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.

Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne to Visit with Race Fans at PIR on November 12th!

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 section reserved for PIR season-ticket holders.

While Patrick – driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – has raced Indy Cars at PIR, November will mark her stock car debut in the Valley of the Sun.

“I look forward to going back to Phoenix – it’s a place I thought was cool in an Indy Car,” she said. “It will be nice to sleep in my own bed. I’m excited for that. I think Phoenix is a great track. I think it’s challenging, and I’m sure it will be even more challenging in a stock car with less grip.”

Ryan Newman, winner of April’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ at PIR, and popular Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne will appear inside the Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club on Sunday, Nov. 14 as part of Q&A sessions available exclusively to ticket-holders for ROLL-BAR. Newman will appear at 9:30 a.m. and Kahne will appear at 10 a.m.  Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR 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.

On Saturday, Nov. 13, former motocross champion Ricky Carmichael – who will compete in PIR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events this November – will appear in ROLL-BAR and PIR’s Octane Lounge at times to be announced. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and son Steve – a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver – are also slated to make a fan hospitality appearance that Saturday in PIR’s Trackside Club, time tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m.

More driver appearances for the Nov. 11-14 Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at PIR will be announced soon. This will include additional appearances at ROLL-BAR, as well as appearances in PIR’s Trackside Club and Octane Lounge. All appearances are subject to change.

Budweiser ROLL-BAR is PIR’s newest hospitality offering – located just behind the Bobby Allison Grandstands on the west side of the track. It features the best in live entertainment, all-inclusive food and drink tickets throughout the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR weekend and a custom beer garden area to showcase the No. 9 Budweiser car.

Located just 50 feet away from the track and overlooking PIR’s backstretch, Trackside Club delivers unmatched views of the racing action, and a breathtaking look at the scenery of the surrounding desert from the outdoor terrace. Catered meals, pre-race pit passes, VIP parking, and commemorative race tickets are just the start of the experience at Trackside Club.  Tickets for a full weekend package are $699.

Octane offers a full-service concierge and high-end dining items that include hand-carved meats, fresh pastas and a sushi bar. The three-day package is $2,400 per person for the November NASCAR weekend and includes unlimited food and beverage, wine tasting, and many other plush accommodations.

More driver appearances will be announced next week and updated information will be posted on PhoenixRaceway.com.

Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR, Octane, and Trackside Club are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

“Night of Champions” Charity Event to Feature Larry Fitzgerald and Rusty Wallace at PIR!

Larry Fitzgerald – All-Pro Arizona Cardinals wide receiver and a spokesperson for EAS® sports nutrition products – will join 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and current NASCAR on ESPN analyst Rusty Wallace at Phoenix International Raceway’s luxury lounge, Octane, for a unique charity event on Thursday, April 8.

Taking place in conjunction with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 100 – a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race – Phoenix International Raceway’s “Night of Champions” will raise funds and awareness for the Arizona State University College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation. The event will take place from 6-10 p.m., running throughout the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 100, and will also include a wine tasting created by NASCAR team owner and owner/founder of Adobe Road Winery, Kevin Buckler.

Tickets for Phoenix International Raceway’s “Night of Champions” are currently available for $300 per person, and guests will enjoy fine food and drink, an exclusive silent and live auction, and the opportunity to interact with the popular and entertaining sports personalities, all while contributing to the advancement of nursing and healthcare research at one of Arizona’s leading educational institutions.

Presenting sponsorships for the event are also available. Sponsorship packages include inclusion on all event materials and an array of exclusive experiences throughout the NASCAR event weekend at PIR.

Those interested in attending the “Night of Champions” are encouraged to contact Stacy Kutz at (623) 463-5632 or skutz@phoenixinternationalraceway.com. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities may contact Jonathan Stone at (623) 463-5672 or jstone@phoenixinternationalraceway.com.

Tickets for the April 10 SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ – with prices as low as $25 – and all other events throughout the first NASCAR event weekend of 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway are still available at www.phoenixraceway.com or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

Governor Jan Brewer Proclaims Phoenix International Raceway As “Zoomtown U.S.A.”

Detroit has long been known and referred to by many as Hockeytown U.S.A. Green Bay has been catagorized by most as Footballtown U.S.A., and St. Louis is the unofficial Baseballtown U.S.A. Well, guess what Phoenix? We have decided to join in on the self proclamation of being a marquee sports destination.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has officially declared Phoenix International Raceway as “Zoomtown U.S.A.” for the NASCAR event weekend of April 16-18.

The NASCAR event weekend at “Zoomtown U.S.A.” will be highlighted by the first official night race of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season, the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ on Saturday, April 18.

In an official proclamation dated April 3, 2009 from the Office of the Governor, Brewer made mention of the rich tradition of NASCAR racing within the Valley of the Sun and the State of Arizona, celebrated NASCAR and Phoenix International Raceway’s impact on Arizona’s economy, and gave an advance welcome to several hundred thousand guests and millions of television viewers who will witness the thrilling NASCAR action at “Zoomtown U.S.A.” this month.

The proclamation is as follows:

WHEREAS, Phoenix International Raceway will celebrate its 22nd season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing at its historic facility, dating back to 1988; and

WHEREAS, with its two annual NASCAR weekends, Phoenix International Raceway has created a motorsports and entertainment haven for residents of Arizona and the Southwestern United States; and

WHEREAS, Phoenix International Raceway is one of just 14 tracks to host two weekends annually of the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and its 36-race schedule; and

WHEREAS, with its two NASCAR weekends, Phoenix International Raceway generates a significant economic impact for Arizona annually; and

WHEREAS, more than 200,000 guests will attend the NASCAR event weekend and millions of television viewers will be tuned in from across the country to take in views of Arizona’s sun-splashed landscape and dramatic racing action from Phoenix International Raceway;

WHEREAS, legends of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jimmie Johnson, have visited Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway; and

WHEREAS, Phoenix International Raceway will deliver a fantastic display of speed and sport by hosting its fifth installment of racing under the lights with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on Saturday, April 18, 2009;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Janice Brewer, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim Phoenix International Raceway as “ZOOMTOWN U.S.A.”

With any self given title, like a nickname you bestow on yourself, it remains to be seen whether or not it will stick. The importance of repetition, fit, and how catchy the name is determines its longevity. Zoomtown U.S.A. is pretty catchy and fun to say. Now it is up to the fans to spread it around.

Thank you to Paul Corliss, Phoenix Internation Raceway, for providing a portion of this content.