Phoenix Raceway will host the next stop along the NASCAR schedule. For the Cup and Xfinity Series, this will kick off a minor west coast swing (depending on where you consider COTA to be). Not only will Phoenix be the start of a location swing, but it also starts the first segment of the 2025 season where the true test of performance will occur. The first 3 races of the season could be considered wild card events. Two superspeedways and a road course offer the opportunity for unsung names to find success. Although big names won all the races, there were certainly drivers who thrived early. Will any of those drivers be featured this week in Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for Phoenix?
Between the two series racing this weekend, no surprises have featured in victory lane. For the Cup Series, William Byron and Christopher Bell have secured the wins. Meanwhile, the Chevy heavy hitters have been the ones to claim the coveted playoff spots in the Xfinity Series. With a slate of “normal” tracks upcoming, the expectation is that the usual suspects will be the ones picking up wins. Phoenix should see the heavy hitters out front. However, the Cup Series might have a bit more uncertainty thrown in via the option tire. First featured at Richmond, this tire might throw a bit of chaos into the Shriner Children’s 500. That might see one of the following Drivers to Watch pick up a win.
Shriners Children’s 500
Christopher Bell
After a second half that saw Christopher Bell (and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing Cup organization) go winless, the 20 team has started 2025 off on a hot streak. Going back-to-back over the past 2 races, Bell now heads to a piece of the schedule that should serve him well. With Phoenix up first, Bell could be the first driver to win 3 in a row since Kyle Larson in 2021. His performances at Phoenix last season definitely explain why he is the betting favorite. Between the 2 races, Bell led 193 laps along with 96 of the fastest laps.
Christopher Bell’s strong Phoenix performances do not only track to last year. Bell has been one of the strongest drivers at Phoenix in the Gen7 era. Back to the 2023 Championship Four, Bell looked to be Ryan Blaney’s best competition prior to a brake failure that took him out of the race. Overall in races where Bell has finished on the lead lap, he has averaged a 5.5 finish in this generation of car. All this chalks up to a strong chance Bell laps the field again. Who can forget Bell’s mad dash to the lead in this race last year during the final green flag stint. From 18th to 1st to then win by over 5 seconds, Bell’s 2024 looks to be a great reason to think he can do it again this weekend.
Chris Buescher
Kicking off 2025 with a solid start, Chris Buescher picked up his second Top-10 of the season at COTA. In a resilient effort after driving through the field multiple times, Buescher managed to continue to provide the usual consistency one would expect from him. Moving to Phoenix Raceway, that consistency should not drop off much at all. After struggling at the western track early in his career, Phoenix has become a strength for the Texan. Since the Gen7 was implemented, Buescher has 4 Top-10s in 6 starts. That is a tremendous improvement when his previous best finish was 16th (twice in 2016).
In terms of consistency, Chris Buescher has proved to be one of the best at Phoenix. During the Gen7 era, Buescher sits fourth in average finish with a 10.3. He only trails Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, and William Byron. That said, Buescher ranks last among the Top-10 in average finish in stage points scored. His 21 stage points sits 6 behind the next closest (Chastain) and 66 behind the leader of that category (Byron). Also, his laps led (18) sit drastically lower than the rest of the Top-10. This is a common story for Buescher, who usually finishes well but lacks the early track position. Will Sunday be another case of this for the 17 driver? Qualifying and early speed were priorities for this team. Phoenix will be a good test to see if they succeeded in improving there.
Ty Gibbs
What has happened to Ty Gibbs? Cast your mind back to the first third of the 2024 season. Gibbs ranked near the top of the list in terms of average finish. He seemed destined to win a race during that season, especially after an impressive showing at Bristol. Everything looked to be clicking the way many expected after a strong Xfinity Series career. However, things took a turn for the worse as 2024 dragged on. That sluggish finish to 2024 now has dragged into this year. Through the first 3 races, Gibbs has averaged a 27.3 finish and sits 35th in points. Right now, Jimmie Johnson ranks ahead of Gibbs.
