Frontstretch Newsletter: Jenson Button Making NASCAR Cup Series Debut At COTA

Published: Fri, 03/10/23

Frontstretch Newsletter: March 10, 2023
Volume XVII, Edition XXVI

What to Watch: March 10-12

- Today is a very busy day at Phoenix Raceway. NASCAR Cup Series teams will have their first chance to try out the new rules package. That session, which was only added to the schedule in the past couple of weeks, will air live on FOX Sports 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

- The ARCA Menards Series returns to action tonight after an exciting season opener at Daytona. They'll be joined by ARCA Menards Series West for their season opener. Practice is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, with qualifying following at 6 p.m. ET. Neither session will be televised.

Coverage of the General Tire 150 will air live on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET tonight. If you have FOX Sports 1, you should be able to watch on FOXSports.com or the FOX Sports App as long as you sign in with your provider credentials.

- NASCAR Xfinity Series teams are already in Phoenix. As far as on-track activity goes, it will effectively be a one-day show for those teams. Practice is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday (10:30 a.m. local time) on FOX Sports 1. Qualifying will follow immediately afterwards.

Coverage of the United Rentals 200 will start with NASCAR RaceDay - Xfinity Edition at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Race coverage will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

FOLLOW THE FRONTSTRETCH THIS WEEKEND IN PHOENIX THROUGH OUR COLLEAGUE:

Amy Henderson (@Writer_Amy)

Also, don't forget to follow our Twitter page, @Frontstretch as well for updates on Las Vegas!

TV Schedule: Here

Today's Top News:

F1 World Champion Jenson Button Joins Rick Ware Racing for 3 Cup Races

Rick Ware Racing announced Thursday that 2009 World Champion Jenson Button will drive the No. 15 Ford in association with Stewart-Haas Racing for three races, starting with Circuit of the Americas later this month.

Read more

(Photo: World Racing Group via Jacy Norgaard)

Jonathan Davenport Running Bristol Dirt for Kaulig

Kaulig Racing announced Thursday that dirt late model star Jonathan Davenport will drive a third entry for the team in the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol in April.

Read more

Anthony Alfredo Joins LFM for 2 Races

Live Fast Motorsports announced Thursday that Anthony Alfredo, who drives for sister team BJ McLeod Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will drive the No. 78 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series in two races later this season.

Read more

William Byron Back With KBM for 3 Races

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that William Byron will drive the team's No. 51 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in three races later this season. The truck will be sponsored by HendrickCars.com.

Read more

Tyler Carpenter Back With Niece for Bristol Dirt

Niece Motorsports announced Friday morning that Tyler Carpenter will return to the team for the sole NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 41 Chevrolet.

Read more

Dale Shearer Running Full-Time ARCA East

Dale Shearer has confirmed to Frontstretch that he will compete full-time in ARCA Menards Series East in 2023 in his own Toyota.

Read more

Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, David PeQueen, World Racing Group via Jacy Norgaard and our own Phil Allaway.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

Around the World in Motorsports: March 9

- NASCAR announced Thursday that they will be integrating the choose rule into all road course races in the National-level Series starting at Circuit of the Americas in two weeks. In addition, a 50-minute practice session has been added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule at COTA so that teams can learn about the new rule package that will debut this weekend in Phoenix.

- SS-Green Light Racing announced Thursday that Swift Transportation, a major trucking outfit, will serve as the primary sponsor of Blaine Perkins' No. 07 Chevrolet in Saturday's United Rentals 200 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Phoenix Raceway.

Frontstretch Videos:

Jenson Button Hints to Racing on the Road Courses in NASCAR

As already noted, Rick Ware Racing announced Thursday that Jenson Button will join the team starting at Circuit of the Americas. A couple of weeks ago, Button told Frontstretch's Jack Swansey this on the grid prior to the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway.

