AVONDALE, Ariz. — After multiple brake failures last month at World Wide Technology Raceway, NASCAR allowed Cup Series teams to replace front brake rotors and pads after Saturday’s practice and qualifying at Phoenix Raceway. Teams will be permitted to inspect rear rotors, per normal procedures, while making pre-race adjustments on Sunday.
Crew chiefs throughout the Cup Series garage are expecting all teams to cash in on that opportunity to make the approved modification.
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“You are going to change, for sure,” Rudy Fugle, crew chief for William Byron‘s No. 24 Chevrolet, told NASCAR.com. “I think the entire field will be changing just to have that fresh rotor, fresh pad and have the comfort and ease the mind that you are going to have enough.”
“I don‘t know why you wouldn‘t just check the box and eliminate an unknown,” added Jonathan Hassler, crew chief for Ryan Blaney, the two-time defending winner at the 1-mile oval.
Historically, Phoenix has been a venue that has been rough on brake pads. Catastrophic failures have been less common at Phoenix than at other tracks with significant braking demands, including Gateway, Iowa Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.
Fugle views Phoenix as a blend of Iowa and Gateway, though the Arizona oval presents its own unique challenges. Entering Turn 3 requires heavy braking, albeit not to the same degree as Gateway, where longer straightaways allow the brakes to cool before the next application, creating thermal shock. At Phoenix, the challenge lies in the frequency of brake usage throughout an entire lap, which can generate significant vibration and increase the risk of overheating.
“[Phoenix] is tough because you hold on to the brake longer to help your handling,” Fugle noted. “You have a hard time getting off them, so you drag a little more duration and brake usage that way if your handling is not good. With the added power, a lot of the issues this year was us not getting the setups right. Hopefully, that tames it down a little bit.”
The challenge has intensified this season with NASCAR’s move to a 750-horsepower, lower-downforce configuration at tracks shorter than 1.5 miles.
Finding the right balance is difficult, especially as crew chiefs tape up their cars, trying to gain an aerodynamic advantage. External factors can also contribute to brake failures, including a malfunctioning cooling fan or damage sustained during an on-track incident. Plus, they have a single 50-minute practice session to make an educated guess on which direction to go come race day.
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“A lot of it comes down to trying to guestimate with our 50-minute practices and short sessions on track of how to get the temperatures in the rotors perfect,” Fugle said, “and the temperature in the caliper is separate from that cooler, so the caliper and the pedal feels good. Sometimes, we just miss.”
Hassler learned valuable lessons from the No. 12 car blowing a right-front rotor at Gateway while Blaney was running inside the top five. That proved to be costly, as it was the first of consecutive DNFs during The Chase presented by Mobil 1.
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The good news for Hassler is that this brake package has been used at Phoenix several times before. He‘s familiar with its demands and, more importantly, knows what it takes to succeed with it.
“We know what to expect,” he said emphatically. “The big difference is the extra practice time will sort of mitigate that with the ability to change the rotors before the race. I feel pretty confident.”
Neither crew chief expects problems with the rear rotors, which teams may inspect during Sunday’s pre-race adjustments. But no stone will be left unturned as teams extract maximum performance.
“I think with the rears, there is a slim chance,” Fugle elaborated. “But you will check them out for sure.”
The No. 12 team will have track position from the green flag on Sunday, as Blaney won his fifth Busch Light pole award of the 2026 season. Byron rounds out the top 10, the best of the four Hendrick Motorsports entries.