Phoenix International Speedway

Phoenix Raceway (formerly known as ISM Raceway from 2018–2020, Phoenix International Raceway from 1964–1973 and 1976–2017, and FasTrack International Speedway from 1973–1976) is a dogleg oval track in Avondale, Arizona. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1964, including NASCAR, IndyCar, and CART races. It has seating capacity of 42,000 as of 2019. Phoenix Raceway is currently owned by NASCAR and is led by track president Latasha Causey.

Phoenix Raceway opened in 1964 under the control of Richard Hogue as a multi-layout facility. After slow expansion for nearly a decade, the facility was bought out by Phoenix businessman Malcolm Bricklin in 1973 under the General Vehicle brand. The company's ownership was short-lived due to the company's troubles and eventual bankruptcy due to the failure of the Bricklin SV-1, and the speedway was bought out by a group of Arizona businessmen led by Bob Fletcher in 1976. After a series of ownership changes from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the facility oversaw a period of mass expansion under the ownership of Buddy Jobe, who bought the track in 1985 and owned it until 1997, when the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) purchased the facility. Since ISC's purchase, the facility has undergone two major reconfigurations: one in 2011 that altered the track's dogleg, and one in 2018 that changed the location of the start-finish line.

Description

Configuration

Phoenix Raceway in its current form is measured at , with 9° of banking in the first two turns, 11° of banking in the last two turns, 9° of banking on the frontstretch, and 3° of banking on the backstretch according to Jayski. The track is known for its backstretch kink, commonly referred to as a " dogleg" that was added to accommodate the track's original road course that used parts of the oval alongside specialized portions outside the oval.

When the facility first opened, multiple layouts were included. Alongside the oval track's opening in 1964, a road course layout that used both parts of the oval and specialized sections and a dragstrip was included. Additionally, since 1992, a 11-turn infield road course measuring at was included in the facility's layouts.

Amenities

Phoenix Raceway is located in Avondale, Arizona, and is served by Avondale Boulevard, which is an exit of Interstate 10. As of 2019, the facility has a capacity of 42,000 according to ''Forbes''. The track also offers a general admission seating area on the side of a hill outside the track's first and second turns; the section is named "Rattlesnake Hill" as a tribute to old stories of Phoenix Raceway officials reportedly having to remove numerous animals before races, including rattlesnakes and scorpions.

Track history

Planning and construction

On July 10, 1963, ''The Arizona Republic'' Frank Gianelli reported that a group formed by businessman Richard Hogue acquired a plot of land originally used to grow cotton in Estrella Mountains. With the purchase, the group made plans to build a US$500,000 (adjusted for inflation, $) motorsports complex including a oval, a road course, and a dragstrip under the name of Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Initially, Hogue only originally considered building the road course, but was convinced to add an oval to the facility by racing promoter J. C. Agajanian. The plan immediately faced opposition from the competing Arizona State Fairgrounds, who wished to pave their track in order to continue hosting United States Auto Club (USAC) races despite PIR officials wanting to collaborate with Fairgrounds officials. However, the Fairgrounds' paving plan was vetoed unanimously by the Arizona Fair Commission on August 26. On the same day, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors passed a permit to begin PIR construction, in the process effectively causing the Fair's shutdown.

Groundbreaking took place on September 19, with Hogue stating at a groundbreaking interview that "we'll be racing by late November or early December". 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. However, the track's opening was pushed back to January 4 due to construction delays. By the end of the year, with paving complete, the facility was approved for SCCA, USAC, and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events. At the end of the facility's construction, the entire complex cost approximately US$1 million (adjusted for inflation, $) to build.

Hogue years

PIR opened as scheduled, running informal SCCA events in January 1964. 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. PIR received mixed initial reception; although its amenities were praised, some spectators complained about a hidden 50-cent (adjusted for inflation, $) grandstand fee alongside visibility problems caused by light poles. PIR's drag strip held its first events on March 1. The oval held its first race 21 days later, with A. J. Foyt winning a USAC event. In April, alongside obtaining a sanction from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), PIR ran its first FIA-sanctioned event, with Dave MacDonald winning a event.

Initially, PIR struggled with attendance, causing the facility to cancel international events in 1964 due to cost issues. In July, Harry Redkey and Bob Huff, racing promoters of the Manzanita Speedway and Tucson Speedway, respectively, took over operational duties of PIR, with Huff stating hopes of implementing "a series of major improvements" and a seating expansion to 13,500 to the facility. By November, renovations to the facility's grandstand and walls were made. However, the facility still faced heavy traffic issues in Bobby Ball Memorial event that took place in the same month, partially causing the cancellation of a USAC stock car race in early 1965. Traffic improvements to PIR were completed in March 1965 alongside the widening of the track's surface in the turns. In June, a US$10,000 renovation to PIR's dragstrip that aimed to install increased lighting started. By the end of 1965, Hogue stated in a response to a PIR critic in a letter to the editor that PIR invested over US$100,000 in renovations, including a refurbished main grandstand and the addition of 2,000 seats.

PIR experienced numerous crashes resulting in serious injury or death in its early years. In its first ever dragstrip event on March 1, PIR experienced its first fatality when drag racer Robert Snyders crashed during a qualifying run on the drag strip. In early December, Bobby Marshman succumbed to second and third-degree burns suffered during a tire testing crash on November 27. In August 1965, the dragstrip oversaw its second fatality when 17-year-old Phil Miner lost control of his car and crashed at approximately . In February 1967, 13-year-old Maurice Gallegos suffered major head injuries after hitting a truck during a go-kart race; Gallegos survived the incident and later sued PIR for US$1,687,624 (adjusted for inflation, $) for "inadequate and ineffectual protection" and a lack of "prompt and adequate assistance after the accident". On February 27, 1972, United States Air Force captain Bruce Helfert died in a sports car crash on the facility's road course.

Nancy Hogue era

Sometime between 1965 and 1967, Richard Hogue and his wife, Nancy, divorced. By February 3, 1967, Nancy was described in ''The Arizona Republic'' as the sole owner of PIR. On the 15th, racing promoter J. C. Agajanian took over Redkey and Huff as the promotional director of PIR. Two days later, Nancy filed an injunction order against Redkey and Huff for "fail ngto return... the corporate's properties, papers and records." She also revealed that she fired the duo as they spent "extravagant amounts of money for travel, hotels, entertainment, telephone calls, salaries, etc." In response, the duo sued Hogue for US$200,000 (adjusted for inflation, $) on March 2 for multiple claims, including a breach of contract, claims of Nancy deceiving the duo, and Nancy refusing to give any stock to the duo despite an agreement.

By October 1967, the ''Arizona Daily Star'' claimed that grandstand seating had expanded to 25,000. On January 23, 1968, PIR held its first major stock car events, with Don White winning a USAC event. In March, Agajanian confirmed discussions about removing PIR's backstretch dogleg from its oval track, stating that the corner was "dangerous as hell". Three months later, the decision was confirmed by Jerry Raskin, PIR's public relations official, with the backstretch becoming a straight line. Reportedly, the reconfiguration was complete by September; however, the claim that the dogleg was ever removed has been disputed by racing historian Kevin Triplett, who did not find any evidence that the reconfiguration ever happened. In October 1969, construction of a two-year, US$100,000 renovation project focusing on additional seating and track adjustments was completed. A year later, Phoenix hotel businessman Charlie Alexander signed a three-year lease from Nancy to become the racing director of PIR. In 1972, in response to criticism from the previous year of a dangerous and slippery track surface, track officials started putting down a traction compound to combat the issue; the fix was received well from driver Bobby Unser.

Short-lived FasTrack rebrand

On December 6, 1972, the ''Arizona Republic'' reported that Nancy Hogue sold PIR to Newport Beach, California, businessman Paul O'Shea. However, nine days later, the ''Republic'' retracted their claim, stating that the facility was instead bought by the Malcolm Bricklin-owned General Vehicle Inc., with O'Shea assisting with the company's purchase; it was also announced that Alexander was ousted from his lease on the facility. In a press conference held on January 23, 1973, newly appointed track president Anthony Kopp announced the track's rebranding to "FasTrack International Speedway" as part of Bricklin's FasTrack brand, a subsidiary under General Vehicle. Kopp also announced plans for US$30,000 worth of renovations, including the expansion of permanent seating capacity to 16,000, the construction of a new pit road, and other miscellaneous amenity improvements. Two.months later, the facility experienced its fifth fatality when driver Bob Criss died in a practice crash for a USAC event.

General Vehicle and Bricklin SV-1 troubles

Soon after General Vehicle's purchase, the company faced a series of heavy financial issues related to the production of the Bricklin SV-1 vehicle that affected the financial situation of the facility. In June 1973, Bricklin was able to secure a CA$2.88 million loan alongside the purchase of a 51% share in Bricklin Canada from the government of New Brunswick to build a CA$9 million plant in Saint John to spur production of "the Bricklin", which was advertised by Bricklin as "the first mass-produced safety vehicle in the world". The car's release faced numerous delays; start of production was delayed to January 1974 from its original start of December 1973 due to "slow delivery" on parts and building equipment. The car's official reveal was further delayed from April to late June; by this point, criticism from members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick was building on the company for a lack of transparency alongside concerns over the company's finances. Despite concerns, the New Brunswick government increased its investment to CA$5 million by August.

Soon after the first Bricklin SV-1 was produced on August 6, two Bricklin Canada plant managers resigned, dealing a major setback to the company. In November, Bricklin stated in an interview that the company was pleading to the New Brunswick government for an additional CA$6–8 million, with the ''Windsor Star'' indicating that the company was in heavy financial trouble due to a lack of production and sales. On December 2, New Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield announced the province's investment increased to a total CA$7.5 million alongside acquiring 67% of Bricklin Canada; the increased investment led to further skepticism from the New Brunswick opposition on the project's viability, which had been facing increasing production costs. On the 26th, Bricklin was ordered by a Philadelphia federal court to pay US$2.3 million in a breach of contract lawsuit filed by a former employee of Bricklin, leading to further concerns over viability. On January 29, 1975, another CA$7.5 million loan was given by New Brunswick, with both Hatfield and Bricklin stating that the loan was the last expected assistance from the New Brunswick government.

In April, after increasing pressure from Liberal politicians for documents on Bricklin Canada's finances, Bricklin voluntarily provided documents to the Opposition under the condition that the information be kept in confidence. Four months later, FasTrack International Speedway director Russ Kurtz stated in the ''Arizona Daily Star'' that the facility had been on sale "for a number of months"; however, he also stated that he did not see the track being sold in the near future. After another investment of CA$1.2 million from the New Brunswick government despite previous statements, on September 22, Premier Hatfield stated that Bricklin Canada would not receive anymore funding until the completion of a viability review of the company. Three days later, Bricklin Canada entered into receivership, with Liberal politician John W. Turnbull stating that "the company for all intents and purposes is bankrupt". General Vehicle filed for reorganization on October 1, leaving FasTrack in a state of "limbo". In December, Bricklin resigned from General Vehicle, and the company and its subsidiaries was declared bankrupt by federal bankruptcy judge Edward Davis on January 12, 1976, with Bricklin in a reported US$34.6 million in debt. Davis also ruled to let FasTrack International Raceway to continue hosting races to pay off creditors.

Fletcher and Wood years

By early May 1976, numerous offers to purchase the facility were made, including an offer from an unspecified buyer for $200,000 and another $375,000 offer from a group led by Bill Moore. However, all were either withdrawn by prospective buyers or rejected by the court. After rejecting another offer of $280,000, Davis gave control of the facility to lienholders Nancy Hogue and First Pennsylvania Bank, leaving an uncertain future for the facility despite a potential offer from J. C. Agajanian. However, on August 18, the ''Republic'' reported that a group led by Bob Fletcher, Tom Taber, and Bill Hardy bought the facility at an undisclosed price; it was later revealed to be "in the neighborhood of $400,000" according to Taber. With the purchase, the track's name was reverted to "Phoenix International Raceway", with the group promising renovations to existing grandstands, garages, and media centers alongside a wider variety of events. In 1977, the track's surface was repaved and completed by October of that year. The following year, the facility oversaw its sixth fatality, with driver Otis D. Hurley dying in a sports car crash during a practice session on the facility's road course.

In 1980, under threats from the track's owners to permanently shut down PIR due to owner disputes, PIR general manager Dennis Wood and contractor Bill Krug signed a three-year lease to run the facility. In a 1998 interview, Wood admitted he had little income at the time and had only obtained the lease because "my only thought at the time was we can't shut PIR down". A year later, Wood alongside California businessman Warner W. Hodgdon bought the facility from Fletcher within the "seven-figure" price range. Hodgdon's ownership was short-lived; in January 1983, Wood bought Hodgdon's 75% share of ownership, stating that the two had "philosophical differences" over how to run the facility. Wood later added Fletcher back as a partner for $1 as a sign of gratitude for Fletcher's "friendship and kindness toward me over the years". In 1985, after an IndyCar race was cancelled due to concerns of a deteriorating track surface with a new IndyCar model, track officials approved a repave of the oval track. That same year, James Haynes died during the Copper World Classic, becoming the seventh fatality at the facility.

