Shriners Children 500

The United Rental Works 500 will return in 2024 NASCAR CUP Series with a new name. This time it will be known as the Shriner Children’s 500 as Shriners Hospital for Children is going to sponsor the race.

The race is unique in its own way as it is going to be a 500 km event instead of the usual 500 miles that appear in most NASCAR events. The high-octane racing at the Phoenix Raceway is the reason why the track is dubbed as the “Desert Jewel”.

It was at this race in 2011, where Jeff Gordon was able to end his infamous streak of 66 winless races. Similarly, Carl Edward was also able to end his streak of 70 winless races in 2013.

The Shriners Children’s 500 is a lucky race for many drivers. It will be interesting to see which driver will be able to claim the title of Shriner Children’s 500 and gain an early entry into the playoffs.

Shriners Children 500 History

Shriners Children’s 500 made its first entry on the NASCAR calendar in 2005 as the Subway Fresh 500. It was later on renamed as the Subway Fresh Fit 500 to promote the Subway’s Fit range of products. The first race was by Kurt Busch of Roush Racing.

The most notable victories at Phoenix however, were handed over to Jeff Gordon. He won the 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500 to tie in the number of victories with Dale Earnhardt at 76 wins. He also became the first winner from pole as Phoenix.

William Byron was the winner of the United Auto Rentals United 500 in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. The event was one full one drama and controversies. There were many penalties and fines imposed post race due to rule violations and in race collisions. Hendrick Motorsports suffered the most as they had to pay a massive fine of $400,000.

Shriners Children’s 500 2024 Schedule

The 2024 Shriners Children’s 500 will be held on Sunday, March 10 at 3:30 PM Eastern Time. The race will be a 3-stage event. The initial Stage of the race will be only 60-laps-long. The final two Stages will be 125 and 127-laps-long respectively. The Qualifying session Shriners Children’s 500 held on Saturday from 12:20 PM preceded by NASCAR Cup Series Practice which will take place from 11:35 AM, Eastern Time.

Shriners Children’s 500 2024 Venue

The Shriners Children’s 500 is going to be the first race held at the “Desert Jewel” racetrack, the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile-long Superspeedway and it will have 312 laps. The track is Paved Asphalt that allows for high-speed oval racing. The Phoenix Raceway has 9 degrees of banking on the first two turns and 11 degrees of banking on the last two turns. The Backstretch and Frontstretch have 3 degrees and 9 degrees of banking respectively. Denny Hamlin holds the lap record at Phoenix with a recorded time of 0:26.450 during the 2019 Bluegreen Vacations 500.

Shriners Children’s 500 2024 Driver’s Standings

Drivers with most wins in the Shriners Children’s 500

Kevin Harvick is the greatest driver at Phoenix. He has won the most races at Phoenix and in the Shriners Children’s 500 event with five wins. He also has the most top-10s and races starts on the track. Only Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman (with two wins) have won it more than once, except Kevin Harvick.

Stewart-Haas Racing are the most successful team at Phoenix. They have won the Shriners Children’s 500 event 6 times. Hendrick Motorsports isn’t too far behind either, in spite of the challenges they faced in 2023, William Byron’s win moved them closer to Stewart-Haas Racing with five wins.

Where to watch the Shriners Children’s 500 2024?

The Shriners Children’s 500 2024 held at Phoenix Raceway will be broadcast on FOX. NASCAR has mentioned that radio coverage will be handled by MRN and SiriusXM Radio.

Shriners Children’s 500 start times in different Time Zones