High winds at Phoenix Raceway Friday threaten to complicate the day’s Craftsman Truck Series practice, qualifying and the Zero Carbon Bioethanol 150.
“The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Advisory for the Phoenix Raceway area, beginning Friday morning carrying into the evening,” Phoenix Raceway posted to its social media channels. “During this time, expect winds 15-25 mph, with potential gusts of up to 45 mph. Please take necessary precautions, and if you are staying on property, please secure loose items at campsites.”
Four Chase races remain in the Truck Series, and Kaden Honeycutt leads Layne Riggs by 17 points, according to The Tennessean, as the Phoenix race arrives under the NWS High Wind Advisory.
Sustained easterly winds of 20 to 30 mph are forecast, with gusts that could top 40 mph and a high near 90 degrees. Practice starts at 12:30 p.m. local time, qualifying follows at 1:35 p.m. and the race begins at 4:30 p.m. on FS1, a late switch from the more narrowly focused FS2 network.
A wind advisory covers metro Phoenix from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with gusts up to 45 mph, according to The Arizona Republic.
Phoenix Raceway Wind Forecast: Practice, Qualifying and Race Impact
Practice and qualifying both fall inside the advisory window, so teams must gather setup information and qualifying laps while the advisory is in force.
The advisory ends before the green flag, but another forecast projects winds of 20 to 21 mph from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time, according to The Daily Downforce.
Blowing dust is a separate issue. The advisory warns of reduced visibility, with dust possibly reaching metro Phoenix from east of the Valley and Pinal County, The Arizona Republic reported.
“Wind and air is definitely a big part of our sport,” Richard Buck, then the Cup Series managing director, said in 2018, according to NASCAR.com. Drivers read the air and can turn it against the competitor beside them, Buck added, and teams consult meteorologists before races.
Truck Series Favorites: Layne Riggs, Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith
Riggs enters as the +200 favorite at Caesars sports book, with Chandler Smith at +425 and Honeycutt at +525.
Riggs, a seven-time winner this season, completed a season sweep at Charlotte last Friday, according to NASCAR.com.
Honeycutt, the points leader, drives the truck that won here last year, with Corey Heim at the wheel. Honeycutt holds 2,251 points to Riggs’ 2,234, according to The Tennessean.
Smith owns a 3.6 average finish in five Phoenix starts, including a 2021 victory and three third-place runs. Honeycutt’s 6.8 average ranks second among Chase drivers there. Neither Riggs nor Honeycutt has won at any of the four remaining tracks, starting with Phoenix, then Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.
“We just need to go out there and execute at the highest caliber that we can, and the points will sort themselves out,” Smith, third in the standings and 77 points back, said, as quoted by NASCAR.com.
Christian Eckes sits fourth, 88 points behind, and Ty Majeski seventh, 116 back.
Phoenix no longer hosts the championship finale. It is now the fourth of seven Chase races, a 150-lap event with stages ending at laps 45 and 90.
No forecast points to a driver the wind helps or hurts. The trucks will answer that on the track Friday night.
Will NASCAR Phoenix Truck Qualifying Be Delayed Today? Wind Advisory in Effect