Phoenix International Raceway From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix International Raceway Logo Location 7602 S Avondale Boulevard, Avondale, Arizona 85323, United States Capacity 76,800 Owner International Speedway Corporation Major Events NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Nationwide Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series "D"-shaped Tri-Oval Surface Asphalt Circuit Length 1 mi (1.6 km) Turns 4 Banking Turns 1 and 2 - 11° Turns 3 and 4 - 9° Backstretch - 9° Frontstretch - 3° Road Course Surface Asphalt Circuit Length 1.51 mi (2.43 km) Turns 13 Phoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, as the new home of major open-wheel racing in the Phoenix area, replacing the track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds as an automobile racing venue. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Previous Events 3 Current events 4 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats 4.1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Records 4.2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Winners 5 Track Records 6 References 7 External links 8 See also [edit] History Due to a change in focus by the track's current owners, ISC, the Phoenix area's long history of hosting Indy-style racing (only Indianapolis itself and Milwaukee have had more) came to an abrupt end in 2005, when PIR failed to host an Indy Racing League event for the first time. Ironically, stock car racing's top series, NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, didn't even run at PIR until 1988. Their inaugural race was won by the late Alan Kulwicki, who debuted his Polish Victory Lap here after taking the checkered flag. PIR has a unique tri-oval shape, with a curve in middle of its backstretch between turns two and three, commonly referred to as "the dogleg". This exists because the original builders were constrained by both the rocky hills located on the property and their incorporation of an external road course and dragstrip into PIR's design. Once nearby Firebird International Raceway became a regular stop on drag racing tours, PIR's dragstrip was rarely used. The external road course, which was used mainly for private testing and as parking lot access roads during oval events, was later replaced by the current infield road circuit. Prior to construction of a tunnel under turn four in 2002-03, the only access to the PIR's infield during events was via crossovers, where the old external road course and dragstrip intersected the oval. Once the tunnel was built, the crossovers were permanently sealed off. The other notable feature of PIR is the presence of the "Hillside", a fan-favorite viewing area located on "Monument Hill" just outside of turn four. At the top of this hill lies a USGS bench marker known as Gila and Salt River Meridian that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Long before PIR existed, this spot was the original land survey point for all of what later became the state of Arizona. The original surveyors chose this location to begin their work because it is the nearest high ground from the confluence of the Salt River and the Gila River, and offered a great view after only a gentle climb. PIR infield, taken in Nov. 2004The present-day Avondale Boulevard (formerly known as 115th Avenue) marks the north-south meridian of that original survey, while the aptly-named Baseline Road runs east-west along the surveyors' baseline. The survey benchmark also denotes the western boundary of the Gila River Indian Community. In PIR's earlier years, residents of this neighboring Native American community were rumored to have sometimes sold concessions through the fence to hungry race fans unwilling to walk back down to the track's food and beverage stands. Until 2005, PIR's oval annually hosted at least one major Indy-style racing event, dating back to its initial construction. It is still used year-round by various Indy Racing League teams for private testing as well as for the filming of television commercials featuring that series' cars. The infield road course, originally built for IMSA was most recently used by the Grand American Road Racing Association. Fans waiting for a race at PIR Pressbox in 1989 Frontstretch Turn 4 Grandstands in 1989The oval also remains home to what was traditionally called the Copper World Classic, a weekend of predominantly open-wheel competition with USAC midget and Silver Crown cars as well as modifieds. From 2002-04, the event was incorporated into early-spring the Indy Car Series / Indy Pro Series weekend, but with the departure of IRL, the Copper World event has returned to its original late-winter date on PIR's racing schedule. In 2005, the track hosted a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race event, replacing the spring race formerly held at Darlington Raceway, in South Carolina. The track currently hosts the annual Subway Fresh Fit 500, considered one of NASCAR's top annual races.