NASCAR at Phoenix results, highlights: William Byron uses late cautions to captures second win in a row
It was bold, daring and clever. It was quick too.
William Byron found himself on the outside as he had just a few laps left in Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson had dominated much of the last two stages, canceling out any rhythm the No. 24 car seemed to have early on.
But as the drivers headed for the pit lane after a late warning flag, Byron put his trust in Crew Chief Rudy Fugle. Byron and company lined up behind Harvick’s #4 car and only changed two tires, undercutting Harvick.
It was a move that earned Byron the day at Phoenix Raceway. Even after struggling to maintain his blistering stage one pace, the Hendrick Motorsports driver took his second checkered flag in as many weeks.
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After stumbling into high 20’s in his first two races, Byron has come to life. And while he wasn’t quite as dominant as in Las Vegas, a win is a win – and this one featured brave driving and superb teamwork.
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It’s early in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, but 25-year-old Byron looks like the man to beat right now.
The Sporting News followed live updates from United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Below are the highlights and live scores from all the action under the brilliant Arizona sun.
United Rentals Work United 500 live updates, highlights from the 2023 race
(All times Easter)
6:49 p.m.: Byron does it again! In extra time, car no. 24 takes the checkered flag.
6:45 p.m.: Hamlin with a clean block to Harvick, who closes the door and keeps him out to look before OT.
6:41 p.m.: ATTENTION! AJ Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs take two shots against the wall and put today’s race into overtime. Harvick has a chance!
6:39 p.m.: Byron pitted two tires, fooling Harvick and bringing the No. 4 team back. It will be difficult for Happy to get a win here; only four rounds left.
6:36 p.m.: Harvick, Byron, Larson and Bell drove to the pit lane. Looks like Larson’s gonna get out of there first. Harvick’s way behind. He will lose serious ground in the restart.
6:32 p.m.: ATTENTION! Harrison Burton’s tire bursts and debris is thrown into the stratosphere. That’s not what you want to see if you’re Harvick, who was in the lead with just 10 laps to go.
6:30 p.m.: Smooth sailing for Harvick so far. With 15 laps to go and he’s looking for pace for the lucky No. 10 in Phoenix.
6:26 p.m.: Harvick has a solid lead over Larson. Just passed Wallace who falls down a lap in 21st. 21 laps left by Phoenix.
6:16 p.m.: Harvick takes the lead! What a pass from Happy sliding past the #5 car with 44 laps to go.
6:14 p.m.: While Larson and Harvick have a fairly comfortable lead over the rest of the pack, Jones isn’t too far behind. A warning flag could make this race very Interesting.
6:11 p.m.: Larson quickly approaches Jones, whose fuel is burning out at an accelerated rate. Unless something changes quickly, he’ll be overtaking Larson in no time.
18:08: Erik Jones is the only driver to stay out of pit stops. He will hope that a warning will be issued sooner rather than later.
18:04: Keselowski headed for the pit lane. That should bring a wave of riders in the moments to come. 66 laps left. Larson is in control.
6:00 p.m.: Christopher Bell passes Byron for third. Stay tuned to see if the Joe Gibbs Racing driver can play for Larson.
5:53 p.m.: Byron falls fast. He is now almost six seconds behind pacesetter Larson, who sits in third place. Not what you want to see from the #24 car.
5:45 p.m.: Bubba Wallace was at the top of the top 10 for much of Stage 2. However, a long pit stop threw him back to 19th place.
5:40 p.m.: Restart the race in Phoenix and see who’s at the front of the pack: none other than Harvick. A lot of people in the mix early in the final stages.
5:29 p.m.: Larson takes phase 2!
5:26 p.m.: Briscoe builds confidence as the race progresses. He started 24th but sits in 10th with six laps to go on the stage. It was only a year ago that he clinched the win at Phoenix. He certainly has the pedigree to make things interesting in the final stages.
5:15 p.m.: Buescher with a small jab at Suarez giving him a glimpse of his bumper as he tries to pass the #99 car. Could have been disastrous for Suarez although he recovered well to remain in control.
5:13 p.m.: Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher and Daniel Suarez are three just outside the top-10. Fascinating stuff in the middle of the pack.
5:10 p.m.: The green flag was waved to restart the race. Should give the rest of the field a chance to get closer with the Hendrick Motorsports guys who have been in the lead all day.
