts on the 1-mile oval in the desert. In those, he has captured one win, one top-five, six top-10’s and has an average finish of 8.8.
- According to NASCAR loop details statistics, Smith is ranked fifth for leading the most laps at Phoenix since 2005 at 123 laps.
- AG Needs Inc will be on the TV panel of the No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet this weekend. The family-owned company was established in 2002 in Utah and specializes in nationwide freight solutions.
- Heading west, Jake Finch will once again pilot the No. 9 for JRM this season for his first NOAPS start at Phoenix and his fifth start of the year.
- Finch will also be making his fourth ARCA Menards Series West start in the desert following the NOAPS race on Saturday.
- In three previous starts in the AMSW at Phoenix, Finch has finished in the top-10 each time with an average finish of 8.3.
- In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Finch will be representing Chevy Cares and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer with a special pink paint scheme.
- Rajah Caruth and the No. 88 HendrickCars.com team head to Phoenix this weekend for the sixth race of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series Chase.
- Caruth will make his third career NASCAR O’Reilly Series start at Phoenix this weekend. His best finish at the 1-mile oval came earlier this season, when he finished eighth.
- In four career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Phoenix, Caruth has earned one top-five and one top-10 finish. His best result came in 2025, when he finished fifth.
- The No. 88 HendrickCars.com team returns to Phoenix after William Byron drove the Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish earlier this season.
Carson Kvapil: “Phoenix is unlike any other track we race on and always presents a unique challenge. We had a great run there in the spring, and we’re looking to carry that momentum into this weekend and replicate that success. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and this entire Champion Irrigation team have been working extremely hard and I am confident we will unload another fast Chevrolet this weekend. We just need to go out and execute the way I know this team can and hopefully put the No. 1 Champion Irrigation Chevrolet in Victory Lane come Saturday evening.”
Justin Allgaier: “This entire No. 7 group is ready to get to Phoenix this weekend. This has been a really strong track for us and I know that we will have what it takes to continue to gain ground in the points. Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) has had this place circled on our calendar since The Chase started. We just need to go out and execute like we did here in the spring. If we do that, I feel like we can have a great day on Saturday.”
Sammy Smith: “Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks. It’s a bit more special to me because it’s where I got my first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win. We have been up front contending for the win and had solid top-five and top-10 finishes in most of our races at Phoenix so I feel really confident in this No. 8 team. The following week, we run at Talladega, another track we’ve won at before so I think the timing of these two races, towards the end of The Chase is good, it can be the turning point we need to get back up into contention for the championship.”
Jake Finch: “Charlotte didn’t exactly go our way, so I am hoping this No. 9 team can rebound in Phoenix this weekend. This is one of my favorite tracks and I am looking forward to getting back out there. I know Phil (Bell, crew chief) and this whole team will unload another fast car. I am so glad I can represent Chevy Cares and Making Strides against Breast Cancer this weekend and I hope we can battle for a great finish for them at the end.”
Rajah Caruth: “Phoenix is a challenging track because both ends are so different, and you really have to be disciplined with how you approach each corner. Having raced there earlier this year definitely helps, and I feel like we have a good understanding of what we need out of our No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. Our focus now is on finishing the season on a high note, putting together complete races and getting the results this team deserves. Everyone has continued to work hard, and hopefully we can execute all weekend and come away with a strong finish.”
JRM Team Updates
- JR Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway: JR Motorsports has competed at Phoenix Raceway a combined 121 times in the NOAPS since 2006. In those starts at the 1-mile oval, the organization has recorded five wins, 33 top-fives, and 64 top-10s. The average finish is 12.7.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Friday, October 16th, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT.