In 1964, when Phoenix International Raceway was carved out of the foothills of the Estrella Mountains, it was intended to be a new jewel in the crown of American open wheel racing.
Drivers like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones and the Unsers soon came to love the one-mile paved oval with the unique bend in the backstretch. And they really loved coming to Phoenix, where the tourism industry was just starting to grow and its western-style hospitality was second to none.
But it wasn’t until 1988, when NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing came to PIR, that auto racing in Phoenix really became a major sporting attraction for the “Valley of the Sun.” New racing legends and legends-in-the-making like Davey Allison, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and the rest of the Cup stars found out firsthand what their champ-car brethren had known for years: Phoenix International Raceway is truly a great place to race, both for the drivers and especially the fans.
Today, Phoenix International Raceway has a tradition that is unmatched in the world of racing. The Indycars have made 58 visits to PIR, and the annual Fall NASCAR weekend – including Cup, Busch, Craftsman Trucks and Featherlite Southwest Series races - is one of the biggest events in the entire state.
(Courtesy of NASCAR)
Carl Edwards broke through at Texas last week for his third win of the season, but I like the Richard Children Racing team this week, specifically Kevin Harvick, a two-time winner in Phoenix in 2006. Jeff Gordon will also run near the top, and Juan Montoya and David Ragan should have good runs as well. I see Travis Kvapil with a surprise top-15, too. -MR