The poor results and points standing has been a sentiment of luck rather than skill. Each of the first 3 races of this season saw Gibbs find himself being collected in a wreck. Simply put, Gibbs has been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Again, this continues from last season where the 54 usually fell victim to mechanical issues or wrecks. Phoenix is an example of this. During the spring, Gibbs led 54 laps and finished third. In the Championship Race, Gibbs wrecked out. If Gibbs can replicate his spring performance, maybe he can start a turnaround for this season. Truly, this team needs it.
GOVX 200
Parker Retzlaff
Although an Alpha Prime Racing driver might not be a name you would expect to need to watch, this weekend might different. For the first time in his Xfinity Series career, Parker Retzlaff failed to qualify for a race. In a stunning turn of events at COTA, Retzlaff (along with another Alpha Prime entry) picked up a DNQ in the third race of the season. Per Retzlaff, it was a humbling experience that he hopes to never replicate. Heading to Phoenix, Retzlaff will look to put COTA behind him with a solid effort.
There are few who will argue about the potential of Parker Retzlaff. In underfunded equipment, Retzlaff managed to turn heads during his time with Jordan Anderson Racing. Now in Alpha Prime Racing equipment, his talent will need to shine through more in even lesser equipment. His history at Phoenix is not too favorable, as he has a career best finish of 13th to go with his 3 DNFs. However, expect Retzlaff to be very motivated to make a positive statement this weekend. While his 4 car will assumedly remain outside of a winning conversation, a surprise Top-10 would not be out of question.
Sam Mayer
When it was announced that Sam Mayer would be leaving JR Motorsports for Haas Factory Team, there were some doubts if he would be able to maintain his level of performance. Over the past 2 seasons, Mayer had racked up 7 wins along with a Championship Four appearance. Arguably, Mayer could have been the next big thing for Chevrolet. Instead, the young driver leaves for a Ford team in the midst of a shake-up. Certainly seemed to be a questionable move at the time. Now, Haas Factory Team looks to be as competitive as they were as Stewart-Haas Racing.
Through the first 3 races of the 2025 season, Sam Mayer has looked impressive. At the two superspeedways, Mayer’s 41 car drove seamlessly through the draft. Last week at COTA, Mayer managed to drive his way into a Top-5 finish. With Phoenix on the docket, Mayer will hope Haas Factory Team’s history of success at the track will help him. Through his first 7 starts, Mayer only managed a single Top-10, which occurred during his Championship Four appearance. The former SHR Xfinity teams each won a race at Phoenix the past 2 seasons. If that can rub off on Mayer, could Mayer find a new career best at Phoenix? It will be something to watch this weekend.
Brandon Jones
For the Cup Series, one of the drivers to watch was a Joe Gibbs Racing driver who has struggled through the first 3 races of 2025. Why not do the same for the Xfinity Series. Seemingly on the path to be a career Xfinity Series driver, Brandon Jones returned to Joe Gibbs Racing after a rather unsuccessful venture with Jr Motorsports. Now in the 20 car, it was a question of whether Jones could rediscover the success he had once found with JGR before. So far this season though, it has been a continuation of the recent struggles.
Through 3 races, Jones sit 29th in points. This sees him rank behind Joey Gase (2 starts), Leland Honeyman Jr (2 starts), and Aric Almirola (1 start). However, Phoenix has been one of his better tracks. Back in 2020, Jones picked up his second career win at the track. Overall, Jones has collected 3 Top-5s and 7 Top-10s. Both of those statistics rank as tied for second most for any track in his Xfinity career. During his last stint with JGR, Jones had a stretch from 2020 to 2022 where he picked up all 3 of those Top-5s along with an additional Top-10. As another JGR driver looking for a race for positive momentum, Phoenix could be the right track at the right time for Brandon Jones.
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