Only scant number of tickets remain for Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500
PHOENIX (March 8, 2024) – A rare desert thunderstorm shortened Friday night’s General Tire 150 to only 115 laps, but 17-year-old William Sawalich didn’t mind. He was leading when the heavens opened up over Phoenix Raceway and was declared the winner of the ARCA Menards Series race.
The Toyotas of Sawalich and Gio Ruggerio were the class of the field, but Sawalich started on pole, led 66 laps and finished the night celebrating with family, friends and sponsors inside a Phoenix Raceway garage as raindrops pelted the roof.
He never thought he’d win a rain shortened race in the desert.
“That was pretty far-fetched,” said Sawalich, who collected his fifth career ARCA Menards Series win and his first of the 2024 season. “But I knew a rain-shortened win was going to come at some point. Everyone said it’s kind of weird to win one (this way) – I really wanted to do a burnout – and it’s definitely weird, but a win’s a win.”
Ruggerio finished second, followed by Grant Enfinger, Connor Mosack and Sean Hingorani rounded out the top five, while Isabella Robusto finished sixth in her ARCA Menards Series debut.
The forecast for the rest of the weekend at Phoenix Raceway is fantastic, with a 100 percent chance of two more great races. The action continues at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200. And then on Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will close out the tripleheader weekend with the Shiner’s Childrens 500 at 12:30 p.m. MST.
Only a scant amount of tickets remain for Sunday’s main event, so fans are encouraged to secure their seats while supplies last by visiting www.PhoenixRaceway.com.
About Phoenix Raceway
Home to NASCAR Championship Weekend since 2020, Phoenix Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest since 1964 and hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year. In 2024, the spring event weekend, March 8-10, kicks off the race season at Phoenix Raceway and features the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. Phoenix Raceway will once again host NASCAR Championship Weekend, November 8-10. During the action-packed, three-day event, champions will be crowned in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series West. Phoenix Raceway also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including concerts, corporate meetings and conferences, charity events, weddings, holiday events, sport and endurance competitions, and driving schools. For more information, visit www.PhoenixRaceway.com and download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.phoenixraceway.com/nascar-tracks-app/.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.