NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Phoenix
NASCAR has reached its season finale following 26 regular-season races and nine playoff races, and on Sunday, the 2023 Cup Series champion will be crowned at Phoenix Raceway.
Four drivers – Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson – will race against the rest of the field on the 1-mile oval with the title up for grabs. And while winning Sunday’s race is the ultimate goal, a victory is not necessary to win the championship. Simply put, whichever of the four drivers has the best finish will be crowned the 2023 champion.
Bell, Blaney and Byron are each seeking their first Cup Series championship, while Larson won the title in 2021. Larson is also the oldest of the title contenders at 31. Blaney is 29, Bell 28 and Byron just 25.
Who will lift the championship trophy? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race:
What time does the NASCAR Championship Race start?
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race starts at 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Championship Race on?
NBC is broadcasting the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (noon local), while Peacock will have a post-race show at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local).
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Championship Race?
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race can be live streamed on Peacock, the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
NASCAR 2024 SCHEDULE: Atlanta, Watkins Glen shift to playoffs next season
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How many laps is the NASCAR Championship Race?
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is 312 laps around the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway for a total of 312 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 127 laps.
Who won the most recent races at Phoenix?
Kyle Larson led the most laps with 201, but William Byron won the spring race after leading 62 laps early in the race and then the final two in overtime before edging Ryan Blaney by .330 seconds on March 12, 2023.
And one year ago in the 2022 championship race, Joey Logano dominated en route to his second career Cup Series title, leading 187 laps before holding off Blaney by .301 seconds on Nov. 6, 2022.
What is the lineup for the NASCAR Championship Race?
(Car number in parentheses; P-playoff driver)
1. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
2. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
4. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
5. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
7. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
8. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
9. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
10. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
11. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
12. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
13. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
14. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
15. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
16. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
17. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
18. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
19. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
20. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
21. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
22. (42) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
23. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
24. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
25. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
26. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
27. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
28. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
29. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
30. (51) Ryan Newman, Ford
31. (6) Cole Custer, Ford
32. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
33. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
34. (15) JJ Yeley, Ford
35. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
36. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet