The NASCAR Cup Series is gearing up for a pivotal showdown at Phoenix Raceway, a track long regarded as a measuring stick for championship contenders. But this time, there’s a fresh wrinkle in the mix.
Sunday’s 312-lap battle will mark the debut of option tires on the 1-mile oval. This softer compound turned heads last season at North Wilkesboro’s All-Star Race and Richmond Raceway’s August event, earning praise from drivers who enjoyed the extra grip and strategy shake-ups.
Some even pushed for these tires to be used in last year’s championship race at Phoenix, but NASCAR and Goodyear opted to hold off. Now, the experiment is officially underway. If the option tires prove to be a hit, they could become the standard compound for the 2025 season finale.
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The Sporting News has everything you need to know about the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500, including TV Channel, streaming options, radio station and starting grid.
NASCAR radio station for Shriners Children’s 500
Listen to the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix and every race of the NASCAR season on SiriusXM.
Get SiriusXM for free for your first month. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.
NASCAR at Phoenix driver audio
SiriusXM will have three driver audio channels for Sunday’s race:
- William Byron: Channel 990
- Joey Logano: Channel 991
- Ryan Blaney: Channel 992
What time does the NASCAR race start today?
- Track: Phoenix Raceway (1-mile road course) in Arizona
- Date: Sunday, March 9
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET or 12:30 a.m. PT
- Length: 312 laps, 312 miles | Stages: 45 laps, 20 laps, 25 laps
The Phoenix Race is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 9. The race will be held at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona.
NASCAR Phoenix starting lineup 2025
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Mavis Brakes Plus Toyota |
| 2. | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Monster Energy Toyota |
| 3. | Chase Elliott | 9 | Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet |
| 4. | Erik Jones | 43 | Family Dollar Toyota |
| 5. | William Byron | 24 | RaptorTough.com Chevrolet |
| 6. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | Mobil 1 Toyota |
| 7. | Noah Gragson | 10 | SERVPRO Ford |
| 8. | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Mahindra Tractors Ford |
| 9. | Michael McDowell | 34 | Horizon Hobby Ford |
| 10. | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Delaware Life Chevrolet |
| 11. | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Bass Pro Shops Toyota |
| 12. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Kubota Chevrolet |
| 13. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Rheem Toyota |
| 14. | Chris Buescher | 17 | BuildSubmarines.com Ford |
| 15. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Freeway Insurance Chevrolet |
| 16. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Advance Auto Parts Ford |
| 17. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Valvoline Chevrolet |
| 18. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Consumer Cellular Ford |
| 19. | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Albertson’s Toyota |
| 20. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | Fry’s/Coca-Cola Spiced Chevrolet |
| 21. | Daniel Hemric | 31 | Poppy Bank Chevrolet |
| 22. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | U.S. Air Force Toyota |
| 23. | Joey Logano | 22 | Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford |
| 24. | Harrison Burton | 21 | Draiver Ford |
| 25. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Ally Best Friends Chevrolet |
| 26. | Derek Kraus | 16 | Western States Flooring Chevrolet |
| 27. | Ryan Preece | 41 | United Rentals Ford |
| 28. | Zane Smith | 71 | Focused Health Chevrolet |
| 29. | Todd Gilliland | 38 | gener8tor Ford |
| 30. | Austin Dillon | 3 | Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet |
| 31. | Kyle Busch | 8 | zone Chevrolet |
| 32. | Kaz Grala | 15 | N29 Capital Partners Ford |
| 33. | Justin Haley | 51 | Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford |
| 34. | Austin Cindric | 2 | Menards/Duracell Ford |
| 35. | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Group 1001 Chevrolet |
| 36. | Josh Berry | 4 | SunnyD Ford |
