NASCAR championship race 2020: Schedule, lineup, TV and more for Season Finale 500 at Phoenix
The NASCAR season has reached its end. Through all the twist and turns, delays and schedule changes, the championship race has arrived.
Four drivers will compete against each other and the rest of the field to reach the pinnacle of their sport and raise the championship trophy.
For Denny Hamlin, it is the opportunity to realize a long-coveted dream after years of chasing the big prize. For Chase Elliott, it is the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his Hall-of-Fame father Bill Elliott and take the reins for the next generation of racing stars. And for Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, it is the opportunity to add to their legacies with a second championship, joining 16 other NASCAR drivers who have won multiple titles.
Their opportunity begins today. Here is all the information you need to get ready for Sunday's Season Finale 500, the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
START TIME: 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local).
TV: NBC. Pre-race broadcast begins at 2 p.m. ET (Noon local)
RADIO: Motor Racing Network. STREAMING: For those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider's credentials, you can watch at stream.nbcsports.com.
RACE DISTANCE: 312 laps around the 1-mile track for a total of 312 miles — or 500 kilometers.
STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 75, Stage 2: 115, Stage 2: 122.
END OF AN ERA: Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson will race for the final time in his legendary NASCAR career on Sunday. Johnson — who won 83 career Cup races, tied with Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time list — is set to test his skills in the IndyCar Series in 2021, when he will race road and street course races for Chip Ganassi Racing.
MORE NASCAR:
- CHAMPIONSHP 4: Meet the drivers who will race for the title
- LOGANO: Set to race for second title in three years
- HAMLIN: Hopes to recreate Phoenix magic for first championship
- NASCAR: Claims victory in finishing season during pandemic
- JOHNSON: How terrifying crash helped shape 7-time champ's career
- SEND OFF: Drivers share favorite Johnson stories before his last Cup race
- OPINION: Johnson leaves NASCAR as winning machine, humble role model
LAST TIME: Logano led 60 laps, including the final 24, before edging Kevin Harvick, the winningest driver in Phoenix Raceway history, by 0.276 seconds back in March. And one year ago, when Phoenix hosted the penultimate playoff race, Hamlin led 143 of 312 laps before holding off his teammate Kyle Busch by 0.377 seconds.
LINEUP: After his impressive victory last weekend at Martinsville to secure his spot in the Championship 4, Elliott will start on the pole. He will be joined on the front row by Logano, with Keselowski and Hamlin lined up directly behind them, followed by the rest of the field
--- UPDATE: Elliott failed pre-race inspection twice Sunday morning and will now have to start at the rear of the field.
Here is the lineup for the Season Finale 500 (car number in parentheses):
1. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet.
2. (22) Joey Logano, Ford.
3. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford.
4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota.
5. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford.
6. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet.
7. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet.
8. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota.
9. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford.
10. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford.
11. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford.
12. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford.
13. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota.
14. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota.
15. (41) Cole Custer, Ford.
16. (42) Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet.
17. (95) Christopher Bell, Toyota.
18. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet.
19. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford.
20. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet.
21. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet.
22. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet.
23. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet.
24. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet.
25. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet.
26. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet.
27. (38) John Hunter Nemechek, Ford.
28. (32) Corey LaJoie, Ford.
29. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford.
30. (96) Daniel Suarez, Toyota.
31. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford.
32. (27) JJ Yeley, Ford.
33. (66) Timmy Hill, Toyota.
34. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet.
35. (15) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet.
36. (53) James Davison, Chevrolet.
37. (51) Joey Gase, Ford.
38. (77) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet.
39. (07) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet