The remote control update
The race returns to FS1
Check the remote again: tonight's race is back on FS1 and FOX One. Practice and qualifying remain on FS2. NASCAR's updated TV guide supersedes the earlier FS2 / FOX Business race listing. TV
Phoenix Raceway · editorial illustration
Daily Models / NASCAR / Craftsman Trucks
Haul PassDesert Shift
150 laps. Six drivers. The lineup sheet can wait.
Zero Carbon Bioethanol 150 Powered by POET · Phoenix Raceway
Friday, October 16, 2026 · Race listed at 6:30 p.m. Central · FS1 / FOX One
From the Editor’s Couch
“Rubbin’, son, is racin’.”
Friday afternoon. Work is limping toward the checkered flag, the family group chat is negotiating dinner, and you’re checking Phoenix before building tonight’s lineups. We’ll sort through the speed, the salaries and the ways this race can get sideways. You handle dinner. “He was cheap” can’t be your entire scouting report.
The Morning Garage Brief
The weather check
Wind and dust deserve attention
NWS Phoenix's 4:22 a.m. Arizona discussion forecasts Phoenix metro gusts of 35-45 mph today, with blowing dust possible. That is regional guidance. Check actual raceway conditions and session updates before changing the race plan. Weather
A specific garage follow-up: Reif’s No. 42
Niece reports a rear-gear failure for the No. 42 at Charlotte with Conner Jones driving. Reif returns to that entry today, so garage follow-up belongs beside his driver history. Inspection and on-track checks are still ahead. Niece
Under the Hood
The desert changes the assignment.
Majeski led 132 of 150 in his 2024 Phoenix win. In 2025, late pit strategy and overtime helped reshape a race Heim won after leading 100 of 161. One big leader and a late shuffle both belong in our planning. Phoenix 2024 / Phoenix 2025
Goodyear lists D-6142 left / D-6116 right, used at North Wilkesboro, IRP, Richmond and New Hampshire this year. Five dry sets include one practice set, the qualifying set that starts the race, and three new race sets. Matching tires strengthen the comparison list; the tracks still differ. Tires
Three Ways Through Friday
Clean air. Shared speed. Somebody brings out the yellow.
Three construction stories, using the same evidence. Driver assignments and final rosters follow qualifying.
Race story
Clean Air
One truck does the heavy lifting.
Pay for a main leader, then ask the other five trucks to earn their places through finishes and useful position gain. Riggs, Honeycutt and Smith have current-year lap-leading evidence; Majeski brings a lower price and Phoenix history.
Friday’s test and what breaks it
Friday test: does the leader's opportunity justify the supporting lineup?
Failure point: the anchor does too little leading, or the support starts above its realistic finishing range.
Race story
Two Trucks, No Waiting
Two contenders share the front.
Two premium trucks need enough of the same finite bonus pool to pay for both. Riggs plus Honeycutt costs $25,000, leaving $25,000 for four supporting drivers. A second star has to improve the whole six.
Friday’s test and what breaks it
Friday test: compare the complete pair build with the strongest one-leader alternatives.
Failure point: another truck captures the bonuses, or the cheaper support cannot deliver.
Race story
Caution Tape
Restarts rewrite the order.
Build around finishing strength and recovery when pit calls or late cautions spread the opportunity. Eckes, Majeski and the middle salaries belong in the comparison. A yellow flag alone does not make a balanced roster better.
Friday’s test and what breaks it
Friday test: do actual starts and pace create enough scoring paths across six slots?
Failure point: one dominant truck collects more bonus points than balanced finishes can overcome.
Everybody Wants the Fast Truck
The name opens the conversation. Price and starting spot finish it.
| Driver / salary | Evidence we can use | Friday’s question |
|---|---|---|
| Layne Riggs $13,000 | Led 198 at IRP and 106 at NH. | How much leadership or recovery buys back the full-roster cost? |
| Kaden Honeycutt $12,000 | Richmond winner: 225 laps led; NH third. | Can his share of the front justify the price? |
| Chandler Smith $11,000 | NW winner: 105 laps led. FRM lists five top tens in five Phoenix Truck starts. | Keep a third leader candidate in the comparison. |
| Christian Eckes $10,000 | Two straight runner-up finishes; 2023 Phoenix winner. | Does Friday pace support both finishing strength and leading? |
| Ty Majeski $9,500 | 2024 Phoenix winner; IRP third; NH 11th. | Does the $3,500 gap to Riggs improve the whole six? |
Historical results and team-reported form are evidence, not Friday point projections. NW / IRP / Richmond / NH / FRM / Eckes
The supporting cast · value needs a finishing path
Daniel Hemric · $7,900
MHR reports four top tens in his last five races. Still seeking his first Phoenix Truck top ten.
