Ground Effects Period

Lore & Background

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.

Reader's Guide

Phoenix Raceway in its current form is measured by NASCAR at 1.000 mi, 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 IndyCar Series remeasured the track length to 1.022 mi after return to the reconfigurated oval track in 2016. 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 road course layout that used both parts of the oval and specialized sections, and a 0.250 mi dragstrip were included. Additionally, since 1992, an 11-turn infield road course measuring 1.510 mi 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.