The Phoenix sun blazes onto the spectators like a McDonald's french-fry deep inside the grease. Sunburn and flames ravage the grandstands, sending fans into an uproar before the first practice. "Some guy opened his cigarette pack and it burned!" said Marie Skeen from Prescott. "He didn't need a match." Her favorite driver John Battista starts on the pole today.

Race Results

Points Standings

Race Recap

Ben Geer uses the high-groove advantage to steal the lead on lap-1! He's led in four-straight events; the first time in Ben's career in hopes of capping it off with a third-straight top-10 finish. Points leader Johnny Reed Foley and 2022 race winner Ryan Heuser each grapple for the top-spot, with Heuser taking it from the Twinkies #29 on lap-4.

Devastation on the fifth lap! Rob Scarberry and Philip Parker tangle off the fourth corner, sending the five-time Bonzanza Series winner into the inside wall. Scarberry glides onto the racetrack in front of Steven Spears, damaging the Mello Yello #65 and along with Cristian Torres's nose. Spears was looking for career best third-straight top-5 finish. Neither of the four would clinch the top-35.

William Perry and Dave Miller made a bold strategy by staying out on old tires. The track is abrasive, eating Goodyears like like a T-rex devours a Little Caesars pizza; including the box! The Marlboro Man passed Perry on the inside lane, hoping to gain ground on Matt Raboin to finish 12th in the standings. Perry's attempt to nab a top-20 points finish grows closer with his five bonus points.

John Tharp made a couple of bids at the lead; failing to come through after being passed by Ben Geer for the second position. The Twinkie-man re-took the advantage after Miller struggled to pass the lapped car of Rob Scarberry. The two would swap a couple more times. Miracle-man Ken Joynt loomed into the picture, solidifying his status as "late season King" after fantastic qualifying runs and finishes in seasons' past. Joynt finished third in the fall races at Atlanta and Rockingham last year. He also won the pole at The Rock in his seventh career start in 2021.

Johnny Reed Foley takes the lead away on lap-46, extending his points advantage while dismaying the fans who wanted to see a close points battle. Foley's been the commanding car all season, sweeping Atlanta and dominating at Kansas, Gateway, Loudon, Pocono and the Southern 500. He would lead through the first round of stops. Dave Miller re-took the advantage on lap 106, with Geer, Alex Crapser, Scott Jackson, Timothy McDonnell, John Tharp, Zach Michael and John Battista directly in their wake.

Horrible luck for Ken Pettit! The seemingly perennial Championship contender blows up hard on lap 138, struggling all day after minor contact from the early Scarberry-Spears incident. Pettit will finish dead-last, ending his Championship bid after a hard-fought battle with Foley all season. The #8 Bob Marley team was the top-dog out of Atlanta, earning 13-straight top-20 finishes. Just like last season, Rockingham was the killer. Now Phoenix is their death knell. Alan Nesfeder and Logan Sheets also succumbed to motor issues.

Logan Sheets failed to reach pit road after his engine devastation. This brought out the caution during the cycle, trapping race-dominator Dave Miller a lap down while handing points leader Johnny Reed Foley the lead! This man cannot lose! A horrible crash after the restart takes John Tharp out of the points! Steven Spears gets turned into the infield grass, sliding back into Tony Long and sandwiching Tharp's Zig-Zag #14 into the outside wall. Tharp and Long would continue, finishing outside the top-32. Spears would park, with Tharp parking his hopes for a first Extravaganza Series Championship.

Tony Pizzaro, William Perry, Rob Scarberry and Jeremy Hebel all dismantled the outside turn-2 wall, bringing out the final caution of the day. Dave Miller gets his lap back in the process, driving to a 16th-place finish after the morbid luck. Several attempts from Ryan Heuser to pass Johnny Reed Foley for the victory were unsuccessful. Pressure from John Battista and Timothy McDonnell from behind proved burdensome, having to wait for the right moment. Heuser made his move with eight laps-to-go, passing Foley en route to his 84th career Extravaganza Series victory! The #138 NOS Energy man is only four wins away from second-place Buddy Rakestraw! Foley would drop to fourth, still 58-points ahead of Heuser and 75 ahead of Zach Michael for the title entering Homestead!

Ryan Heuser's 2024 campaign endured a horrendous start. They were 29th in points with just seven races left in the regular season! Top-10 finishes in every event including a victory in the Brickyard 500 narrowly clinched them the 10th spot over Dakota Wilkins. Now they are only 58-points from a fifth Series Crown! Congratulations to Heuser, crew chief Mustard Mahoney and the entire Quick-Silver Motorsports organization for an excellent victory!

2024 Little Caesars 500