PHOENIX (Nov. 4, 2024) – If Raja the tiger was correct on Monday, William Byron is going to have a paw-some NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway. During a ceremony at the Phoenix Zoo, the 6-year-old beauty of a beast predicted Byron will win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday.
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Byron, who drives the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is one of four drivers eligible for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. His competition includes Tyler Reddick (No. 45 Toyota), Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford) and defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Ford). The first of those four drivers to cross the finish line Sunday at Phoenix Raceway will win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship and hoist aloft the coveted Bill France Cup.
Raja made his selection by tearing open the No. 24 car with voracity and devouring the chunk of meat inside. It’s unknown if Raja’s paw-poll has a margin of error, so his prediction may be far from purr-fect. Yet we do know the male Sumatran tiger weighs approximately 300 pounds and is an adorable, fan-favorite resident of Phoenix Zoo’s Isle of the Tiger.
On Friday, NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway roars to life with a power-packed doubleheader. The action begins with the ARCA Menards Series West’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 and concludes with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race. On Saturday, the action continues with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race and NASCAR Cup Series qualifying. Then on Sunday, following an epic pre-race concert from Nelly, the 2024 NASCAR season will come to a dramatic conclusion with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at 1 p.m. MST.
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.
