After back-to-back superspeedway races to kick off the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, followed by a road course race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the series is set for what drivers and teams might consider the first "normal" oval race on the calendar.
Phoenix Raceway is scheduled to host the Straight Talk Wireless 500 this Sunday afternoon, and there are 37 cars on the entry list for the second consecutive week.
However, two driver changes have been made between this past Sunday afternoon's race at COTA and this coming Sunday afternoon's 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval.
2 driver lineup changes confirmed for Phoenix
The first one was expected. Richard Childress Racing, the only team to field a non-chartered (open) car at COTA, are once again set to run the No. 33 Chevrolet, but for Austin Hill, rather than Jesse Love.
Love finished in 27th place at COTA in his sixth career Cup Series start, first on a road course, and he and Hill are teammates in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, where Love is the reigning series champion.
Love currently has one more confirmed Cup Series start lined up for 2026, while Hill is expected to compete in at least five races at NASCAR's top level before the season concludes.
The other change was unplanned. Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman had to stop during the middle of the COTA race's third stage due to the fact that he began to feel ill, and he was replaced by Myatt Snider behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet.
Bowman, who was initially evaluated and released from the track's infield medical care center, has since been diagnosed with vertigo, and Anthony Alfredo is set to fill in for him this weekend. Alfredo competes full-time for Viking Motorsports in the O'Reilly Series.
Alfredo also attempted to qualify for this year's Daytona 500 with Beard Motorsports but did not do so, as NASCAR uncovered a technical violation on his No. 62 Chevrolet after he had initially appeared to lock the entry into the field with his America 250 Florida Duel qualifying race result.
Bowman was already in 36th place (last) in the point standings following a disastrous start to the season. At this point, he is hoping to be back in the car for next weekend's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he won back in March 2022. He is currently 45 points below the provisional playoff cut line.
The Straight Talk Wireless 500 is set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 from Phoenix Raceway starting at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 8. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!