Phoenix Raceway is gearing up for a massive March weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series heads back to the Valley for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 on March 8, 2026, with support series running throughout the days leading up to the main event. Fans can expect a packed slate of on-track action, community events and driver cameos across the greater Phoenix area. Local schools will once again get STEM-focused programming tied to race week, and several drivers are lined up for public appearances around town.
According to Phoenix Raceway, the weekend lineup features ARCA and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series support races on Saturday, followed by the Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday. The track’s calendar also lists practice and qualifying the day before the Cup race, along with extra fan experiences in the infield and along the midway. Ticketing details, daily schedules and add-on experiences are all laid out on the official event schedule.
IndyCar to Share the Bill
NASCAR has announced that the NTT IndyCar Series will join the March weekend, bringing open-wheel racing back to the Phoenix oval for the first time since 2018. “We’re thrilled to welcome the NTT IndyCar Series back to Phoenix Raceway,” Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey said in a release quoted by NASCAR. The crossover weekend gives fans two very different flavors of racing in one shot and stretches the on-track lineup beyond the usual stock-car undercard.
STEM Day and Beyond the Finish Line
Phoenix Raceway’s community outreach plans again include the “Beyond the Finish Line” STEM initiative, a partnership with The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation that brings local students to the track for hands-on science and engineering activities. Phoenix Raceway notes that the program has welcomed hundreds of students, pairing classroom concepts with behind-the-scenes tours. Track leaders and partners have used race week as a springboard to deepen that outreach, offering free tickets and technology giveaways to Title I schools.
Driver Visits and Local Tie-ins
Local station 12News reported that NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson was already in the Valley to appear at a “Beyond the Finish Line” STEM day and to throw out the first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds spring-training game. Gragson, who is set to wheel the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, has made similar community stops in past seasons, and teams often lean on those appearances to connect with youth programs and sponsors, NASCAR notes…