Phoenix Raceway, the hallowed NASCAR battleground that has crowned legends like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney, has snapped its impressive seven-race sellout streak that extended from 2020 to 2024. The desert track’s charm, which once magnetized fans and consistently sold out the grandstands, has seemingly lost its allure, as evidenced by the empty seats witnessed during the first race of the 2025 campaign.
In a surprising twist, Phoenix Raceway’s President, Latasha Causey, who had previously reveled in the track’s unbroken sellout streak, had no sellout crowd to announce this time. This marks a significant shift for the raceway, which has not seen an unsold Cup Series event since 2019. Notably, NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck broke the news, tweeting, “Phoenix did not announce a sellout crowd today. Snaps a streak of seven straight sellouts, which I believe had been the longest in NASCAR.”
The abrupt end to this streak has sparked a myriad of reactions from the NASCAR community. Some fans attribute the declined attendance to Team Penske’s dominance, with the team clinching the last three championship races held at Phoenix Raceway. However, with Christopher Bell taking the trophy in both today’s race and the previous spring race, this could be a sign of changing times at the dogleg oval.
Others have voiced more drastic opinions, suggesting that it’s time to shift the championship race elsewhere. This sentiment echoes the words of 2014 Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick who last year proposed a rotational venue for the championship race, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Homestead.
Factors like weather and finances also play into Phoenix’s attendance. Some fans prefer to save their trip to Phoenix for the cooler November championship weekend. However, a more pressing concern has been the performance of the Next-Gen car on the raceway. The vehicle has faced several issues, from dirty air to a lack of passing, leading to prolonged stretches of drivers leading until a caution or pit stop initiates a lead change.
As the dust settles on this recent development, questions abound. Is Phoenix Raceway losing its charm? Is the end of the sellout streak a sign of changing times? Should Phoenix’s number of races be cut down to one per year? Only time will tell. But for now, it’s clear that Phoenix Raceway, once the jewel in NASCAR’s crown, is grappling with a bittersweet reality check.