Phoenix Raceway announced today that Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, Nov. 10.
“Michael Phelps is the prime standard for success and achievement across all of sports,” said Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey. “We’re incredibly grateful to have such an accomplished icon join us for the most important race of the season as we crown our next Cup Series champion at Phoenix Raceway.”
Considered by many to be the greatest Olympian ever, the Baltimore, Md., native was a swimming prodigy who amassed a record 28 total Olympic medals and 23 gold medals during his career. At the age of 15, Phelps became the youngest man to compete for Team USA in the Olympics at the 2000 Games in Sydney. He dominated his next four Olympic Games, leaving each as the most decorated athlete that competed. Phelps took home six gold medals and two bronzes in Athens in 2004, and followed that tally with the greatest haul of medals in Olympic history at Beijing in 2008 winning gold in all eight events event he entered.
His final Olympic outings were equally impressive. Phelps won four golds and two silvers at London in 2012, and after previously announcing his retirement, came back for the 2016 games in Rio and garnered five golds and one silver to cap off his astounding career.
Phelps now enjoys retirement in Paradise Valley, Arizona. He also continues his work leading the Michael Phelps Foundation in its mission to provide families with the tools and support to be more confident and comfortable in the water and in life.
NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway kicks off with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race at 6 p.m. MST on Friday, Nov. 8, preceded by the ARCA Menards Series West finale. On Saturday, Nov. 9, the action will continue as the Xfinity Series Championship Race will crown its 2024 champion.
Then, the 2024 season will come to a dramatic conclusion with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at 1 p.m. MST on Sunday, Nov. 10, as four drivers vie for the highly coveted Bill France Cup.
Fans should act now to secure the remaining seats and experiences for this year’s NASCAR Championship Weekend 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 Series, 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.