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Phoenix Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1.000 mi (1.609 km) 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 a 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, 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.
Phoenix Raceway in its current form is measured at 1.000 mi (1.609 km), 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 frontstretch kink, commonly referred to as a "dogleg" that was added to accommodate the track's original road course, which 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 2.700 mi (4.345 km) road course layout that used both parts of the oval and specialized sections, and a 0.250 mi (0.402 km) dragstrip were included. Additionally, since 1992, an 11-turn infield road course measuring 1.510 mi (2.430 km) was included in the facility's layouts.
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.
On July 10, 1963, The Arizona Republic's Frank Gianelli reported that a group formed by businessman Richard Hogue acquired a 320-acre (130 ha) plot of land originally used to grow cotton in the Estrella Mountains. With the purchase, the group made plans to build a US$500,000 (about $5,135,326 today) motorsports complex, including a 1-mile (1.6 km) oval, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) 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 in 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 (about $10,138,412 today) to build.
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, $5) 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 155-mile (249 km) event.
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Phoenix Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1.000 mi (1.609 km) 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 a 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, 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.
Phoenix Raceway in its current form is measured at 1.000 mi (1.609 km), 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 frontstretch kink, commonly referred to as a "dogleg" that was added to accommodate the track's original road course, which 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 2.700 mi (4.345 km) road course layout that used both parts of the oval and specialized sections, and a 0.250 mi (0.402 km) dragstrip were included. Additionally, since 1992, an 11-turn infield road course measuring 1.510 mi (2.430 km) was included in the facility's layouts.
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.
On July 10, 1963, The Arizona Republic's Frank Gianelli reported that a group formed by businessman Richard Hogue acquired a 320-acre (130 ha) plot of land originally used to grow cotton in the Estrella Mountains. With the purchase, the group made plans to build a US$500,000 (about $5,135,326 today) motorsports complex, including a 1-mile (1.6 km) oval, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) 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 in 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 (about $10,138,412 today) to build.
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, $5) 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 155-mile (249 km) event.