The NASCAR Cup Series will crown its 2022 champion in Phoenix on Sunday as Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Ross Chastain vie for the title. Elliott (2020) and Logano (2018) are seeking their second championships while Bell and Chastain are chasing their first.
Logano will start from the pole after posting the fastest lap in Saturday's qualifying session while Elliott starts fifth. Bell was only able to get his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to 17th in qualifying and Chastain starts even further down the grid in 25th.
Here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend:
NASCAR Cup Series Championship weekend schedule
Fans in the United States can watch the race on NBC or the NBC Sports app (cable or satellite subscription required) and pos-trace coverage will be on Peacock. Radio coverage is available on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM.
(All times ET)
Sunday, Nov. 6
Pre-race show: 1:30 - 3 p.m. (NBC)
Cup Series Championship: 3 - 7 p.m. (NBC, NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM)
NASCAR Cup Series Championship race starting grid
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Daniel Hemric (23), 23XI Racing Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (18), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Corey Lajoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ty Dillon (42), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
Garrett Smithley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Landon Cassill (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Gibbs to miss Cup finale
Ty Gibbs won the Xfinity Series championship on Saturday night and had been due to continue driving the No. 23 23XI Toyota in place of Kurt Busch, but will miss the Cup race because of a family emergency. Daniel Hemric will drive in Gibbs' place on Sunday.
Top drivers and best bets for Phoenix
Of the championship-eligible drivers, Elliott has the best average finish (10.7), including a win there in 2020 to clinch his first career title. Logano has 15 career Top 10s, seven Top 5s and two wins in 27 starts at Phoenix. Bell has two Top 10s in five career starts on the one-mile oval, while Chastain’s lone Top-5 finish at Phoenix came in the spring race this season way back in March.
Best odds for the Cup Series Championship race win
Chase Elliott +250
Christopher Bell +325
Joey Logano +400
Ross Chastain +400
Best odds for the Cup Series Championship
Chase Elliott +200
Christopher Bell +250
Joey Logano +300
Ross Chastain +300
Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg suggests if you are looking to bet a driver for the championship, you would be better served to take the longer odds for him to win the race as the title-winning driver has won the finale each year since NASCAR went to its final-race decider.
Weather for the Cup Series Championship
Friday's practice and Saturday's qualifying sessions will be run under cloud cover and cooler temperatures in the mid-60s. Sunday's forecast calls for bright sunshine and highs in the upper 70s, meaning more tire degradation, and any long green-flag runs will be highlighted by pit strategy.