Shriners Children's 500 Explained

Series Long:NASCAR Cup Series
Track Map:Phoenix Raceway 2024.svg
Venue:Phoenix Raceway
Location:Avondale, Arizona, United States
Sponsor:Shriners Hospitals for Children
First Race:2005
Distance:3123NaN3
Laps:312
Stage 1: 60
Stage 2: 125
Final stage: 127
Previous Names:Subway Fresh 500
(2005–2006)
Subway Fresh Fit 500
(2007–2009, 2011–2013)
Subway Fresh Fit 600
(2010)
The Profit on CNBC 500 (2014)
CampingWorld.com 500 (2015)
Good Sam 500 (2016)
Camping World 500 (2017)
TicketGuardian 500 (2018–2019)
FanShield 500 (2020)
Instacart 500 (2021)
Ruoff Mortgage 500 (2022)
United Rentals Work United 500 (2023)
Most Wins Driver:Kevin Harvick (5)
Most Wins Team:Stewart-Haas Racing (6)
Most Wins Manufacturer:Chevrolet (12)
Surface:Asphalt
Length Mi:1.022
Turns:4

The Shriners Children's 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona since 2005. It is one of two Cup Series races at the track, the other being the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Christopher Bell is the defending race winner.

Race history

As part of the 2005 schedule changes, a second date was awarded to what was then Phoenix International Raceway in the spring. Subway would be the title sponsor of the new race. As there was already a race sponsored by Subway on the schedule (the now Xfinity 500 at Martinsville), the name "Subway Fresh 500" was devised to reduce confusion. Subway later added the word "Fit" to the sponsorship to promote its Fresh Fit combo choices.

In the 2007 race, Jeff Gordon won for the first time at Phoenix from the pole (the first winner from the pole at Phoenix), scoring his 76th Cup Series win (tying Dale Earnhardt). After the race, Gordon celebrated with a black flag with Earnhardt's famous No. 3 on it.[1]

With the new 2010 NASCAR start time rule change that starts races only at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 7:30 pm Eastern Time, track officials were concerned that the new start time (45 minutes earlier than in the past) would put the majority of the race in the day instead of the planned night. At that time of year in Phoenix, sunset takes place at roughly 7:00 pm MST (because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, this is the same as Pacific Daylight Time). As a result, the race was stretched to 6001NaN1 so that the extra 1001NaN1 would take place during the day, and most of the race would still take place at night as planned.[2]

The race saw three changes in 2011. After only 1 year as a 600 km race, the race returned to 500 km and 312 laps that year, it was moved from Saturday to Sunday, it was run entirely during the daytime for the first time, and it became the second race of the Cup Series season, replacing the race at Auto Club Speedway. Jeff Gordon would win the race again that year, snapping a 66-race winless streak (the longest of his career) and tied Cale Yarborough with his 83rd career win.

In 2013, Carl Edwards won the Subway-sponsored race in a Subway-sponsored car and snapped a 70-race winless streak.

In 2015, this race became the fourth race of the season, replacing the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway which was moved from March to April due to bad weather plaguing the spring Bristol race for numerous years. This move allowed for the creation of a three-race west coast swing with the Phoenix race now being between the races at Las Vegas and Fontana, providing cost efficiencies to the teams. (The race at Atlanta became the second race of the season in 2015, replacing Phoenix.[3])

In 2023, United Rentals became the title sponsor of the race, replacing Ruoff Mortgage.[4] In 2024, Shriners Hospitals for Children replaced United Rentals as the race's title sponsor.[5]

