NASCAR is prepared for the upcoming race at the Phoenix Raceway in Arizona, but is the track prepared for racing? The Arizona sun can sometimes be unforgiving. While the sport was earlier looped around in winter blizzards, the situation might be going the other way around now.

Per The Weather Channel, the days leading up to the race weekend are expected to be relatively cooler. However, a major spike on the scale is expected as the mercury may rise to 87 degrees on Sunday, dipping to 59 at night. Meanwhile, the other sessions on Friday and Saturday will be much cooler.

What does the weather at the Phoenix Raceway look like?

The forecast claims that Friday will be the coolest day on the track. While the sky will be sunny with little to no cloud cover, the temperature will only rise to 73 degrees with a 17% humidity. After the track goes dark at around 06:30 PM, the temperature will begin to drop to 51 degrees. The winds are expected to be calm. The weather may heat up the following day.

On Saturday, the temperature rises to 80 degrees with some cloudy intervals. The wind will pick up a little bit, but the remaining conditions are expected to remain the same. Sunday, however, is predicted be the hottest day of the weekend.

The overall sky is expected to be a bit more cloudy, with winds ESE peaking at 10 mph. This would be much more normal compared to how windy the track has been in previous races this season. The temperature will peak at a whopping 87 degrees, while being mostly sunny.

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While the chances of rain are minimal throughout the weekend, the sun could be harsh on the tires and also the drivers. As happened in Daytona, many were suffering despite their cooling suits.

The increased track temperature could be a challenge for the Goodyears, but the teams seem to be making strong preparations to battle the heat.

Goodyear announces Eagle tire setup for NASCAR’s Phoenix run

The Cup Series teams will have the same Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup this weekend at Phoenix, which was used for the Championship race in the 2025 season. While the left-side tire will be making a debut, the right one was used at Bowman Gray earlier for the pre-season Clash.

“The Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup we’ve brought for NASCAR Cup Series teams this weekend was proven on track last season, and the knowledge teams gained will allow them to focus on their performance this weekend,” Justin Fantozzi, the Director of Racing for the Americas, stated.

While the teams have the data from the November race, even the slightest change of weather can pose a threat to the existing strategies.

Higher temperatures result in higher tire wear, and as witnessed in Texas earlier last week, the teams have to pit earlier. While the tire degradation should not be that big of an issue on this track, there will still be major strategic wars going on behind the scenes.