More Phoenix Raceway News

Kyle Busch Hands Clean Chit to NASCAR’s $1.97 Billion Partner Amid Caution-Filled Phoenix Run

Amidst a tense championship race in Phoenix, drivers were plagued by tire gremlins - yet Kyle Busch shrugged off the difficulty.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA United Rentals Work United 500 Mar 12, 2023; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ky

“F****NG Idiot”: NASCAR Fans Rips Off Denny Hamlin’s Crew Chief After Heartbreaking Phoenix Loss

Fans erupted in anger after Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, whose tire strategy cost Hamlin his long-awaited NASCAR championship.
Screenshot 2025-11-03 071850

Denny Hamlin’s Championship Fallout Raises Fears of a Carl Edwards-Type Exit

Denny Hamlin’s Phoenix heartbreak draws eerie parallels to Carl Edwards’ 2016 finale, sparking talk of a possible early exit from the sport.
Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin

Meet Kyle Larson’s Spotter Tyler Monn and the HMS No. 5 Pit Crew Members

Meet Kyle Larson’s championship-winning team—spotter Tyler Monn and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew, who delivered victory today!
Screenshot 2025-11-03 064600

William Byron Apologizes to Denny Hamlin After Costly Caution Sways Championship Finish

After a raging battle both on and off the track, Denny Hamlin lost the final NASCAR race fight - and one of his rivals is also sad.
Denny Hamlin, William Byron

Denny Hamlin Issues Painful Statement After Pit-Road Gamble Shatters Title Hopes

Denny Hamlin’s championship hopes vanished after a late caution and pit call cost him the title in a heartbreaking Phoenix finale.
NASCAR: Cup Series Playoff Media Day

NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson Admits Bittersweet Feelings After Breaking Denny Hamlin’s Championship Dream

A terrific battle got underway at Phoenix Raceway, with one champion in the end - but it was somebody no fan expected - Kyle Larson.
Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin

How Does NASCAR Powerball Playoff Work and Who Won It? Prize Money, Eligibility and More

2025 NASCAR Powerball Playoff: $1M grand prize, VIP trips, elimination drawings mirroring Cup playoffs; Ohio mechanic wins big
2025-may30-nascar-isc-atlanta

What Was the Issue With Hamlin’s Car and Why Couldn’t the Team Fix It?

Denny Hamlin's race car had a mechanical issue that kept him from going all out during the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA South Point 400-Cup Practice & Qualifying Oct 19, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NASCAR Cup Serie

Chase Briscoe Faces Back-to-Back Championship Blows in Cursed Phoenix Race

Chase Briscoe’s luck ran out at Phoenix as a late flat tire make it difficult amid the championship run. Here’s what went wrong.
Screenshot 2025-11-03 044834

Chase Elliott Sets Things Straight for NASCAR 2026 After Playoff Embarrassment

Chase Elliott reflects on his 2025 NASCAR journey, embracing lessons, resilience, and determination as he eyes redemption ahead.
NASCAR Xfinity: NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Darlington

Alex Bowman to Give Up Racing in Off-Season After NASCAR 2025 Season

Alex Bowman has announced he’ll step away from racing during the 2025 offseason as he shifts his focus to his dirt racing team.
NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

About Phoenix Raceway

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USA Today via Reuters

Phoenix Raceway - Latest News, Winners, Qualifying, Track

Phoenix Raceway is a one-mile, tri-oval race track situated in Avondale, Arizona, close to Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and presently hosts two NASCAR races yearly.

Phoenix Raceway has additionally facilitated the CART, IndyCar Series, USAC, and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The raceway is presently claimed and operated by NASCAR.

The raceway was initially built with a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) street course that ran on both within and the outside of the primary tri-oval. In 1991, the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51-mile (2.43 km) inside design.

Phoenix Raceway, at present, has an expected seating limit of around 51,000. Lights were introduced around the track in 2004 after the expansion of a second yearly NASCAR race.

History

Phoenix Raceway is home to two yearly NASCAR races, one of 13 tracks on the NASCAR timetable to have more than one race a year. It originally joined the NASCAR Cup Series plan for 1988 as a late-season occasion, and in 2005 the track was given a spring date.

The now-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was included in 1995 and the now-NASCAR Xfinity Series started running there in 1999.

NASCAR reported that its final race would be run at Phoenix for 2020, denoting the first run-through since NASCAR inaugurated the weekend that Homestead-Miami Speedway would not be the host track. The track will likewise hold the title for the 2021 NASCAR Cup season.

Phoenix International Raceway was built in 1964 around the Estrella Mountains on the edges of Avondale. Due to the landscape and the fuse of a street course and drag strip, creators needed to assemble a "dogleg" into the backstretch.

The first road course was two miles (3.2 km) long and ran both inside and outside of the fundamental oval track. The slopes nearby the track likewise offer an exceptional vantage highlight. "Landmark Hill," situated close to turns 3 and 4, is a top choice among race fans on account of the novel view and lower ticket costs.

At the highest point of this slope lies a USGS seat marker known as Gila and Salt River Meridian, presently recorded on the National Register of Historic Places. Some time before Phoenix Raceway existed, this spot was the first land study point for all of what later turned into the territory of Arizona.

Phoenix International Raceway was built with the objective of being the western home of open wheel racing. Sports vehicles and USAC started dashing at the track in 1964, and the track immediately turned into a top pick of drivers and before long supplanted the old track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.

In 1977, the main Copper World Classic was held, a marque occasion for USAC dwarf and Silver Crown vehicles.

2021 Race

Martin Truex Jr. got into the lead on a late restart during the Instacart 500 and cruised to his first victory of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The driver took the checkered flag ahead of the field by 1.698 seconds to snap a 29-race winless streak and earn his first Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway.

Quick Facts

Location7602 S Avondale Boulevard Avondale, Arizona 85323 United States
OperatorNASCAR
Major EventsNASCAR Cup Series

Instacart 500 (Spring, 2005–present)

Season Finale 500 (Fall, 1988–present)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Call 811 Before You Dig 200 (Spring, 2005–present)

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 (Fall, 1999–present)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Lucas Oil 150 (1995–present)

Length1.000 mi (1.609 km)
Most WinsKevin Harvick (9)
Most StartsMark Martin (34)
PolesRyan Newman (4)