Winners: Ryan Blaney (Cup); Jesse Love (Xfinity); Corey Heim (Trucks) plus Brent Crews (ARCA)
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| Recap Graphic by Rolando Ramirez - RTR Graphics |
NASCAR Cup
Ryan Blaney Banks Season Finale
Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR Cup Series season finale in overtime at Phoenix Raceway, making a last-lap pass of Brad Keselowski for his fourth victory this season and 17th of his career.
Blaney, who led three times for 20 laps, earned his first win at Phoenix in his 20th start on the 1-mile oval in Avondale, Arizona.
It’s the second time in the 11 races of the elimination playoffs era that the winner of the season finale came from outside the Championship 4 (Ross Chastain won in 2023 while Blaney earned the title).
The race featured nine cautions for 65 laps as several drivers — including all of the Championship 4 drivers — struggled with tire problems.
“It’s just cool to end it on a good note. It’s just cool and obviously we had a fast car all day. Those other guys were just kind of faster getting going and I could never retain the lead.”
”Those guys were just really good and it took my car a while to come in, but it was a really good call for two there and keeping track position. I got a decent restart and I was able to kind of roll the bottom in three and four and eek the 6 out at the line.”
”I’m just really proud of the whole group and cool to end it in Victory Lane. It’s a shame we weren’t in the Championship 4. Congrats to Kyle and that whole team. I’m happy for this team that we could end it the best way we could. You just go try to win the race. I didn’t really have any of them in front of me. There wasn’t really two of them side-by-side. I tried to race those guys really good all day and gave them respect and tried to let them race it out at time, and at times I could go if it got gapped, but you’re just aware of everybody that’s around you. You don’t want to be the storyline to mess up a guy’s championship, so it was good that we were able to just run our race and run it clean to the end.”
Brad Keselowski finished second; Kyle Larson placed third; Joey Logano came in fourth and Kyle Busch completed the top five.
Ryan Blaney isn't going down the "what-if" path of winning the Phoenix race but not having advanced to the Champ 4. pic.twitter.com/252dpDChGH
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 3, 2025
Pole: Denny Hamlin
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NASCAR Xfinity
Love prevails at Phoenix to Win Race, Xfinity Series Championship
Jesse Love turned in the ultimate season bookend, winning the opening race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series 2025 schedule at Daytona International Speedway, then closing it out with the biggest win of his young career to claim the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway.
The 20-year-old Californian had to beat his best friend, the season’s 10-race winner Connor Zilisch, to claim the career-changing victory and title. Love ultimately passed the JR Motorsports driver Zilisch for the lead with 24 laps to go at the desert 1-miler and then had to hold off veteran Aric Almirola after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver also got around Zilisch with eight laps remaining.
“I just feel so clean and relieved,” said Love, whose margin of victory was 0.861 seconds. “It’s been a tough year for me, and I’ve put so much work into it, and people like my dad and [driver coach] Scott Speed and my whole No. 2 team worked just as hard for my dream as I have for my own.
“It really hasn’t set in yet. All these emotions, it doesn’t feel real, doesn’t feel real at all,” Love said, referring to the close contest with Zilisch. “He’s my best friend in the whole world, but not when we’re racing each other. We race each other hard but fair. … He ran a really great race tonight, but my car was just better tonight.”
Aric Almirola finished second; Connor Zilisch placed third; Brandon Jones came in fourth and Justin Allgaier] completed the top five.
Winning a championship keeps you busy! 😂 pic.twitter.com/f0E8Hqb2md
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 2, 2025
Pole: Brandon Jones
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Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, February 14, 2026 for the ‘United Rentals 300’ at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR Trucks
Corey Heim Claims 2025 Truck Series Title, Season Finale Victory
The best man won on Friday night, but it was far from a foregone conclusion.
The statistics might suggest otherwise. In winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, Corey Heim swept the first and second stages, led a race-high 100 of 161 laps and took the checkered flag 0.993 seconds ahead of defending series champion Ty Majeski in a second overtime.
“I just am so grateful to be where I’m at,” Heim said. “So thankful for the Tricon Garage, Toyota taking a chance on me years ago, (sponsors) Safelite, Mobil 1, Yahoo, Celsius, for every bit of their support.
“I was so stressed out ever since we went to the (Charlotte) Roval (where Heim won from the pole Oct. 3 to advance to the Championship 4). I’ve been, like, so terrible to talk to as a person, so stressed out.
“This is just such a relief, to say the least. So thankful for everybody.”
Ty Majeski finished second; Kaden Honeycutt placed third; Layne Riggs came in fourth and Rajah Caruth completed the top five.
A champion's instincts kicked in, and they worked. pic.twitter.com/Xnuy7zHhtG
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) November 1, 2025
Pole: Layne Riggs
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Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, February 13, 2026 for the ‘NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race At Daytona’ at Daytona International Speedway.
ARCA
Brent Crews Dominates West Series Finale at Phoenix
The outcomes of the two ARCA Menards Series events at Phoenix this year were nearly identical. Brent Crews won both in a Gibbs Toyota with the Pinnacle Racing Group No. 28 following closely behind.
Crews’ first Phoenix win in March was much more intense compared to Saturday’s finale. ARCA Menards Series champion Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen appeared poised to claim his second victory of the season in March until a caution on the final lap set up a one-lap shootout between him and Crews.
Heading into turn three on the final lap, Crews dove under Queen and proceeded to muscle him up out of the groove. Queen made slight contact with the outside wall while Crews pulled ahead, prevailing in his first ARCA Menards Series appearance behind the wheel of Gibbs’ No. 18.
This time, there was no need for last-lap heroics. Carson Brown, the new driver of Pinnacle Racing Group’s No. 28 Chevrolet, made some inroads on Crews during the closing stages but ultimately ran out of time to avenge his team’s previous Phoenix defeat.
“It helps when you have a super fast Mobil 1 Toyota Camry,” Crews said.
“That was a blast to drive all day. [We were] loose all day, and it’s been super slimy, but these guys never stopped working on this thing. We were able to be fastest in practice, [get] the pole and lead all the laps. It’s an honor to be here.
“Having my dad here was cool, but Coach [Joe Gibbs] in Victory Lane for the first time is a new one for me.”
Trevor Huddleston put the finishing touches on a championship year in the West Series by scoring a 10th-place finish.
Carson Brown finished second; Thomas Annunziata placed third; Tristan McKee came in fourth and Leland Honeyman completed the top five.
— Brent Crews (@BrentCrews11) October 27, 2025
Pole: Brent Crews
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Next Race: The ARCA Series will return on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway.
