Tyler Reddick enters Phoenix riding historic momentum after winning the first three races of the 2026 NASCAR season. With contenders like Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher looming, we break down the key angles and betting predictions for Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500.
Race: Straight Talk Wireless 500
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Track: Phoenix Raceway
Time: 3:30pm ET
Channel: FS1
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
I didn’t have Reddick on the bingo card for Daytona. I didn’t have Reddick on the bingo card for EchoPark. I definitely didn’t have Reddick on the bingo card for Circuit of the Americas. Clearly, I need to update my bingo card. Reddick has won here before, so clearly I missed the mark, especially with his streak so far since the season opener. Reddick claimed his 11th career victory on Sunday, also becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three races. There’s nothing quite like setting a record to be honest. For Reddick, it may have meant more just to beat SVG there at the end. To hold him off was pretty incredible and something that puts you in an elite category all on your own in and of itself. Reddick led the field to the checkered flag, 3.944 seconds over SVG to be exact. SVG just couldn’t close the gap and didn’t have the equipment that Reddick had when it all boiled down to the closing 16 lap run.
SVG graciously accepted second place, acknowledging the great run that Reddick had going, how well he drove, and how great his car was. There were a couple of notable misses from SVG’s perspective to include a “little bit of drive” and a “little bit of turn”. All in all, SVG was happy for the strong points results on the day. Christopher Bell was third, followed by Ty Gibbs, and Michael McDowell to round out the top 5 spots. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, and Denny Hamlin finished out the top 10 spots. Mid-pick Ross Chastain was strong throughout the day, but he jettisoned a wheel. As you can imagine, that’ll put a damper on your day. This resulted in the final caution of the day and a disappointing 35th place finish after a very strong run throughout most of the race.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
This weekend, we are heading to a more traditional track with Phoenix next on the docket. Phoenix is such an awesome race. The blue walls are just a bonus. This 1 mile dogleg oval has 9 degrees of banking on the frontstretch and through turns 1 and 2 then 11 degrees in 3 and 4. The backstretch is a very mild 3 degrees of banking. This track is a big short track. If you want to talk strategy, tires are it here. It’s all about how you’re taking care of your equipment. Track position is vital, but it’s going to be hard to get and maintain if you don’t have the tires. We’ll have to see how it plays out with the wear on either side. The Goodyear development team spent a lot of time at Phoenix correcting compounds and working on tire wear to get it right at this track and others. We’ll see how they fare this weekend.
Odds and Value Picks
When it comes to picking a winner at this place, it can be a tricky track for many because of its short track characteristics but the level of speed that is seen through the race. Let’s take a look at your potential winners for Sunday:
Winner: Kyle Larson (+600)
Larson has only one victory at Phoenix in 23 starts. But peep this. He’s got 5 top 5s in his last 6 starts. With the best average finish in all career starts, Larson has a great opportunity to capitalize this weekend.
Mid-Range Pick: Chris Buescher (+2200)
Buescher has 20 career starts with 3 top 5s and 5 top 10 finishes. Buescher has a better average finish so far this season than Larson, and he’s had a few laps led at Phoenix in the past. In the last 6 starts, Buescher has the 4th best average finish with 3 top 5 finishes. He’s going places this year, so look for him to be running at the front of the pack.
Dark Horse: Josh Berry (+2500)
Berry has only 5 starts on this track, but in those 5 starts, he’s got 1 top 5 and 3 top 10s. This tends to be one on his better tracks. Berry is looking for consistency in his season this year, so he should be pacing the front of the field and working on putting down strong lap times.
It’s evident that Reddick has been the class of the field. He’s very clearly leading the points right now, comfortably sitting 70 points above his 23XI teammate, Bubba Wallace. Let’s see where the rest of this field sits as they head into Phoenix this weekend:
Current Standings Heading Into Phoenix
- Tyler Reddick
- Bubba Wallace
- Chase Elliott
- Ryan Blaney
- Shane Van Gisbergen
- Joey Logano
- Daniel Suarez
- AJ Allmendinger
- Michael McDowell
- Carson Hocevar
- Chris Buescher
- Brad Keselowski
- William Byron
- Zane Smith
- Kyle Larson
- Ryan Preece
The road course definitely changed the points landscape for some. Chastain fell 9 positions after his unfortunate tire issue. Zane Smith also fell 9 spots, primarily due to his lack of experience. We saw other guys like Allmendinger, SVG, and McDowell pick up some crazy spots due to their skill set on road courses. Quite frankly, I’m not so sure that those gains will stick, but we’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned for a great Sunday afternoon of racing as these guys battle around the blue walls at Phoenix Raceway!