[1] In a recent poll conducted by Sports Illustrated, 12 percent of NASCAR drivers voted PIR as their favorite track. That was enough for a second place tie with Atlanta Motor Speedway.[2] David Reutimann said he "loves that place. It's just a weird-shaped racetrack, and I grew up racing on stuff that was odd-shaped. I think I like it because it's not the normal track. It's flat and fast." Scenes from the movie Taxi were filmed at the track. [edit] Previous Events USAC - Phoenix 150 Indy Lights - Phoenix 75 CART - Slick-50 200 IRL - XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 Rolex Sports Car Series - The GAINSCO Grand Prix [edit] Current events NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Checker Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series - Arizona.Travel 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - Phoenix 150 [edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats [edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Records (As of 104/13/08) Most Wins - (3) - Jimmie Johnson Most Top 5's - (9) - Mark Martin Most Top 10's - (15) - Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin Starts - (23) - Mark Martin Poles - (4) - Ryan Newman Laps Led - (868) - Rusty Wallace Avg Start (Minimum 5 starts) - (8.1) - Rusty Wallace Avg Finish (Minimum 5 starts) - (5.2) - Alan Kulwicki [edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Winners (*)Rain Shortened Event (**)Race Extended Due to Green-White-Checker Finish Season Date Winning Driver Car # Sponsor Make Distance Avg Speed Margin of Victory 1988 November 6 Alan Kulwicki 7 Zerex Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 90.457 mph (145.576 km/h) 18.5 sec 1989 November 5 Bill Elliott 9 Coors Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 105.683 mph (170.080 km/h) 6 cl 1990 November 4 Dale Earnhardt 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Lumina 312 mi 96.786 mph (155.762 km/h) 0.67 sec 1991 November 3 Davey Allison 28 TexacoHavoline Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 95.746 mph (154.088 km/h) 11.44 sec 1992 November 1 Davey Allison 28 Havoline Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 103.885 mph (167.187 km/h) 3.22 sec 1993 October 31 Mark Martin 6 Valvoline Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 100.375 mph (161.538 km/h) 0.17 sec 1994 October 30 Terry Labonte 5 Kelloggs Chevrolet Lumina 312 mi 107.463 mph (172.945 km/h) 3.09 sec 1995 October 29 Ricky Rudd 10 Tide Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 102.128 mph (164.359 km/h) 0.53 sec 1996 October 27 Bobby Hamilton 43 STP Pontiac Grand Prix 312 mi 109.709 mph (176.560 km/h) 1.23 sec 1997 November 2 Dale Jarrett 88 Quality Care/Ford Credit Ford Thunderbird 312 mi 110.824 mph (178.354 km/h) 2.105 sec 1998 October 25 Rusty Wallace 2 Miller Lite Ford Taurus 257 mi* 100.375 mph (161.538 km/h) 0.17 sec 1999 November 7 Tony Stewart 20 Home Depot Pontiac Grand Prix 312 mi 118.132 mph (190.115 km/h) 2.081 sec 2000 November 5 Jeff Burton 99 Citgo Supergard Ford Taurus 312 mi 105.041 mph (169.047 km/h) 0.854 sec 2001 October 28 Jeff Burton 99 Citgo Supergard Ford Taurus 312 mi 102.613 mph (165.140 km/h) 2.645 sec 2002 November 10 Matt Kenseth 17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford Taurus 312 mi 113.857 mph (183.235 km/h) 1.344 sec 2003 November 2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 312 mi 93.984 mph (151.253 km/h) 0.735 sec 2004 November 7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 315 mi** 94.848 mph (152.643 km/h) 1.431 sec 2005 April 23 Kurt Busch 97 IRWIN Tools Ford Taurus 312 mi 102.707 mph (165.291 km/h) 2.315 sec 2005 November 13 Kyle Busch 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 312 mi 102.641 mph (165.185 km/h) 0.609 sec 2006 April 22 Kevin Harvick 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 312 mi 107.063 mph (172.301 km/h) 2.774 sec 2006 November 13 Kevin Harvick 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 312 mi 96.131 mph (154.708 km/h) 0.250 sec 2007 April 21 Jeff Gordon 24 DuPont Chevrolet Impala SS 312 mi 107.71 mph (173.342 km/h) 0.697 sec 2007 November 11 Jimmie Johnson 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Impala SS 312 mi 102.989 mph (165.745 km/h) 0.870 sec 2008 April 12 Jimmie Johnson 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Impala SS 312 mi 103.292 mph (166.232 km/h) 7.002 sec 2008 November 9 Jimmie Johnson 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Impala SS 312 mi 134.725 mph (216.819 km/h) 0.295 sec [edit] Track Records NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying: Ryan Newman, 