Edwards Wins – Johnson Closes Gap – Harvick Still Alive – Hamlin Reeling – A Thrilling Day at PIR!

It was an incredible day of racing at PIR. Just what you’d expect with two races to go and three drivers gunning for a championship. For all those Chase haters out there – I hope you’re taking notice of just what the system can produce as far as drama is concerned.

Carl Edwards staged a fierce battle with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin for six thrilling laps and won a fuel gamble in the closing stages to win the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday afternoon. Edwards locked up a victory when the fuel mileage held up in his Aflac Ford and Hamlin had to pit for fuel with 14 laps to go.

Edwards giddily dashed into a stunned but overjoyed crowd of grandstand fans as he celebrated the end of a 70-race victory drought. Edwards of course treated the faithful fans to his signature victory back flip on the front stretch.

Ryan Newman finished second and Joey Logano third when second-running Juan Pablo Montoya (ended up 16th) ran out of fuel on the last lap.

PIR to Accommodate NASCAR Fans With New Carry-In Policy!

Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber today announced NASCAR fans can look forward to a new carry-in policy beginning with the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 Weekend Nov. 11-14.  The new policy is part of PIR’s ongoing effort to enhance the race day experience for fans by allowing food and non-alcoholic beverages to be brought into the race.

Providing a safe and secure environment while maintaining of level of convenience fans have grown have accustomed to is a top priority of Phoenix International Raceway. Fans carrying items onto the property should plan for extra time to allow for a thorough and complete search by security personnel prior to entering the ticket gates. Express lanes will be available for fans that are not carrying items requiring search.  In addition, there will be sufficient personnel on hand to ensure guests can proceed through the gate quickly and to their seats in a reasonable amount of time.

PIR Gives Fans Access to NASCAR Stars as Part of Entertainment Offering!

Phoenix-area resident Danica Patrick – set to make her Phoenix International Raceway NASCAR debut during the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend – will participate in a fan Q&A at PIR’s Budweiser ROLL-BAR stage on Nov. 12. The event will be open to all ticketed race fans, with a special front-stage section reserved for PIR season-ticket holders.

Other drivers scheduled to interact directly with NASCAR fans at PIR include:

·         Rusty Wallace, the 1989 Sprint Cup champion, and his son, Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace
·         Kevin Harvick, one of three favorites currently competing for the 2010 Sprint Cup
·         Clint Bowyer, winner of two Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR playoff races in 2010
·         Ryan Newman, winner of April’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ at PIR
·         Kasey Kahne and Robby Gordon, two Sprint Cup fan favorites from the West Coast
·         Ricky Carmichael, the former motocross champion turned NASCAR driver (all driver appearance details listed in schedule below)

PIR also offers a host of live music for fans, headlined by the Restrictor Plates – an Atlanta-based Southern Rock experience led by touring slide-guitar ace Benji Shanks. The Restrictor plates will bring race fans a set list of classic Southern Rock from the Budweiser ROLL-BAR stage at 11 a.m. on Sunday Nov. 14, just before Kobalt Tools 500 pre-race ceremonies commence. The weekend kicks off Thursday, Nov. 11 in the SPEED Cantina with PIR fan favorite Harry Luge, Jr. The singer/songwriter and regular on the “Country Thunder” Festival circuit, mixes Southern Rock and Country to create what he calls Arizona’s “own” country music. The Queen Creek native takes the stage from 9 to 11 p.m. at SPEED Cantina both Thursday and Friday nights. Local favorites the Crown Kings, Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Freebird and popular NASCAR writer/country crooner Monte Dutton are all also scheduled to perform at various venues throughout the race weekend.

The weekend’s full schedule of entertainment is listed below. Please note that events scheduled within the Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club or the Trackside Club requires patrons to purchase a ticket to those areas.

Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club are available for advance purchase at $89 for Nov. 13 and $139 for Nov. 14. Additional purchase of a grandstand ticket is still required for track admission. Tickets for a full weekend package in Trackside Club are $699. A three-day package for Octane is $2,400 per person and includes unlimited food/beverage and many other plush accommodations. Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR, Octane, and Trackside Club are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE FOR KOBALT TOOLS 500

Friday, November 12, 2010

Noon – West Series Open House begins outside Turn 2
2:30pm – Q&A’s begin – West Series Open House
3:00pm – Driver autograph session – West Series Open House
3:00pm – NASCAR Smarts, SPEED Display on Fan Midway
3:00pm – Danica Patrick Q&A, Budweiser ROLL-BAR Stage
4:00pm – SPEED Talent Autograph Session, SPEED Display on Fan Midway
5:30pm – Trackside LIVE, SPEED Display on Fan Midway
Checkered Flag – Freebird, The Ultimate Lynyrd Skynyrd Experience, Budweiser ROLL-BAR Stage (Fireworks at Checkered Flag)
9:00pm – Rhythm Night at SPEED Cantina featuring Harry Luge, Jr.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

11:00am – Rusty & Steve Wallace Q&A, Trackside Club
11:30am – Ricky Carmichael Q&A, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club
Noon – Ricky Carmichael Q&A, Octane
Noon – Chad Freeman & Redline, Budweiser ROLL-BAR Stage
5:00pm – NASCAR Live, SPEED Display on Fan Midway
9:00pm to 11:00pm – 3 Amigos Tequila Night at SPEED Cantina featuring the Crown Kings
TBD Time – Colin Braun Q&A, Ford Racing Display on Fan Midway
TBD Time – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford Racing Display on Fan Midway
TBD Time – Miss Sprint Cup, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club

Sunday, November 14, 2010

9:00am – #31 Pit Crew Autograph Session, Chevy Display on Fan Midway
9:30am – Robby Gordon Q&A, Octane
9:30am – Kevin Harvick Q&A, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club
9:30am – Ryan Newman Q&A, Trackside Club
9:45am – AJ Allmendinger Q&A, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club
9:50am to 10:05am – Ryan Newman Q&A, Chevy Display on Fan Midway
10:00am – Kasey Kahne Q&A, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club
10:00am – NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED Display on Fan Midway
11:00am to Noon – The Restrictor Plates, Budweiser ROLL-BAR Stage
TBD Time – Clint Bowyer Q&A, Inside Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club
TBD Time – Greg Biffle Q&A, Ford Racing Display on Fan Midway
TBD Time – AJ Allmendinger Q&A, Ford Racing Display on Fan Midway
TBD Time – Miss Sprint Cup, Trackside Club

For fan schedule updates, please visit http://PhoenixRaceway.com. Schedule subject to change.

PIR Announces Traffic Patterns for Kobalt Tools 500 – Fans Encouraged to Plan Ahead!

Track officials with Phoenix International Raceway are making preparations to ensure a safe and efficient travel route for the thousands of race fans who will arrive for the November NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend on Nov. 12-14. Phoenix International Raceway will host four races in three days with a doubleheader on Saturday and NASCAR’s semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday at 1 p.m.

A multi-agency collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Transportation, Maricopa County’s Department of Transportation and Sheriff’s Office, and the cities of Avondale and Goodyear will ease travel for fans as they travel through numerous communities and jurisdictions on their way to and from the raceway.

During the this month’s event weekend at PIR, “Road Safe” deploys more than 4,000 traffic cones, 600 barricades, approximately 75 people, and numerous special signs and vehicles to help ensure safe travel for the nearly 100,000 fans heading to the Kobalt Tools 500. (Note: A complete listing of equipment is available upon request to the Phoenix International Raceway Communications Department.)

Track officials encourage race fans to plan ahead for the 1 p.m. start time of Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race – the busiest event of the weekend. The race will conclude at approximately 5 p.m. with the heaviest outbound flow for the Nov. 14 race expected to take place from 5 to 7 p.m. During this period, motorists traveling on I-10 will experience intermittent closing of Exit 131 (Avondale Boulevard) to allow for the successful egress of race traffic.

Phoenix International Raceway encourages motorists – passengers, not drivers – to call 511 and press *7 when prompted for traffic updates. Additionally, fans can check for traffic updates on Twitter at Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

Park ‘N Ride Encouraged!

After much success in recent years, the Park ‘N Ride program returns to Cricket Pavilion, located just two blocks north of I-10 on 83rd Avenue (Exit 135). All NASCAR fans heading to PIR are welcome to enter at the 83rd Avenue entrance and park on Pavilion grounds, and board a shuttle from First Student Charter of Phoenix will be provided to the Gate 7 area at the track. Cost for parking and shuttle services to PIR will remain at $7 per car.

