Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Phoenix
03/11/2021

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Phoenix

Phoenix – the site of the last pre-COVID event for the NASCAR circuit – hosts the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend for its annual spring slot. Jack Roush has 17 wins all-time at the 1-mile track, including seven in the NCS.

Instacart 500

Sunday, March 14 | 3:30 p.m. ET

FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Performance Ford Mustang

Las Vegas Recap, Phoenix Preview

  • Newman finished 18th in last weekend’s 400-mile race at Homestead.
  • Buescher battled to another top-15, crossing the line 14th.
  • Guaranteed Rate returns to the side of Newman’s No. 6 machine in the desert for its first points event of 2021.
  • Buescher will sport a bright look featuring Roush Performance, with a scheme he ran last season in Texas.

Hooked on Phoenix

Roush Fenway has 293 combined starts at Phoenix, totaling 17 wins, 75 top-five and 134 top-10 finishes. RFR Fords have nine poles and have led 4,031 laps at the 1-mile track.

Winning in the Desert

Roush Fenway has won at Phoenix in all three of NASCAR’s major divisions, with the organization’s first win coming in the fall of 1993 with NASCAR Hall of Famer and former driver Mark Martin in the NCS. Roush Fenway won the second-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix in 2000 and former driver Greg Biffle claimed the organization’s 100th overall NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Phoenix in 2009.

Former driver Carl Edwards also won at the track that fall to give Roush Fenway the season sweep. All in all, six drivers have won NASCAR races for Roush Fenway at Phoenix (Martin, Biffle, Edwards, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Joe Ruttman). In addition, Edwards swept Phoenix in the fall of 2010, winning both the NXS and NCS events.

Recent Ryan in Phoenix

Four years ago in the Phoenix spring race, Ryan Newman went to victory lane in the No. 31, marking his most recent win in the NCS. He started 22nd in that race before going on to lead the final six laps en route to his 18th career Cup series win.

Xfinity Success

Phoenix was one of the strongest tracks for Roush Fenway’s Xfinity program. In 93 starts, the organization won eight times, earned 27 top-fives, 53 top-10s and has led 1,406 laps. Roush Fenway most recently went to victory lane with Edwards in Nov. 2010. Its eight wins rank most of any track on the circuit behind only Charlotte (12), Darlington (15), Richmond (9) and Rockingham (10).

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 164 NCS races at Phoenix, recording a total of seven victories, 35 top-five finishes, 60 top-10 finishes, four poles and has led 2,291 laps. Edwards earned Roush Fenway’s most recent victory at Phoenix in the March 2013 event.

Roush Fenway Phoenix Wins

1993       Martin  Cup

1997-2   Ruttman Truck

2000       Burton  Cup

2000       Burton  NXS

2001       Biffle     Truck

2001       Burton  Cup

2001       Biffle     NXS

2002       Kenseth Cup

2005-1   Busch    Cup

2005-2   Edwards NXS

2006-2   Kenseth NXS

2008-2   Edwards NXS

2009-1   Biffle     NXS

2009-2   Edwards NXS

2010-2   Edwards Cup

2010-2   Edwards NXS

2013-1   Edwards Cup