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 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 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).

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).

Let The Chase Begin!

The Chase is on! And, I am thirlled!

Kyle Busch is out, as Brian Vickers bumped out the 4-time 09′ race winner with some amazing driving down the stretch. Jeff Gordon is positioned as a solid contender for his 5th crown. Therefore, the only thing that would have made the race at Richmond International Raceway any better would have been if Juan Pablo Montoya had crashed and missed the chase along with KyBusch.

Now, Twenty-six races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, it comes down to 12 drivers with a chance to win the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Local native Denny Hamlin from Chesapeake finally won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at his home track after coming “oh, so close” so many times before. He also did it in convincing style, battling door-to-door with Jeff Gordon along the way. It was Hamlin’s second win of the season in his FedEx Toyota. He won earlier this year at Pocono.

Hamlin is one of the 12 Chase participants but his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch didn’t make it. Hamlin had locked in a spot before the race but Kyle needed to finish well ahead of Brian Vickers to make it. Kyle finished fifth but Vickers was seventh and wound up grabbing the 12th spot by eight points over Busch.

Kurt Busch finished second and made the Chase. Jeff Gordon was third and in The Chase.

Everybody’s favorite, Mark Martin, was fourth and secured a Chase spot and there wasn’t a happier man in Virginia on Saturday night when this race ended.

Kyle finished fifth and Clint Bowyer was sixth. Vickers was seventh and former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish finished eighth. Kevin Harvick was ninth and Ryan Newman 10th, which earned him a slot in the Chase, along with his car owner Tony Stewart, who had a rough night and wound up 17th.

Jimmy Johnson finished 11th and he’s in the Chase, along with 12th-place finisher Kasey Kahne and 13th-place finisher Greg Biffle. Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya also made the Chase. It will be Montoya’s first Chase as well as the first for team owner Chip Ganassi.

Former series champion Matt Kenseth finished 25th and failed to qualify for the Chase for the first time.

The first race in the Chase begins Sunday, Sept. 20 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Go 24 Go!