Phoenix gave us just about what you hope for from an October 2026 race weekend: sunshine, desert scenery, and a Cup race that stayed interesting right to the end. On Sunday, October 18, 2026, I hosted a motorcoach full of RaceAway guests at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, for the Freeway Insurance 500. For fans considering Phoenix Raceway NASCAR packages, this was a good example of why I enjoy hosting this trip—the logistics are pretty straightforward, the setting is hard to beat, and the group gets plenty of time to simply enjoy race day.
Familiar Faces, Family Trips and Guests from a Long Way Away
One of the first things I noticed about this group was how comfortable everybody seemed together. About a third of our guests had traveled with RaceAway before, which is always nice to see. There is something easy about welcoming back people who already know how our weekends work, while also getting to know the first-timers.
We had a couple of family groups that stood out to me, too. One mom brought her two adult sons along for the weekend, and we also had a father and son traveling together. I always enjoy seeing that. Race weekends give families a good excuse to get away for a few days, spend time together and come home with something they’ll remember.
And this group covered some miles. We had guests who came all the way from Australia to join us in Phoenix. That certainly puts my drive to the hotel in perspective.
Our home base was the Embassy Suites Phoenix–Tempe. It is an all-suite property that RaceAway has used for many years, and breakfast is included at the hotel, which makes an early race morning a little easier. The hotel sits about 30 miles from Phoenix Raceway.
From Tempe to the Front Stretch
As of October 2026, our Sunday motorcoach was scheduled to depart the hotel at 7:45 a.m. for the noon Cup race. Our itinerary estimated about a 45-minute drive from Tempe to Phoenix Raceway, and I asked everyone to be ready to board a few minutes ahead of departure so we could get rolling on time.
With a motorcoach full of guests, I appreciate having everybody leave from the same place. Nobody in our group has to sort out race-day parking or figure out the drive on their own. I can make sure we have everybody accounted for, climb aboard and head west toward the track.
Phoenix Raceway sits in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains, and it has a different feel from just about every other stop we make. It is a compact, one-mile track with the distinctive dogleg on the backstretch, and the layout gives fans a good look at a lot of the racing from the grandstands.
Our guests were seated along the front stretch in sections 144 through 154. Having the group in that same general area worked well, and the front-stretch location put everyone right in the middle of the atmosphere for the start, restarts and finish.
Then we got a race worth watching.
Tyler Reddick and his team made the call for two tires late in the Freeway Insurance 500, and Reddick charged into the lead with 18 laps remaining. Ryan Blaney made him earn it, but Reddick held on for the win. Between the late strategy, the Chase storylines and the racing itself, nobody had much trouble finding something to talk about afterward.
A Few Things I’ll Remember from Phoenix
- We filled a motorcoach with RaceAway guests for the 2026 Phoenix weekend.
- Roughly one-third of the group had traveled with us before.
- One mom enjoyed the trip with her two adult sons, and we also hosted a father-son pair.
- Guests traveled from as far away as Australia to join our group.
- Our race-day seats stretched across front-stretch sections 144 through 154.
- Tyler Reddick’s two-tire call and late charge gave the group an entertaining finish to the Freeway Insurance 500.
By the time we loaded the coach for the ride back to Tempe, it had been one of those weekends that felt pretty simple in the best way: warm Arizona weather, a full group, families traveling together, returning guests catching up and a good race to finish it off.
At RaceAway, we’ve been hosting NASCAR race trips for more than 20 years, and weekends like this are why I still enjoy being out there with our guests. If Phoenix is a track you have been thinking about visiting, you can check our current Phoenix Raceway NASCAR packages, or take a look at the other NASCAR travel packages RaceAway has coming up.