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Haas Factory Team News

HFT Weekend Preview: Phoenix Raceway.

Saturday O’Reilly Series Action:
  • Date: Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Track: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, AZ
  • Race Distance: 200 laps / 200 miles
  • Broadcast: CW| MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Sunday Cup Series Action:
  • Date: Sunday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Track: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, AZ
  • Race Distance: 312 laps / 312 miles
  • Broadcast: FS1| MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
On-Track Activity:Friday:
  • 7 p.m. ET – O’ Reilly Qualifying
    CW App | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • 8:05 p.m. ET – O’ Reilly Qualifying
    CW App | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday:
  • 12 p.m. ET – Cup Practice
    Prime | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • 1:05 p.m. ET – Cup Qualifying
    Prime | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
  • 7:30 p.m. ET – O’ Reilly Race
    CW | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday:
  • 3:30 p.m. ET – Cup Race
    FS1 | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Race Weekend Quick Hits:
  • Phoenix Raceway hosts its annual spring date this weekend for the fourth points race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup/O’ Reilly Series season.
  • Sheldon Creed (106) sits fourth in the O’ Reilly Series points standings after three races, behind only Justin Allgaier (115), Jesse Love (126) and Austin Hill (154).
    • Sam Mayer jumped nine spots in the standings to 10th after winning Stage Two at Circuit of the Americas last weekend and earning the fourth most points of any full-time driver.
  • Mayer (4.0) and Creed (6.0) hold the two highest average starting positions in the O’ Reilly Series, and are the only two drivers to start inside the top 10 in all three races to begin the season.
Cup Driver Lineup:No. 41 Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, CA
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: HaasTooling.comCuster’s Phoenix Cup Series History:
  • Starts: 8
  • Wins: –
  • Top-10s: 1
  • Poles: –
Key Numbers:
  • Custer makes his ninth Cup start at Phoenix this weekend, where he finished 25th last fall in the season finale.
  • His best finish came in his debut race at the track in 2020, when he drove up to ninth after starting in the 16th position.
  • He has started inside the top 10 in two of his last four five and has an average starting position of 18.3.
  • Custer won the O’ Reilly race at Phoenix in the fall of 2023 while running the No. 00 car, where he started seventh and led 96 laps.
O’ Reilly Auto Parts Driver Lineup:No. 00 Driver: Sheldon Creed
Hometown: Alpine, CA
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Boulder Crest FoundationCreed’s Phoenix O’ Reilly Series History:
  • Starts: 9
  • Wins: –
  • Top-10s: 7
  • Poles: –
Key Numbers:
  • Creed is set to make his 10th O’ Reilly Series start at Phoenix this weekend, where has top-10 finishes in six of his last seven starts.
  • He has the most top-five (three) and top-10 (seven) finishes at Phoenix of any track in his career at the O’ Reilly level.
  • Creed has started inside the top-10 in all nine career starts, including on the front two rows in the previous four, and holds an average starting position of 5.6.
No. 41 Driver: Sam Mayer
Hometown: Franklin, WI
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: AudibelMayer’s Phoenix O’ Reilly Series History:
  • Starts: 8
  • Wins: –
  • Top-10s: 2
  • Poles: –
Key Numbers:
  • Mayer makes his ninth O’ Reilly start at Phoenix this weekend, fresh off a seventh-place finish last spring. His best career finish of fifth came in November 2023 after starting 16th.
  • His best career starting position is seventh in March 2022, and he holds an average starting position of 12.9.
COTA Recap: Building on recent momentum at EchoPark last weekend, Sheldon Creed battled back from mid-race adversity to secure an 11th-place finish while Sam Mayer captured a stage win and led laps en route to a hard-fought top-15 result in O’Reilly Series action. Cole Custer tallied three crucial stage points on Sunday despite a 29th-place finish.