Some Tidbits on Phoenix International Raceway

Did you know this about Phoenix International Raceway:

• Construction on Phoenix International Raceway finished up in January 1964.
• Alan Kulwicki won the the first NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix race on Nov. 6, 1988.
• The NASCAR Truck Series debuted at Phoenix on Feb. 5, 1995.
• Mike Skinner was the first Truck Series winner at Phoenix.
• The first NASCAR "Nationwide" Series race at Phoenix was on Nov. 11, 1999.
• The first spring race at PIR was held on April 23, 2005 and was a night race. Kurt Busch won.

Driver Tidbits from PIR

• Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988.
• There have been 14 different pole winners.
• Ryan Newman has the most poles at PIR with four.
• There have been 19 different race winners at Phoenix.
• Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004), Kevin Harvick (both 2006) and Jimmie Johnson (2007 and 2008) are the only drivers to score two victories at Phoenix. All were back-to-back victories.
• The race has been won from the pole just once at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007).
• The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in only 11 of 24 races.
• Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
• There has been one green-white-checkered race at Phoenix: November 2004 (315 laps).
• Mark Martin has posted nine top-five finishes at Phoenix, more than any other driver.

Phoenix International Raceway Track Stats

• Race # 35 of 36 (11-9-08)
• Track Size: 1 mile
• Banking/1 and 2: 11 degrees
• Banking/3 and 4: 9 degrees
• Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
• Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
• Frontstretch: 1,179 feet
• Backstretch: 1,551 feet

Qualifying/Race Data

• 2007 pole winner: Carl Edwards (132.773 mph, 27.114 seconds)
• 2007 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, 102.989 mph, 4-21-07)
• Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (135.854 mph, 26.499 seconds, 11-5-04)
• Track race record: Tony Stewart (118.132 mph, 11-7-99)

Pit Window:

Should be approximately every 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage.
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