“Park ‘N Ride” services will be available for 12 hours – from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. – on Sunday, giving all NASCAR fans an alternate transportation option, before and after the race. The first shuttle will depart at 7:30 a.m. The raceway opens to the public at 8 a.m.

Guests with PIR-issued parking passes can park and ride at no charge. Shuttle buses will escort guests to PIR via preferential traffic routes, offering guests an earlier arrival to the facility.

Guests with PIR-issued parking passes can “Park N Ride” at no charge. Shuttle buses will escort guests to PIR via preferential traffic routes, offering guests an easy arrival to the track.

Parking Pass Determines Exit…

Fans driving their own vehicles to the track should remember that their parking pass – or lack thereof – determines the exits they should take from I-10 to the race. Fans without passes and planning to use the free general parking lots must exit the roadway at either Litchfield Road (Exit 128) or Estrella Parkway (Exit 126) and travel south following directions.

Fans with special passes and permits – and only those fans – should exit at Avondale Boulevard (Exit 131). Motorists who take the wrong routes may face major delays as they approach the track. At all times, motorists should follow the directions of officers and deputies.

Directions for General Parking Admission – Eastbound:

Take Exit 126 – Estrella Parkway. Drive south approximately five miles to Vineyard Road. Follow the signs and directions from officers and deputies while traveling east about three miles to the entrance to the parking lot.

Directions for General Parking Admission – Westbound:

Take Exit 128 – Litchfield Road or Exit 126 – Estrella Parkway. Drive south approximately five miles to Vineyard Road. Follow the signs and directions from officers and deputies as, depending on traffic flow, traffic may be diverted for a short time onto MC 85 or Broadway Road. When traffic reaches Vineyard, motorists will travel east for about two miles to the entrance to the parking lot.

Directions for Parking Pass Admission – Eastbound and Westbound:

Take Exit 131 – Avondale Boulevard. Drive south approximately six miles to the entrance to the parking lot. Fans taking this exit without a parking permit will be re-routed several miles to the proper roadway.

Directions for Local Traffic – MC 85 (Buckeye Road):

Local fans who travel on MC 85 (Buckeye Road) should exit on Litchfield Road or Bullard Avenue. Fans with special passes and permits – and only those fans – may use Avondale Boulevard.

Tickets for the November 14 Kobalt Tools 500™ – with prices as low as $25 – and all other events throughout the final NASCAR event weekend of 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway are still available at www.phoenixraceway.com or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

PIR to Help NASCAR Fans Celebrate Veterans Day During Kobalt Tools 500!

To help NASCAR fans celebrate Veteran’s Day, Phoenix International Raceway will pay tribute to the generations of men and women who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pre-race show beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 14.

The patriotic festivities will include a special unveiling of the No. 39 Chevy’s new paint scheme by The U.S. Army and Stewart-Haas Racing. Ryan Newman – winner of the last Sprint Cup Series event at PIR in April – teamed up with Phoenix International Raceway to create a special military ticketing program designed to honor Veteran’s Day and provide tickets for military families. The program – titled “Troop Newman” – is part of PIR’s Salute to Military Families initiative.

The Kobalt Tools 500 pre-race show will feature more than 60,000 American Flags waving in the Grandstands donated by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

The spectacular pre-race show will also include:

·         A “Welcome Home” ceremony for 150 guardsmen from the Arizona National Guard
·         Recognition of Arizona selections for the U.S. Army All American Bowl
·         A performance by The U.S. Army Band
·         An aerial entrance to the track by skydivers carrying the American Flag
·         Display of a 200-foot American Flag by Arizona Project ChalleNGe
·         National anthem by acclaimed trumpeter Dr. Jesse McGuire
·         F-16 fly-over by Luke Air Force Base
·         Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard

The Kobalt Tools 500, NASCAR’s semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, starts at 1 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Tickets to the exciting Nov. 11-14 Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR event weekend are also still available with prices starting at just $25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.phoenixraceway.com/tickets or call 866-408-RACE (7223).