Phoenix Raceway is currently most famous for its holding of the NASCAR Cup Championship final race of the season since 2020, and its holding of the Ruoff Mortgage 500 towards the beginning of the season. There is plenty we know about this twice visited NASCAR track, but here we will look at some of the lesser known facts as well as those known to all fans.
We are writing a series of track facts articles and will add to the below table as we complete them. Feel free to check out your favourite tracks by clicking the link.
Where is Phoenix Raceway
The Phoenix Raceway is in Avondale Arizona, at 7602 s Avondale Boulevard close to Phoenix. It is about 10 km from Phoenix city center.
What Type of Track is Phoenix Raceway?
Phoenix Raceway mian track is a one mile long Tri-oval dog leg racetrack with medium banking, fast corners, a dog leg and a long and wide straightaway. However there are more tracks on the site that just the tri-oval. (see below)
What Other Tracks Does Phoenix Raceway Have?
Phoenix Raceway has one other track configurations in addition to the Dog Leg oval
Table 1: Phoenix Raceway track configurations, banking and lengths
| Phoenix Track Configuration | Track length | Banking (if relevant) | Turns |
| Phoenix Raceway Dog-Leg Oval | 1 mile (1.6 Km) | Start / Finish 3 degrees Dogleg: 10 degrees Straight: 10 degrees Turns: 8-11 Degrees. | 4 |
| Road Course (till 2011) | 1.51 Miles (2.43 Km | n/a | 13 |
Does Phoenix Raceway Have Lighting for Night Racing?
Lighting was installed to allow night races at the Phoenix raceway in 2004 after a second NASCAR weekend was awarded to the raceway.
How Many Spectators can Attend Phoenix Raceway?
The maximum numbers of spectators Phoenix Raceway can accommodate used to be 51,000. However it now stands at 42,000 seated race fans after being reduced in 2019.
When Was Phoenix Raceway Constructed?
Phoenix Raceway was constructed in 1964 and has seen many ungrades and improvements, as well as name changes since then! It was originally conceived as being the centre of open wheel racing in the western US. NASCAR didn’t race there until 1978, with the Cup series first being held in 1988
What other names has the Phoenix Raceway been called?
Although now know as the Phoenix Raceway that hasn’t always been the case. The Race way has held the current name since 2020. and twice before this from 1964 -1973 and from 1976 to 2017.
however it has also used the names
- FasTrack International Speedway: 1973-1976
- Jeff Gordon Speedway: once in 2015 as a tribute in his last season
- ISM Raceway: 2018 to 2020.
What Races are held at Phoenix Raceway?
There are plenty of racing activities held at Phoenix Raceway throughout the year. However the two top events are the early season race ( currently the Ruoff mortgage 500 in March) and the Cup Series Final race (in November each year). We have these and other events below.
- NASCAR Cup Series: Ruoff Mortgage 500
- NASCAR Cup Series Championship
- NASCAR Xfinity Series Races
- NASCAR Truck Series Races
- ARCA Menards Series
- Segway tours (October to May)
The track has also previous held the following events:
- CART
- IndyCar
- Indy Lite
- Sport Car Championship
- Trans AM Series
- Midget Races
- F2000 Races
When is the NASCAR Championship Finale at Phoenix Raceway?
The final NAScAR race of the season in held at the Phoenix Raceway. In 2022 it is on November the 7th. Although we have no way to know who will be racing for the championship at this stage, as of writing, the event is always well attended and has its fair share of surprises!
How Long is Phoenix Raceway?
we have highlight the different track lengths above, but the Phoenix Raceway Dog leg oval that NASCAR uses and Indy car used is a 1 mile long dog leg oval with 4 turns and from 3 to 11 degrees of banking.
What is the Banking on Phoenix Raceway?
The banking at Phoenix Raceway varies all around the track, which is one of the factors that make it a tricky track for racing drivers. You can check out the website here. 
| Track Area | Banking in degrees |
| Start / Finish | 3 degrees |
| Dog Leg turn | 10-11 degrees |
| Straightaway following the Dog Leg | 10 degrees |
| Turn 2 | 8-9 degrees |
| Back Straight / stretch | 3 degrees |
| Turn 3 and 4 | 10-11 degrees |
What is the Lap Record at Phoenix Raceway?
