Penske Sweeps Phoenix Doubleheader Weekend with Blaney's NASCAR Win

Ryan Blaney completes team sweep, bringing an end to Tyler Reddick's race winning streak.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Ryan Blaney's hard-fought Straight Talk Wireless 500 NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday made it a Penske sweep of the NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader at Phoenix Raceway. The celebration was a wildly successful salute to team owner Roger Penske in the organization's 60th anniversary season, and it marked an end to Camry driver Tyler Reddick's three-race winning streak that started the season.

Why it matters

This victory for Penske highlights the team's dominance in both NASCAR and IndyCar racing, cementing their status as a powerhouse in motorsports. The end of Reddick's winning streak also shifts the momentum in the NASCAR Cup Series championship battle.

The details

Blaney persevered and outlasted runner-up Christopher Bell and third-place Kyle Larson, despite being plagued by two loose-tire incidents with his No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Blaney had to pass 49 cars to capture his first victory of the season at the same racetrack where he secured the 2023 series championship.

  • On March 9, 2026, Ryan Blaney won the Straight Talk Wireless 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
  • On March 8, 2026, Josef Newgarden won the NTT IndyCar Series' Good Ranchers 250 race at Phoenix Raceway.

The players

Ryan Blaney

The winner of the Straight Talk Wireless 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, driving for Team Penske.

Roger Penske

The owner of Team Penske, which swept both the NASCAR and IndyCar races at Phoenix Raceway in the organization's 60th anniversary season.

Tyler Reddick

The Camry driver whose three-race winning streak to start the season was ended by Blaney's victory.

Christopher Bell

The runner-up in the Straight Talk Wireless 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

Kyle Larson

The third-place finisher in the Straight Talk Wireless 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

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What they’re saying

“We had a couple mistakes that we learned from and got better and had come from the back a couple times. And honestly, the 20 [Bell's] was the best car. But Jonathan [crew chief Hassler] made a great call to take two [tires]. And we were able to get the lead and just hold them off. I don't know how many more laps I'm able to hold them off, but we were able to do that. So really proud of everybody at Team Penske. We swept the weekend. [Josef] Newgarden winning yesterday, us winning today. Can't wait to see Roger. It's cool to win here again, and especially after a day like that. So I can't say enough about the 12 [car] guys for keeping their head down and doing what they do—and Jonathan [crew chief Hassler], again, for making a good call there at the end.”

— Ryan Blaney

“It was exciting to pull that off—very proud of our people, to have both poles and both race wins.”

— Michael Nelson, Team Penske NASCAR operations president

“If we had had more green-flag laps, I think we could have made a run at them, but I don't know. You win some, you lose some. And this one stings. But on the positive side, I'm really proud of our entire team. It's something to build on. Just bummed whenever they get away like that.”

— Christopher Bell

“It seemed like our Camry had good speed. It was just kind of back and forth on which direction we think we needed to go with our Camry. And so we kind of just hovered around fifth all day. [It] would've been nice to make it four. But [we] scored the fourth most amount of points on the day. That's kind of what we need to just keep doing all year to keep the lead that we have and to try and hang onto it. If we're not going to win, these are the kind of days we need to have and glad to get out of here with some points.”

— Tyler Reddick

“I didn't mean to do that.”

— Joey Logano

What’s next

The next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The takeaway

Penske's sweep of the Phoenix doubleheader, with wins in both the NASCAR and IndyCar races, demonstrates the team's continued dominance in motorsports and their ability to succeed across different racing disciplines. This victory also marks the end of Tyler Reddick's early-season winning streak, setting up an intriguing battle for the NASCAR Cup Series championship.