Our November 1–2, 2025 Phoenix NASCAR Championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona had all the ingredients for a great trip: clear desert skies, a relaxed Southwest atmosphere, and a Sunday finish that turned into an overtime sprint to the checkered flag. Sunday, November 2, 2025 was our NASCAR Cup Series Championship day at the track, and it felt like the entire season was building toward that afternoon. With our Phoenix Raceway NASCAR packages, we based everyone at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Phoenix–Tempe and bundled hotel, tickets, and hosted transportation so guests could focus on the racing and the experience, not the logistics.
Friday Arrival and Meeting Our RaceAway Group
I co-hosted this weekend with Rick, and we were on-site from Friday afternoon, October 31 through Monday morning, November 3 to welcome guests and keep the trip running smoothly. The Embassy Suites Phoenix–Tempe is our longtime preferred hotel here: an all-suite property with plenty of room to spread out, cooked-to-order breakfast, and a handy location near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and local restaurants. It sits about 30 miles from Phoenix Raceway, which makes it a natural hub for our Phoenix NASCAR weekends.
As guests checked in, the lobby quickly felt more like a reunion than a group of strangers. About half of our travelers were returning RaceAway guests, and you could sense that in the easy conversations right away. Some of our “regulars” were back once again:
- Janie M., on her 27th trip with RaceAway since 2014.
- John R., now up to 15 RaceAway weekends.
- John P. from Victoria, Canada, joining us for his eighth trip since 2018.
- Thomas O. and his family, back to Phoenix for the fourth time so they could visit their granddaughter and keep their tradition of taking her to the race.
We also had some special first-time stories in the mix. Jennifer S. was celebrating a birthday, and her boyfriend had surprised her with this Phoenix package. Watching her take it all in was a lot of fun.
Another highlight for me was meeting David W. from Singapore, traveling with his son to see their very first NASCAR race in person. Over the weekend they asked great questions about stages, pit strategy, and restarts, and by Sunday they were reacting to every caution the same way the longtime fans around them were. After the trip, David emailed to say that they “really enjoyed our NASCAR experience in Phoenix,” that Rick and I were “great host[s] at Phoenix Raceway,” and that “RaceAway is the best decision that we could have made for watching our first race,” especially with such a dramatic finish.
From Tempe to the Track: Race-Day Flow
Saturday, November 1, was our first track day with the Xfinity Series Championship on the schedule. After breakfast at the hotel, guests had a bit of downtime before we met near the front entrance and boarded our private motorcoach for the ride out to Phoenix Raceway. Having hosted charter transportation meant no one had to stress about race-day traffic, parking, or finding the right lot: we answered last-minute questions and arrived with plenty of time to explore.
Once inside, guests checked out the fan midway, grabbed food, and settled into their seats for Cup qualifying and the Xfinity title race. RaceAway offers optional pre-race infield and hospitality upgrades, and a few of our guests had added those to their packages. It gave them a chance to walk through the Tunnel of Triumph, spend time near the cars and teams, or relax in a trackside lounge before heading up to the grandstands.
Phoenix Raceway is a very fan-friendly place to watch a race. It’s a 1-mile, low-banked oval tucked into the foothills of the Estrella Mountains, with desert vistas and that signature Sonoran backdrop. From our grandstand section, guests could see nearly the entire track and pit road, including the iconic dogleg where drivers dive across the apron to make daring passes.
Sunday, November 2, was Cup Championship day. We rolled out from the hotel in the morning so guests had time to clear security, walk the fan zone, and, for those with infield access, enjoy pre-race views before the green flag at 1:00 p.m. As of November 2025, Phoenix Raceway used standard stadium-style security screening at the gates, so arriving early helped everything stay relaxed. The grandstands filled in, scanners crackled to life, and you could feel that “season on the line” energy build as pre-race ceremonies wrapped up and the field came to the start.
Overtime Chaos and a Championship Charge
From our seats, we had a clear view of how the race unfolded: long green-flag runs, crucial pit stops, and then the kind of late caution that resets everything. As the laps wound down and the field bunched up for those final restarts, nobody in our section stayed seated.
The finish delivered exactly what fans talk about when they remember Phoenix. A late-race caution led to an overtime sprint with plenty of chaos: cars fanning out through the dogleg, hard racing into Turn 1, and pit-road strategy that mattered right up to the end. In the end, Ryan Blaney crossed the line first, but a lot of eyes in our group were also on Kyle Larson, who worked his way up the order and clinched the championship spot with a strong late-race surge.
Seeing that unfold in real time with first-time international guests, birthday travelers, and longtime RaceAway regulars all reacting together is what makes hosting weekends like this so rewarding. On the ride back to Tempe, the conversations were all about those last few laps: the restarts, the bold moves, and how it feels so much different to see a NASCAR race live instead of on TV.
Highlights from This 2025 Phoenix NASCAR Championship Weekend
- Two on-site hosts, Rick and me, were in Phoenix from Friday through Monday to support guests and ride the charters.
- About half of our travelers were returning RaceAway guests, which gave the group a relaxed, familiar feel.
- Loyal guests like Janie M. (27 trips) and John R. (15 trips) helped welcome newer travelers, including David W. and his son from Singapore.
- Surprise birthday guest Jennifer S. enjoyed a first 2025 Phoenix NASCAR Championship weekend as a gift from her boyfriend.
- Private motorcoach transportation made the 30-mile trip between the Embassy Suites Phoenix–Tempe and Phoenix Raceway simple and stress-free.
- Sunday’s late-race chaos, with Ryan Blaney winning and Kyle Larson locking in his championship spot during overtime, gave everyone a finish they’ll be talking about for a long time.
Looking back, this Phoenix trip captured exactly what we aim for on our NASCAR travel packages: a comfortable, well-located hotel, smooth logistics, and a friendly group sharing a big race weekend together. I’m already looking forward to welcoming more fans on future Phoenix Raceway NASCAR packages and helping them experience other NASCAR weekends with RaceAway.