There are a few lap records, we include the main ones in the table below) as the Phoenix Raceway has been used for a lot of different racing formats. However in NASCAR the qualifying and race records are held by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart respectively.
As an aside, for information later, if this isn’t Kevin Harvick’s favorite track we don’t what is!!!.
| Driver | Series | Time | Notes | Year |
| Helio Castroneves | IndyCar | 37.75 | Qualifying (2 laps) | 2017 |
| Kyle Kaiser | Indy lights | 43.8 | Qualifying 2 Laps | 2016 |
| Jimmie Johnson | NASCAR Cup | 25.14 | Qualifying 1 lap | 2015 |
| Kyle Busch | Xfinity Series | 25.99 | Qualifying 1 Lap | 2015 |
| Erik Jones | Truck Series | 26.17 | Qualifying 1 lap | 2015 |
How Many Phoenix Raceway NASCAR Winners have There Been
Kevin Harvick dominates at this track it seems. He has the following results and records at Phoenix Raceway
| Record at Phoenix Raceway | Driver ( its all the same!) | Number of times |
| Wins | Kevin Harvick | 9 |
| Top 5 finishes | Kevin Harvick | 18 |
| Top 10 Finishes | Kevin Harvick | 26 |
| Top 20 Finishes | Kevin Harvick | 33 |
| Starts | Kevin Harvick | 37 |
| Most Laps Led | Kevin Harvick | 1595 |
Starting to think here at Motor Racing Sports that when they come to rename the Phoenix Raceway next time that we have some ideas on whose name should be top of the list!
Why Doesn’t IndyCar Race at Phoenix Raceway?
For a lot of years IndyCar did race here at Phoenix Raceway. In fact the stadium was built in 1964 with open wheel racing firming in mind.
However since 2019 IndyCar has ceased to use the mile long track at Phoenix, stating that falling attendance made it not viable anymore. However the door is still open and it may return in the future.
How Many Fatalities at Phoenix Raceway?
There have been 4 fatalities at the Phoenix Raceway:
- James Robinson: on February 7th 1988
- David Fisher: January 13 2001
- Bobby Marshman: November 27 1964
- Danny Milburn: February 3, 1991.
While the raceway has seen no NASCAR fatalities, Bobby Marshman on November 27th 1964 Was killed while testing tires in IndyCar at Phoenix Raceway.
What Video Games have featured the Phoenix Raceway?
Having been part of NASCAR for over 35 years Phoenix has appeared in the NASCAR Series of video games, including modern versions. Especially now as the track hosts the final championship race of the season.
Who has the Most Wins at the Phoenix Raceway?
Kevin Harvick has won at the Phoenix Raceway an amazing 9 times, and has 26 top tens in his 37 races so far.
What Other Events are Held at the Phoenix Raceway?
Although famous for the finale of the NASCAR cup series race, it also hold truck series and Xfinity NASCAR races in its schedule throughout the year.
Can you Tour the Phoenix Raceway?
There are tours running all through the year, you can choose a limousine golf cart or a segway. you can find out more information in the link above. The tour takes about 2 hours and you will be able to go around the track, look at the garages, and get a photo in victory lane!
Phoenix Raceway is in Days of Thunder
A lot of the racing scenes you see in this iconic Tom Cruise movie were filmed in the Autoworks 500 NASCAR race at Phoenix.
Can you Camp or bring an RV to the Phoenix Raceway?
It is possible to camp inside the track at Phoenix they also have a wide range of RV parking spots as well. The prices fluctuate wildly depending on the event, demand and location but include evens and even glamping
They also have infield RV spots if you are driving there and want to stay a few days for the experience.
Do you need Seat Cushions At Phoenix Raceway
Spectators have said that after the renovations the seats are actually pretty comfortable, considering there are 42000!! However if you feel the need for some extra padding and you are not in the executive boxes then you can check out the article below for some stadium seat ideas.
Final Lap
Hopefully we have answered some of your questions about on of the few tracks to hold two races in a season, something even Talladega doesn’t get to do! It is a great raceway to watch the season in both its early stages and at its final stage!
References
https://www.phoenixraceway.com/about-phoenix-raceway/
https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/gallery/15-fun-facts-about-phoenix-raceway-031617