Buddy Jobe era, mass expansion

On August 23, 1985, Wood stated to the ''Republic'' that an agreement was reached with an unspecified buyer to purchase PIR. Two days later, the buyers were revealed to be farmer Emmett "Buddy" Jobe and accounting firm owner Patrick Johnson, with ownership officially transferring to the duo in September. With the purchase, the duo promised an increase in permanent seating capacity from 10,400 to "between 20,000 and 25,000" alongside starting negotiations to obtain a NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race. In February 1986, Jobe bought out Johnson's share of ownership, becoming the sole owner of the facility. Within the months of April to September 1986, $400,000 worth of renovations were made, including the addition of a pedestrian bridge over the third and fourth turns connecting the infield to outside viewing areas and additional concrete barriers. In 1987, two separate fires less than a month apart affected the facility's grandstands. The first occurred on April 26 due to a lightning strike, burning around 40% of the frontstretch grandstands. While plans were initiated to both repair and expand seating capacity, in June, another fire affected the frontstretch grandstands; this time due to a blowtorch construction accident. In response, Jobe announced the construction of an enlarged grandstand made out of steel and aluminum with a capacity of 10,000. On November 30, NASCAR spokesman Les Richter announced that PIR was awarded a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend for the following year. To accommodate NASCAR, a $5 million renovation project was implemented, building a new VIP hospitality building, renovating the garage area, extending pit road by , and expanding permanent seating capacity to 30,000 in time for the 1988 Checker 500. The first Cup Series race at the facility ran as scheduled on November 6, with Alan Kulwicki winning the event. The following year, another $2 million was spent on expansion, constructing a four-story VIP suite building on the track's first turn, the expansion of permanent seating capacity to "about 42,000", renovations to the facility's scoring tower and media center, and other upgrades related to beautification. In 1990, plans were drafted to add a 5,000-seat grandstand alongside the construction of a new infield road course, with the latter being completed two years later. The facility underwent a $800,000 refurbishment in 1991, adding 700 luxury seats and increased infield parking. That same year, PIR experienced its eighth fatality when USAC Silver Crown Series driver Danny Milburn crashed during a Silver Crown race. In 1993, PIR ran its first night race, installing temporary lights to run a IMSA GT Championship race. By 1995, seating capacity increased to "nearly 60,000", with Jobe stating that he had invested over $10 million (adjusted for inflation, $) into the facility. In 1997, Arizona Governor Fife Symington approved state funding for a five-lane bridge to be built over the Gila River that addressed long-lasting traffic concerns.

ISC purchase

The first rumors of a potential sale of PIR came in November 1996, with the Bruton Smith-owned Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) being named as potential buyers; according to the ''Republic''. Both Jobe and SMI spokesman Humpy Wheeler denied the rumor, with Jobe stating he was getting "a little irritated" at the rumor. Jobe reaffirmed his position in another ''Republic'' interview on March 22, 1997, stating, "How much stronger can I make this? I'm not selling." However, on July 14, the ''Republic'' reported that PIR was "likely" purchased by the Florida-based International Speedway Corporation (ISC). The purchase was confirmed in a press conference that same day, with ISC paying $46 million for the facility; Jobe remained as the president of PIR. In 1998, a new 5,000-seat grandstand in the track's second turn named in honor of Bobby Allison was announced to increase seating capacity to "more than 72,000". Three years later, a new scoring pylon was built to replace the tower built in 1988. In 2002, Jobe retired as president of PIR, with Watkins Glen International president Bryan Sperber replacing Jobe as president of PIR. The following year, the track's dogleg was also reconfigured, with the dogleg being made wider for both increased safety and passing opportunities. The turn two wall was also extended to fully enclose the track. The project started in May and was completed in October for testing. In December, PIR began installing SAFER barriers around the oval track's perimeter; the installation was complete by January 2004.

PIR officials began lobbying for a second NASCAR Cup Series race weekend in February 2003. Despite Sperber stating the track was not seeking to install permanent lighting in January 2003, PIR officials initiated negotiations with Arizona politicians to use tax revenue to construct lights and other road renovations in further efforts to allure a second Cup Series weekend. After failing to receive it for 2004, a second Cup Series weekend for 2005 was officially awarded on May 14 after Arizona government officials approved an allocation of $5 million in state funding to renovate roads near PIR. A $5 million permanent lighting system to host night racing was installed soon after, being completed in March 2005. In 2006, new amenities were constructed, including an extension of the Allison Grandstand to 14,000 seats and a new luxury lounge. In 2010, seating capacity was reduced to 55,000 when seats were widened to .