Newsletter Exclusives:

Frontstretch Folio: United Rentals Work United 500k

by Phil Allaway

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Arizona to wrap up the Western Swing. Coverage of the United Rentals Work United 500k begins with NASCAR RaceDay on FOX Sports 1 at 2 p.m. ET. Coverage moves to FOX at 3 p.m. ET. The green flag should fly around 3:40. Radio coverage will be provided by local MRN Radio affiliates and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Also, remember that Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend. Turn your manually adjustable clocks forward one hour before you go to bed Saturday night (or, at 2 a.m. if you're still awake at that point). The Phoenix area does not observe Daylight Savings Time. Instead, the area stays in Mountain Standard Time for the entire year. That means that Phoenix will be three hours behind Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday only.

Records and facts

Last year's Ruoff Mortgage 500k saw Ryan Blaney dominate the early portions of the race from pole. However, on a restart after Martin Truex Jr. crashed out of the race, Chase Briscoe was able to get past Blaney and take the lead. Aside from a round of stops under green, Briscoe led from there to take his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory.

Briscoe ended up finishing .771 seconds ahead of Ross Chastain. Tyler Reddick was third, then Blaney and Kurt Busch.

Kevin Harvick is the winningest driver at Phoenix International Raceway all-time with nine victories on the tricky tri-oval. Jimmie Johnson has four victories in his own right, while Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. each have three.

Eight drivers have two victories in Phoenix. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman are the active drivers in the group. The others are Davey Allison, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 1 mile tri-oval, 312 laps (312 miles, 502.32 kilometers)
Banking: 10-11 degrees in the backstretch dogleg, 8-9 degrees in turns 1-2, 10-11 degrees in turns 3-4

Frontstretch: 1,551 ft., banked 9-11 degrees

Backstretch: 1,179 ft., banked 3 degrees

Grandstand Seating: 45,000

Pit Road Speed: 45 mph
Pace Car Speed: 50 mph
Opened: 1964 (first Cup race in 1988)

Website: http://www.phoenixraceway.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway

Twitter: http://twitter.com/phoenixraceway

Pre-Race Schedule:

Practice: Friday, March 10, 6:30 - 7:25 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2

Qualifying: Saturday, March 11, 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1

Say What?

"We’ve been back to Phoenix since the fall race last year and tested with NASCAR. We’ll have a different aero package with less downforce that we’ll be working through this weekend. It’s a steep hill we are going to have [to] climb to be as competitive as we were in the fall at Phoenix. It’s going to feel like a different race car this weekend. I think the topic will be how much less downforce we all have and how much we are all sliding around. We will find out if it actually makes the racing better." - Ross Chastain

"Phoenix is very straightforward looking, but the two ends are so different that it’s a big challenge to get your car working good, especially with the NextGen car having come around, and we are shifting a bit. It’s definitely a fun place and it’s been really racy there the last couple of years and I enjoy going there. I feel like we needed a little bit more in Vegas and hopefully we have that this weekend in Phoenix with our Bass Pro Shops Toyota." - Martin Truex Jr.

"I enjoy Phoenix [Raceway]. 2021 was a great ending for us there, getting the win and [NASCAR Cup Series] championship. I feel like we’re usually on the cusp of being able to lead laps and win races there. It’s a unique track. Different than any other race track we go to. The shape of it, the size of it, the banking, etc. is unique to Phoenix. I also bought a place out here [in Scottsdale] a handful of months ago, so it’s kind of like a home race for me now and I really enjoy going there." - Kyle Larson

Phil Allaway is the Frontstretch newsletter manager. He can be reached at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Photo is courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography.

Today at Frontstretch:

4 Burning Questions: What Are the Plans for Busch and FedEx in 2024?

by Dalton Hopkins

Friday Faceoff: Is This Finally William Byron’s Breakout Year?

by the Frontstretch Staff

Fire on Fridays: Phoenix Shouldn’t Host Another Race If It’s the Championship Venue

by Anthony Damcott

NASCAR 101: Please Sign My Waiver

by Zach Gillispie

Tomorrow at Frontstretch.com:

We'll have recaps and breakdowns of all the action from Phoenix.

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