Phoenix International Raceway
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| Location | Avondale, Arizona |
| |
| Track length | 1 miles (1.6 kilometres) |
| Track shape | "D"-shaped Tri-Oval |
| Banking | Turns 1 and 2 - 11° Turns 3 and 4 - 9° Backstretch - 9° Frontstretch - 3° |
| Major events | NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series |
| Capacity | 76,800 |
| Address | P.O. Box 13088, Avondale, AZ 85002 |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation |
Phoenix International Raceway (or known as PIR), is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, but wasn't used by NASCAR until 1988, with the first race won by the late Alan Kulwicki. After winning, Kulwicki debuted his Polish Victory Lap. It is an unusual tri-oval shape, more like a "D" shape. This is because the owner did not wish to alter the infield road course to accommodate a traditional NASCAR oval. In the past, several leagues including the NASCAR Southwest and the USAC Silver Crown Series have been hosted at the track. It has since been used by the Indy Racing League and an infield road course has been used by the Grand American Road Racing Association. The infield road course was redesigned in 1991, taking it's current form on 1.51 miles long and 11 turns. In 1996, the capacity of reserved seats at the track grew to over 65,000 and in 1997, the track was bought by the ISC. In the summer of 2003, the wall coming off turn 2 was moved out to increase the safety of the drivers. In the winter of 2004, lights were installed at the track to accomidate the first of two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series dates of 2005. In 2005, the track hosted a second NASCAR race, replacing the spring race formerly held at Darlington Raceway, in South Carolina. After the 2005 season, the Bobby Allison grandstand was expanded in the vicinity of Turns 1 and 2.
Contents |
[edit] Records
[edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
| Record | Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Time | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | 2003 | Jamie McMurray | Dodge | 29.816 | 181.111 | |
| Race (400 miles) | 1999 | November 14 | Tony Stewart | Pontiac | 2:51:14 | 140.335 (before reconfiguration) |
[edit] NASCAR Nationwide Series
| Record | Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Time | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | 2004 | Casey Mears | Dodge | 30.348 | 177.936 | |
| Race (300 miles) | 2001 | November 10 | Joe Nemechek | Chevy | 2:16:10 | 132.191 (before reconfiguration) |
[edit] NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
| Record | Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Time | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | 2005 | David Reutimann | 31.193 | 173.116 | ||
| Race (200 miles) | 2002 | November 15 | Ron Hornaday | 1:30:30 | 133.260 (before reconfiguration) |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Phoenix International Raceway Official Site
- Phoenix International Raceway Page on NASCAR.com
- High Resolution image from Google Maps