5:01 p.m.: ATTENTION! Aric Almirola spins his whip into the wall at Turn 4 and loses part of his bike after his tire explodes. Lap 138 brings the first warning of the day.
4:53 p.m.: Kyle Busch and Michael McDowell served penalties after rolling too fast into the pit lane. This forces them back onto the field.
4:50 p.m.: Denny Hamlin drove to the pit lane. That should spark an exodus of lead lap drivers to have their gas and tires changed.
4:43 p.m.: Byron is hot on Larson’s heels as we approach lap 50 of stage two. The Hendrick Motorsports duo started early.
4:40 p.m.: Brad Keselowski had a far better day at Phoenix than he did this time last year. He’s stayed in every top-10 for the first 100 laps of the day.
4:36 p.m.: Just hit the century mark for laps today. This is how it looks so far:
4:29 p.m.: Green flag back in Phoenix. Larson stole the march from Byron and passed him on the pit lane. He’s back in front.
4:18 p.m.: Byron takes the 1st leg. This is his fourth stage win in a row. He’s on fire at the moment.
4:14 p.m.: Logano in dangerous position to be lapped by Byron. The reigning Cup Series champion must stay ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to ensure he gets the free pass in Stage 2.
4:13 p.m.: Erik Jones and Ty Gibbs looking to get into the battle for stage points with 10 laps to go. The two fight for track positions in 14th and 15th place.
4:05 p.m.: Clear air for Byron up front, who led by just one lap despite starting the race behind Larson. No. 24 goes bankrupt early.
4:00 p.m.: For those watching Harvick, the No. 4 car is in 13th place, 13 seconds off Byron’s pace. Just before halftime of stage 1.
3:54 p.m.: Joey Logano is already getting closer to Martin Truex Jr. Not just once, but twice. I can’t imagine Truex getting too happy with the antics of the #22 car any time soon.
3:49 p.m.: William Byron sped past Larson and took the lead for the first two laps.
3:48 p.m.: The green flag was flying at Phoenix Raceway. Kyle Larson leads the pack to start things.
3:45 p.m.: Kevin Harvick is hoping to extend Las Vegas’ top 10 streak to 20 straight years. By far the greatest driver in the history of the circuit.
3:39 p.m.: The engines started here in Phoenix. Should be a convincing race.
3:15 p.m.: Zane Smith drove backwards after encountering a power steering problem earlier in the day.
3:05 p.m.: It’s going to be a full house at Phoenix Raceway today.
3:00 p.m.: Kyle Larson seems ready for action today. Here he talks about how he was pleasantly surprised by Hendrick’s performance at Phoenix this weekend:
United Rentals Work United 500 2023 starting lineup
| start pos. | driver | car no | team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 2. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3. | William Byron | 24 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 4. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK race |
| 5. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse race |
| 7. | Michael McDowell | 34 | Motorsport in the front row |
| 8th. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penke |
| 9. | Kyle Bush | 8th | Richard Childress Racing |
| 10 | Eric Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 11. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse race |
| 12. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI race |
| 13. | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 14 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 15 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 16 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penke |
| 17 | Josh Berry | 9 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 18 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Henrik Motorsport |
| 19 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI race |
| 20 | Austin Cinderic | 2 | Team Penke |
| 21 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK race |
| 22 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 24 | Hunt Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 25 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 26 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 27 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers race |
| 28 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsport |
| 29 | death Gilland | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 30 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 31 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas race |
| 32 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 33 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live fast motorsport |
| 34 | Zane Smith | 38 | Motorsport in the front row |
| 35 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsport |
| 36 | CodyWare | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
What channel is the United Rentals Work United 500 on today?
- TV channel: Fox (USA) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live broadcast: FoxSports.com, fuboTV
This year’s United Rentals Work United 500 will air on Fox in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the race on TSN5.
Mike Joy will direct coverage and serve as the race’s lap-by-lap announcer. He will be joined on the stand by former Cup Series drivers Clint Bowyer and Danica Patrick.
Cable cutters can find Sunday’s race on FoxSports.com as well as on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
When does the United Rentals Work United 500 start today?
- Date: Sunday March 12th
- start time: 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local time)
Sunday’s race is scheduled to begin at 3:30pm ET (12:30pm local time), but pre-race activities will set the green flag at 3:47pm ET (12:47pm local time).