2011 reconfiguration and 2018 renovations

On November 19, 2010, ISC officials announced a $100 million long-term project aimed at PIR's "development". Approximately four months later, PIR track officials announced a repave and reconfiguration of the oval track; among said changes stated were the widening of the frontstretch by to , the track's pit road being pushed back, and the dogleg being "pushed out" by . Additionally, the apron underneath the dogleg, which at the time was covered in grass, was paved over, subsequently leading to drivers often cutting the dogleg apron. A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony featuring driver Jeff Gordon breaking the old pavement apart with an excavator was held on February 27, and construction began by April. The repave was completed by October of that year for testing, and it received positive reactions from numerous drivers, including Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. Despite changes, both attendance and seating capacity continued to decline; by 2014, capacity decreased further to 50,000 according to the ''Republic''.

On November 17, 2016, ''NBC Sports'' reported that PIR officials submitted a renovation project for ISC officials to approve. 13 days later, the ISC board of directors approved the $178 million project. Within the project, plans were made to demolish the frontstretch grandstands, extend the Allison Grandstand, redesign the track's infield, shift the start-finish line to after turn two and before the dogleg, add additional suites, and implement other modernization improvements. In September 2017, Ingenuity Sun Media (ISM) bought the naming rights for PIR starting in 2018, with the track being renamed to "ISM Raceway". On August 20, 2018, Sperber announced his retirement as president of the facility, with ISC Design & Development director of business operations Julie Giese being named as Sperber's replacement. The renovation project was completed in time for the 2018 Can-Am 500. In 2019, seating capacity decreased to 42,000 according to ISC archive records. That same year, ownership of the facility was transferred to the sanctioning body of NASCAR when ISC was bought out by NASCAR. The following year, ISM and the speedway ended their naming rights relationship despite a 10-year deal, with the track renaming itself to "Phoenix Raceway". In November 2022, Giese stepped down as president of Phoenix Raceway to run operations for the Chicago Street Course, with Bell Bank executive Latasha Causey taking over the position.

Events

Racing events

NASCAR

The track hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends: the spring Shriners Children's 500 and the fall NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. The facility also features support events from the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, including the GOVX 200, the Xfinity Series Championship Race, and the Truck Series Championship Race. In 2020, the fall events were moved from being the penultimate race of the season to the final race, replacing Homestead–Miami Speedway as the championship venue for all three NASCAR national series. However, after six years, the championship race is scheduled to Homestead–Miami Speedway in 2026.

Open-wheel racing

Phoenix Raceway has held numerous open-wheel racing events under various sanctioning bodies: primarily under the United States Auto Club (USAC), Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and IndyCar. Until the mid-1980s, the facility held two annual open-wheel races a year: the Jimmy Bryan Memorial and the Bobby Ball Memorial. Both iterations were inaugurated in 1964, and were held annually by USAC until 1979, when both events were taken by CART. The Bobby Ball Memorial ran until 1986, when it was dropped from the 1987 CART season.

After 1986, the Jimmy Bryan Memorial was held and organized by CART until 1996, when control of the event was turned over to the Indy Racing League (IRL) in the midst of the CART–IRL split. The race remained on the schedule until 2005, when it was dropped for the 2006 season. Open-wheel racing did not come back to Phoenix Raceway until 2016, when IndyCar, formerly the IRL, returned. However, the event was dropped after 2018; according to IndyCar, the reason was due to poor attendance "despite considerable investment from both sides".

Other racing events

*From 1977 until 2009, Phoenix Raceway hosted the annual Copper World Classic, a multi-division race weekend.
*From 1992 to 1995, Phoenix Raceway hosted an annual IMSA GT Championship race.

Non-racing events

Phoenix Raceway has held various EDM music festivals since the 2020s, including the Goldrush Music Festival, Decadence Arizona, and PHXLIGHTS.

Lap records

As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Phoenix Raceway are listed as:

Notes

References

External links

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Avondale, Arizona
Champ Car circuits
IMSA GT Championship circuits
IndyCar Series tracks
Motorsport venues in Arizona
NASCAR races at Phoenix Raceway
NASCAR tracks
ARCA Menards Series tracks
Sports in Maricopa County, Arizona
Sports venues in Maricopa County, Arizona
1964 establishments in Arizona
Sports venues completed in 1964