Phoenix Int'l Raceway
In 1964, when Phoenix International Raceway was carved out of the foothills of the Estrella Mountains, it was intended to be a new jewel in the crown of American open wheel racing. Drivers like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones and the Unsers soon came to love the one mile paved oval with the unique bend in the backstretch. They really loved coming to Phoenix, where the tourism industry was just starting to grow and its Western-style hospitality was second to none.
It
wasn't until 1988, however, when NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing came
to PIR, that auto racing in Phoenix really became a major sporting
attraction for the "Valley of the Sun." New racing legends and
legends-in-the-making like Davey Allison, Richard Petty, Dale
Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup stars
found out firsthand what their open-wheel brethren had known for years:
Phoenix International Raceway is truly a great place for racing, for
drivers and fans alike.
Today, Phoenix International Raceway has a tradition that is unmatched in the world of racing. Armed with a rich history of many forms of racing, PIR now counts its two NASCAR weekends as hallmark events. The annual fall NASCAR weekend -- now in its 21st year and including races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and USAC -- is one of the biggest events in the entire state. In 2005, PIR added a second race weekend -- in April -- to its schedule, and fans have come to enjoy NASCAR's spring visit to the desert just the same.
As the fifth-largest city in America, Phoenix and the surrounding area offers all the food, lodging, and recreation/entertainment options one would expect from a town that thrives on tourism. Phoenix is world-famous for golf, tennis, shopping, and lots of sunshine -- not to mention the most celebrated and storied racetrack in the West.
Track Statistics
Track length: 1 mile
Degree of banking: 11 degrees in turns 1-2; 9 degrees in turns 3-4
Degree of banking on straightaways: 3 degrees on frontstretch; 9 degrees on backstretch
Length of frontstretch: 1,179 feet
Length of backstretch: 1,551 feet
Track Qualifying Records
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Ryan Newman, No. 12 Alltel Dodge, 26.499 seconds, 135.854 mph
November 2004NASCAR Nationwide Series
Kyle Busch, No. 5 Lowe's/Gladiator Chevrolet, 26.902 seconds, 133.819 mph
November 2004NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Johnny Benson, No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota, 27.137 seconds, 132.660 mph
November 2006NASCAR Camping World Series
Steve Portenga, Chevrolet, 27.822 seconds, 129.394 mph
March 2000
