Look back at Shriners Children’s 500 in 2023. It was an exceptional race. And, the 2025 race at Phoenix is no different. It looks like history just keeps repeating itself for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who won the Daytona 500 this year. In both years, William Byron had a start worth remembering, leading stage 1 with a landslide, and then falling on his face when the stage 2 results came. The only difference is Ryan Blaney robbed him of his victory in 2023, and 2025, it is Christopher Bell.

And Bell is repeating history too! He won the Phoenix race last year, with victories in both stages. This year, his nerves of steel and maneuvering skills made up for his Stage 1 loss. But if Byron led the pack in the first stage, where did his hope to win fall apart?

William Byron clocked a lap at 133.680 mph in his No. 24 Chevrolet, edging out Joey Logano’s 133.195 mph to claim his 14th career pole. But he shared a blunt pre-race, “It’s still hard to pass,”, pointing to the track’s challenges. With his fastest lap securing the top spot, Byron expected tough overtaking due to the aging track’s grip loss and warmer temps. Tire wear could rise with apron starts, and the Goodyear option tires were to give their test. ‘But it wouldn’t be as bad as past races,’ at least that’s what fans thought.

Byron’s confidence comes from a fast car and a sharp crew. After leading the points early in the season, he knew Phoenix’s 1-mile oval favors strategy as much as speed. With Logano, Kyle Larson, and others close behind, Byron’s pole and tire gamble could have either led to glory or a risky crash. Either way, Phoenix was set for a thriller, and Byron’s leading the charge from the top spot.

Byron’s pole marked his first front-row start of 2025, putting him in the driver’s seat to chase another victory after his Daytona 500 win. He was lined up next to Logano, who jokingly had said, “I don’t like William Byron anymore,”. But William Byron walked away from Phoenix Raceway feeling pretty torn after finishing sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series race.

As the Hendrick Motorsports driver and points leader going in, he had a real shot at winning, but a tricky restart late in the race threw him off. Talking to reporters, he broke it down: “Uh no out six where we were picked but uh we got through one and two really good and then I just slipped a little but I didn’t really know how much racetrack I had to use so um kind of lost momentum there and then it was kind of um just stuck in the middle a little bit so uh yeah just happy with the fact we were able to get back up there yeah.”

That restart really stung. His No. 24 Chevrolet had just pitted when a poorly timed caution flag hit, messing up his whole plan. He felt both disappointed and kind of uplifted about the finish. He started strong, leading early and holding a top spot, but that slip dropped him mid-pack, and he had to fight back to sixth. But he didn’t give up.

Byron’s Phoenix run showed his potential, but he knows he missed chances. His car handled great on option tires early, but that restart and caution timing hurt. “I could’ve been more aggressive on that restart, used more track, but it’s hard to judge in the moment,” he admitted. Christopher Bell took his record 3rd back-to-back win, with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top four. Byron’s sixth kept him on top in points, but he knows a win got away.

Fans saw a driver pushing hard, disappointed but determined, ready to chase a win at Las Vegas.

It was all chaos at Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix Raceway on March 9, 2025, saw drama unfold during the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500. Katherine Legge, making history as the first woman in a Cup race, had a tough debut with Live Fast Motorsports’ No. 78 car. She spun out twice, struggling with the track’s challenges. “I just lost it,” Legge said after the first spin, hitting the wall early. Her second spin later in the race ended her day, finishing 38th after battling Phoenix’s “scorched thoroughfares,”. Legge’s car lacked speed, and she couldn’t recover, marking a disappointing start despite her determination.

Just months ago, in September 2024, Phoenix Raceway celebrated its fourth straight grandstand sellout for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship on November 10, 2024. President Latasha Causey said, “The level of appreciation we hold toward our fans is boundless after selling out another Cup Series event at Phoenix Raceway.” This marked the track’s seventh consecutive Cup Series sellout, a record now in NASCAR’s history.

Phoenix’s streak stood out, especially post-pandemic, as it drew huge crowds despite attendance struggles elsewhere, cementing its status as NASCAR’s championship hub. Fans packed the desert track for spring races and title weekends, driven by the venue’s fan-friendly vibe. But streaks don’t last forever. It’s the first non-sellout since 2019, a shock for a track used to hanging “SOLD OUT” signs.

This drop hints at changing fan dynamics, challenging Phoenix’s recent attendance dominance.