Tyler Ankrum / Stewart Friesen · $7,300 / $7,100
Ankrum finished 9/11/16 at IRP/Richmond/NH. Friesen went 6/36/4, with a Richmond crash.
Tyler Reif · $6,700
Went 30th to 12th at NW. A useful small-sample result; check the No. 42 garage follow-up.
Pérez / Queen / Tyrrell · $6,200 / $6,100 / $5,500
NW/IRP/Richmond/NH: Pérez 23/11/23/27; Queen 21/20/20/20; Tyrrell 28/27/29/23. Price needs a credible finish path.
Ben Maier / Donovan Strauss · $5,800 / $5,900
Team releases identify Maier's first Truck oval start and Strauss's second Truck start, his first at Phoenix. Thin samples stay visible.
All 36 Phoenix salaries
| Driver | Salary |
|---|---|
| Driver Salary DraftKings ID Layne Riggs | $13,000 |
| Kaden Honeycutt | $12,000 |
| Chandler Smith | $11,000 |
| Christian Eckes | $10,000 |
| Ty Majeski | $9,500 |
| Brent Crews | $9,000 |
| Giovanni Ruggiero | $8,800 |
| Grant Enfinger | $8,500 |
| William Sawalich | $8,300 |
| Connor Mosack | $8,200 |
| Tristan McKee | $8,000 |
| Daniel Hemric | $7,900 |
| Landen Lewis | $7,700 |
| Ben Rhodes | $7,500 |
| Tyler Ankrum | $7,300 |
| Jake Garcia | $7,200 |
| Stewart Friesen | $7,100 |
| Justin Haley | $7,000 |
| Tanner Gray | $6,800 |
| Tyler Reif | $6,700 |
| Leland Honeyman | $6,600 |
| Corey LaJoie | $6,500 |
| Cole Butcher | $6,300 |
| Andres Perez De Lara | $6,200 |
| Brenden Queen | $6,100 |
| Conor Daly | $6,000 |
| Donovan Strauss | $5,900 |
| Ben Maier | $5,800 |
| Dawson Sutton | $5,700 |
| Kris Wright | $5,600 |
| Mini Tyrrell | $5,500 |
| Monty Tipton | $5,400 |
| Clayton Green | $5,300 |
| Jackson Lee | $5,200 |
| Frankie Muniz | $5,100 |
| Toni Breidinger | $5,000 |
October 14 Phoenix Truck salary export. Season FPPG is historical context.
Where ownership stands
Projected field ownership remains unavailable from a verified current Phoenix Truck source. Our share of twenty builds is a different measure. After qualifying, any ownership estimate needs a source, update time and stated field; lower popularity still needs a credible scoring case.
Shake and Bake
The research comes first. Then the whole six.
Next update · after qualifying
The final twenty come later today.
The final twenty will be built after qualifying and verification of DraftKings' scored starts. First compare complete scoring cases, then review exposure and repeated cores. This preview carries no final lineup rankings or entry CSV.
Gentlemen, Check Your Lineups
Before we turn the key.
- Compare practice runs only when lap count, timing and tire age support the comparison.
- Match qualifying to DraftKings' scored starting positions; a rear-of-field move may leave the fantasy start unchanged.
- Check inspection, withdrawals, backup trucks, tire changes and track-level wind or dust updates.
- Audit the final twenty for six eligible unique drivers, correct salaries and IDs, repeated cores and shared failure risk.
The Research Drawer · checked October 16
This morning preview uses current entry, schedule, TV and weather checks; historical NASCAR result reports; team releases; and the supplied Phoenix Truck salary export. Practice, qualifying, final scored starts and current numerical ownership forecasts remain pending. The weather discussion is regional, not a track-level measurement.
- NASCAR event schedule
- NASCAR current TV guide
- NASCAR 36-truck entry list
- NWS Phoenix discussion - October 16, 4:22 a.m. MST
- Goodyear Phoenix tire notes - October 13
- NASCAR North Wilkesboro result report
- NASCAR IRP result report
- NASCAR Richmond result report
- NASCAR New Hampshire result report
- Front Row Motorsports Phoenix team release
- MHR Daniel Hemric Phoenix team release
- MHR Christian Eckes Phoenix team release
- Niece Motorsports Phoenix team release
- Freedom Racing Enterprises Ben Maier release
- NASCAR 2024 Phoenix race recap
- NASCAR 2025 Phoenix race recap
Scoring note: the working Classic lap rates are 0.25 led and 0.45 fastest. Stage points are not included. Caution laps reduce fastest-lap opportunities; overtime changes actual race length. The single NASCAR Fastest Lap Bonus in result reports is not the count of all DraftKings fastest laps. Confirm the slate’s scoring screen.
These are analyst race stories. No calibrated scenario probabilities, driver point forecasts or final lineup rankings are claimed.