User:Nascar9919/sandbox
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| Location | 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale, Arizona, 85323 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−7 |
| Coordinates | 33°22′29.1″N 112°18′40.14″W / 33.374750°N 112.3111500°W |
| Owner | NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (1997–2019) |
| Operator | NASCAR (1997–present) |
| Broke ground | September 19, 1963 |
| Opened | January 4, 1964 |
| Former names | Phoenix International Raceway (1964–1973, 1976–2017) FasTrack International Speedway (January 1973–August 1976) Jeff Gordon Raceway (November 15, 2015) ISM Raceway (2018–January 2020) |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (2020–present) Shriners Children's 500 (2005–present) Former: IndyCar Series Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix (1964–2005, 2016–2018) CART Circle K/Fiesta Bowl 200 (1964–1986) |
| Website | phoenixraceway |
| Dogleg Oval (1964–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.000 miles (1.609 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Start / Finish Straightaway: 3° Dogleg: 10–11° Straightaway from Dogleg to Turn 1: 10° Turn 1: 8° Turn 2: 8–9° (Progressive) Backstretch: 3° Turns 3 & 4: 10–11° (Progressive) |
| Race lap record | 0:19.7379 [182.392 mph (293.531 km/h) ( Tony Kanaan, Dallara DW12, 2016, IndyCar Series) |
| Road Course (1991–2011) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.510 miles (2.430 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 0:50.695 ( Juan Manuel Fangio II, Eagle MkIII, 1992, IMSA GTP) |
| Exterior Road course (1964–1990) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.000 miles (3.219 km) |
| Turns | 7 |
| Long Road course (1964–1990) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.700 miles (4.345 km) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Race lap record | 1:44.400 ( Dave MacDonald, Cooper Monaco King Cobra, 1964, Group 4) |
| Short Road course (1964–1990) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.400 miles (2.253 km) |
| Turns | 7 |
Phoenix Raceway (formerly known as ISM Raceway from 2018–2020, Phoenix International Raceway from 1964–1973 and 1976–2017, and the FasTrack International Speedway from 1973–1976) is a 1-mile (1.6 km) oval with a dogleg track in Avondale, Arizona. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1964, including NASCAR, IndyCar, and CART races. Phoenix Raceway is currently owned by NASCAR and is led by track president Latasha Causey.
Description
[edit]Configuration
[edit]Phoenix Raceway
Amenities
[edit]Phoenix Raceway is located in Avondale, Arizona, and is served
Track history
[edit]Planning and construction
[edit]On July 10, 1963, The Arizona Republic's Frank Gianelli reported that a group formed by Richard Hogue acquired a 320-acre (130 ha) plot of land originally used to grow cotton in Estrella Mountains.[1][2] With the purchase, the group made plans to build a $500,000 (adjusted for inflation, $4,976,087) motorsports complex including a 1-mile (1.6 km) oval, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) road course, and a drag strip under the name of Phoenix International Raceway (PIR).[1] The plan immediately faced opposition from the competing Arizona State Fairgrounds, who wished to pave their track in order to host United States Auto Club (USAC) races despite PIR officials wanting to collaborate with Fairgrounds officials.[3] However, the Fairgrounds' paving plan was vetoed unanimously by the Arizona Fair Commission on August 26. In the same day, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors passed a permit to initiate PIR construction.[4]
Groundbreaking took place on September 19, with Hogue stating at a groundbreaking interview that "we'll be racing by late November or early December".[5][6] In November, Hogue announced the first events for the track, with Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and NASCAR Grand National Series events being announced for December and January 1964, respectively.[7][8] However, the track's opening was pushed back to January 4 due to construction delays.[9] By the end of the year, with paving complete, the facility was approved for SCCA, USAC, and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) races.[10]
Early years
[edit]PIR opened as scheduled, running informal SCCA events in January 1964.[11][12] A month later, the first formal events at the facility were held, with Jack Hinkle winning the first highlight race at PIR's road course.[13][14] PIR received mixed initial reception; although its amenities were praised, some spectators complained about a hidden 50-cent (adjusted for inflation, $5) grandstand fee alongside visibility problems caused by light poles.[15] PIR's drag strip held its first events on March 1 and 2; during the weekend, the facility experienced its first fatality when drag racer Robert Snyders crashed during a qualifying run on the drag strip.[16]
Events
[edit]Racing
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Gianelli, Frank (July 10, 1963). "New Raceway Due". The Arizona Republic. p. 29. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "New International Raceway Cotton Field 6 Months Ago". The Arizona Republic. March 16, 1964. p. 27. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "Race Interests Fail to Agree". The Arizona Republic. July 16, 1963. p. 27. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "Commission Vetoes Paving Fairground Oval". The Arizona Republic. August 27, 1963. p. 25. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "Race Track To Get Start". The Arizona Republic. September 13, 1963. p. 57. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Gianelli, Frank (September 20, 1963). "Track Shows Early Speed". The Arizona Republic. p. 37. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Rowe, Jack (November 16, 1963). "Sports Car Corner". Tucson Citizen. p. 7. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "150-Miler Will Open Race Plant". The Arizona Republic. November 9, 1963. p. 55. Retrieved October 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Rowe, Jack (November 23, 1963). "Sports Car Corner". Tuscon Citizen. p. 43. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Bird, Tracy (December 29, 1963). "Phoenix Raceway To Open". Arizona Daily Star. pp. C5. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ "New Raceway Baptized". The Arizona Republic. January 5, 1964. pp. D5. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Gianelli, Frank (January 7, 1964). "Sports Feud Full of Hate". The Arizona Republic. p. 28. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Gianelli, Frank (February 16, 1964). "Sports Racing Worth Watching". The Arizona Republic. pp. C1. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Pierson, Gerry (February 17, 1964). "Jack Hinkle Wins PIR Race Honors". The Arizona Republic. p. 24. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Gianelli, Frank (February 21, 1964). "Gripes Made, More Coming". The Arizona Republic. p. 39. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ Pierson, Gerry (March 2, 1964). "PIR Prizes Divided; Death Mars Racing". The Arizona Republic. p. 28. Retrieved October 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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External links
[edit]
Media related to Phoenix International Raceway at Wikimedia Commons