26.499 sec. (135.854 mph), 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race: Tony Stewart, 2 hrs. 38 min. 28 sec. (118.132 mph), 1999 NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying: Kyle Busch, 26.902 sec. (133.819 mph), 2004 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race: Jeff Burton, 1 hr. 44 min. 13 sec. (115.145 mph), 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying: Johnny Benson, 27.137 sec. (132.660 mph), 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race: Kevin Harvick, 1 hr. 24 min. 26 sec. (108.104 mph), 2002 SUPERMODIFIED Western States Supermodified Racing Association Qualifying: Davey Hamilton, 22.721 sec. (158.443 mph), 1994 [edit] References ^ NASCAR's Best Races ^ "PIR a front-runner among drivers". The Arizona Republic. 2007-07-10. http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/0710pir0710.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. [edit] External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix International Raceway Official Site Phoenix International Raceway Page on NASCAR.com Trackpedia guide to driving this track High Resolution image from Google Maps Coordinates: 33°22′29″N 112°18′40″W / 33.37475°N 112.31115°W / 33.37475; -112.31115 NASCAR's Best Races [edit] See also List of NASCAR race tracks [show]v • d • eTracks used by USAC Championship Series Former (1956–1981) Arizona Fairgrounds · Atlanta · Darlington · Dayton · Daytona · Detroit · Dover · DuQuion · Hanford · Indianapolis · Lakewood · Langhorne · Michigan · Milwaukee · Nazareth · Ontario · Phoenix · Pocono · Sacramento · Sedalia · Springfield · Syracuse · Texas World · Trenton · Williams Grove Road courses Brainerd · Castle Rock · IRP · Las Vegas · Mont-Tremblant · Mosport · Pikes Peak · Riverside · Sears Point · Seattle International Brands Hatch · Fuji · Monza · Rafaela · Silverstone [show]v • d • eTracks of the Champ Car World Series (1979-2007) Ovals Atlanta · California · Chicago · Gateway · Homestead · Indianapolis · Las Vegas · Loudon · Michigan · Milwaukee · Nazareth · Ontario · Phoenix · Pocono · Sanair · Texas · Texas World · Trenton Road courses Cleveland · Edmonton · Laguna Seca · Mid-Ohio · Montreal · Mont-Tremblant · Portland · Riverside · Road America · Watkins Glen Street circuits Belle Isle · Caesars Palace · Denver · Detroit · Houston · Las Vegas · Long Beach · Meadowlands · Miami · Reliant Park · San Jose · St. Pete · Tamiami Park · Toronto · Vancouver International Assen · Brands Hatch · EuroSpeedway · Mexico City · Monterrey · Motegi · Rio · Rockingham · Surfers Paradise · Zhuhai · Zolder [show]v • d • eTracks of the Indy Racing League Ovals Chicagoland · Homestead · Indianapolis · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Milwaukee · Motegi · Richmond · Texas Road & Street Courses Edmonton · Long Beach · Mid-Ohio · St. Petersburg · Sonoma · Toronto · Watkins Glen Former Tracks Atlanta · California · Charlotte · Detroit · Dover · Gateway · Las Vegas · Michigan · Nashville · Nazareth · New Hampshire · Phoenix · Pikes Peak · Surfers Paradise · Walt Disney World [show]v • d • eCurrent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racetracks ISC California · Chicagoland · Darlington · Daytona · Homestead · Kansas · Martinsville · Michigan · Phoenix · Richmond · Talladega · Watkins Glen SMI Atlanta · Bristol · New Hampshire · Infineon · Las Vegas · Lowe's · Texas Other Dover · Indianapolis · Pocono [show]v • d • eCurrent NASCAR Nationwide Series racetracks Atlanta, Bristol, Brooklyn, Michigan, Charlotte, Darlington, Daytona, Dover, Fontana, California, Fort Worth, Indianapolis (ORP), Joliet, Illinois, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Loudon, Madison, Illinois, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Montreal, Nashville, Phoenix, Richmond, Sparta, Kentucky, Talladega, Watkins Glen [show]v • d • eCurrent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racetracks Atlanta • Bristol • California • Charlotte • Chicago • Daytona • Dover • Gateway • Homestead-Miami • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Las Vegas • Martinsville (2) • Memphis • Michigan • Milwaukee • Nashville • New Hampshire • ORP • Phoenix • Talladega • Texas (2) [show]v • d • eCircuits of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Current (2008) Daytona · Homestead · Hermanos Rodríguez · Virginia · Laguna Seca · Lime Rock · Watkins Glen · Mid-Ohio · Barber · Montréal · Infineon · New Jersey · Miller Former California · Iowa · Long Beach · Mont-Tremblant · Phoenix · Road America · Trois-Rivières · Santo Domingo Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_International_Raceway" Categories: Avondale, Arizona | Champ Car race tracks | Motorsport venues in the United States | NASCAR tracks | Sports in Phoenix, Arizona | Sports venues in Arizona