Past winners

YearDateDriverTeamManufacturerSponsorRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)		ReportRef
LapsMiles (km)
2005April 2397Kurt BuschRoush RacingFordIrwin Industrial Tools/Sharpie312312 (502.115)3:02:16102.707Report[6]
2006April 2229Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench312312 (502.115)2:54:51107.063Report[7]
2007April 2124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDuPont312312 (502.115)2:53:48107.71Report[8]
2008April 1248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLowe's312312 (502.115)3:01:14103.292Report[9]
2009April 185Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevroletCarQuest/Kellogg's312312 (502.115)2:53:16108.042Report[10]
2010April 1039Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevroletTornados378*378 (608.332)3:48:1499.372Report[11]
2011February 2724Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDrive to End Hunger/AARP312312 (502.115)3:01:49102.961Report[12]
2012March 411Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaFedEx Office312312 (502.115)2:50:35110.085Report[13]
2013March 399Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFordSubway316*316 (508.553)3:00:15105.187Report[14]
2014March 24Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingChevroletJimmy John's312312 (502.115)2:51:23109.229Report[15]
2015March 154Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingChevroletJimmy John's312312 (502.115)2:57:01105.753Report[16]
2016March 134Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingChevroletJimmy John's313*313 (503.724)2:45:53113.212Report[17]
2017March 1931Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevroletGrainger314*314 (505.334)3:00:41104.271Report[18]
2018March 114Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFordJimmy John's312312 (502.115)2:53:13108.073Report[19]
2019March 1018Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaSkittles312312 (502.115)3:04:05101.693Report[20]
2020March 822Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFordShell/Pennzoil316*316 (519.742)3:20:5094.407Report[21]
2021March 1419Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaBass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats & ATVs312312 (502.115)3:00:20103.808Report[22]
2022March 1314Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFordMahindra Tractors312312 (502.115)3:06:34100.339Report[23]
2023March 1224William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevroletValvoline317*317 (510.161)3:00:18105.491Report[24]
2024March 1020Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem312312 (502.115)3:00:45103.568Report[25]

Multiple winners (drivers)

  1. Wins
DriverYears Won
5Kevin Harvick2006, 2014–2016, 2018
2Jeff Gordon2007, 2011
Ryan Newman2010, 2017

Multiple winners (teams)

  1. Wins
TeamYears Won
6Stewart-Haas Racing2010, 2014–2016, 2018, 2022
5Hendrick Motorsports2007–2009, 2011, 2023
4Joe Gibbs Racing2012, 2019, 2021, 2024
2Roush Fenway Racing2005, 2013
Richard Childress Racing2006, 2017

Manufacturer wins

  1. Wins
ManufacturerYears Won
11Chevrolet2006–2011, 2014–2017, 2023
5Ford2005, 2013, 2018, 2020, 2022
4Toyota2012, 2019, 2021, 2024

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Memorable Moments: Phoenix. NASCAR. November 7, 2013. November 7, 2013.
  2. Web site: News & Media . NASCAR.com . 2014-02-26.
  3. News: NASCAR reveals 2015 schedules for national series . . August 26, 2014 . August 26, 2014.
  4. Web site: United Rentals to sponsor NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway . . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC . January 19, 2023 . January 19, 2023.
  5. Web site: Phoenix Raceway's NASCAR Cup Series Race on March 10, 2024 Will Become the Shriners Children's 500 . . November 2, 2023 . November 12, 2023.
  6. Web site: 2005 Subway Fresh 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  7. Web site: 2006 Subway Fresh 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  8. Web site: 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  9. Web site: 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  10. Web site: 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  11. Web site: 2010 Subway Fresh Fit 600. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  12. Web site: 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  13. Web site: 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  14. Web site: 2013 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  15. Web site: 2014 The Profit on CNBC 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  16. Web site: 2015 CampingWorld.com 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  17. Web site: 2016 Good Sam 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  18. Web site: 2017 Camping World 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  19. Web site: 2018 Ticket Guardian 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  20. Web site: 2019 Ticket Guardian 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  21. Web site: 2020 Fan Shield 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  22. Web site: 2021 Instacart 500. Racing-Reference. December 29, 2021.
  23. Web site: 2022 Ruoff Mortgage 500. Racing-Reference. March 13, 2022.
  24. Web site: 2023 United Rentals Work United 500. Racing-Reference. March 12, 2023.
  25. Web site: 2024 Shriners Children's 500. Racing-Reference. March 10, 2024.

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