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.

SPEED Into Father’s Day at Sonoma!

Hey Phoenix NASCAR fans, have you ever seen a road course race live? There is just something about it that makes it fun. For starters, drivers actually have to turn their wheels to the right and not just to the left. Additionally, the racing seems more challenging and has also made for some spectacular finishes in recent years.

Now, I am a huge PIR fan – love the track, love the environment, love the racing! But, there is also a part of me that just loves watching road course racing. On June 21st, I have the amazing opportunity to head to Sonoma, CA to watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, and you could too! The track and surroundings are gorgeous, and who wouldn’t want to travel to such an amazing place in northern California? (Yes, that was a rhetorical question.)

If you are able to make it up to Infineon to watch one of the two road course races of the year (the other taking place at Watkins Glen International, in New York), you will also have a chance to enter into a great promotion sponsored by SPEED.

Here are the details:

One lucky fan will “SPEED into Father’s Day” at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, June 21.

Infineon Raceway and SPEED have partnered on a promotion that will give one lucky fan the thrill of a lifetime on race day, June 21, which is also Father’s Day.

All race fans have to do is visit the SPEED Stage any time over the weekend, beginning on Friday, June 19, and sign-up to be a SPEED Fanatic. They will then be entered to win the Ultimate Father’s Day package, which includes:

•    A seat in the pit box of one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
•    Pre-Race Pit & Track Access.
•    Official introduction during pre-race ceremonies.
•    VIP behind-the-scenes access at the SPEED Stage.

Sign-ups will close at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, and the winner will be chosen at 9:30 a.m. (both times PST) on the SPEED Stage. There is no purchase necessary to enter (must be 18 years old) and the  winner must be present to claim their prize. The SPEED Stage is located behind the main grandstand in the paddock area.

Toyota/Save Mart 350 Information:

Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
WHAT: Big O Tires Racing Season Presents: Toyota/Save Mart 350
WHEN: June 19-21 (Father’s Day weekend)
2008 POLE WINNER: Kasey Kahne
2008 WINNER: Kyle Busch
NOTABLE: The weekend will also feature competition in the Bennett Lane Winery 200, presented by Supercuts, NASCAR Camping World Series West event on Saturday.
START TIMES (Pacific):
Friday, June 19: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pole Day, 3:35 p.m.
Saturday, June 20: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, 10:50 a.m.; Bennett Lane Winery 200, presented by Supercuts, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day): Toyota/Save Mart 350, 2 p.m.
TICKETS: $25-$130 single day/$99-$180 weekend; parking is FREE
INFORMATION:  800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com

2009 NASCAR Television Broadcast Times Announced

Broadcast times for the 2009 NASCAR season have been announced, beginning with FOX’s broadcast of the non-points Budweiser Shootout at Daytona at 8:10 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 7 at Daytona International Speedway. The full broadcast schedules, including TV start times, for all three national series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – are below.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races will be seen on either FOX, TNT, ESPN or ABC. In addition, two non-points events – the Gatorade Duel at Daytona (2 p.m. ET on Feb. 12) and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (7:30 p.m. ET on May 16 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway), will be broadcast by SPEED.

FOX will broadcast the first 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup points races, beginning with the 51st running of the Daytona 500 (Feb. 15, 2 p.m. TV start time; green flag 3:20 p.m. ET) and ending with the May 31 event at Dover International Speedway at 2 p.m. (ET).

TNT will broadcast the next six events, beginning with the Pocono 500 at 2 p.m. (ET) on June 7 at Pocono Raceway and ending with Chicagoland Speedway’s LifeLock.com 400, July 11 at 8 p.m. (ET).

ESPN and ABC will broadcast the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup events. ESPN will broadcast six, beginning with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at 2 p.m. (ET) on July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ending with the Sept. 6 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET).

ABC completes the season with 11 broadcasts, beginning with race No. 26, the cutoff event for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. (ET). ABC also will air the entire 10-race Chase. The season ends with ABC’s broadcast of the Ford 400 on Nov. 22 at 3:15 p.m. (ET) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. ABC will broadcast four events, ESPN will broadcast five and ESPN2 will broadcast 26. ESPN2 opens the season with the Camping World 300 at 1:15 p.m. (ET) on Feb. 14 at Daytona. New to the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule is a race at Iowa Speedway, held on Aug. 1 at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. ESPN2 also will broadcast the season-finale Ford 300 on Nov. 21 at Homestead-Miami (4:30 p.m. ET).

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with new title sponsor Camping World, returns to SPEED for a seventh consecutive season, beginning with the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. (ET) at Daytona. The season-finale Ford 200 on Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami begins at 8 p.m. (ET). SPEED will broadcast 23 of the 25 races.

For the third consecutive season, FOX will broadcast two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events. The first will be at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. (ET). The race is part of a NASCAR “double header” involving the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series (The NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:45 p.m. ET). FOX also will broadcast the NCWTS Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28 at 2 p.m. (ET).

Click the link below to download a complete broadcast schedule for all three NASCAR series:

2009-nascar-national-broadcast-schedules

Thank you to Jennifer Powell, NASCAR Public Relations, for this content.