Phoenix International Raceway Tag

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Earlier this evening, the Verizon IndyCar Series made its much-anticipated return to Phoenix International Raceway. When all was said and done, it was Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon standing tall in victory lane at the Diamond Desert West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix. “It was tough, definitely one of the toughest races on these short ovals.” said Dixon, a four-time series champion, “The car was super-fast. I think we had the best car out there on strategies and pit stops.” Dixon was followed to theRead More

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Kyle Kaiser and his Juncos Racing team put on a clinic today when the top tier of the Mazda Road to Indy open-wheel development ladder, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, made its return to the Phoenix International Raceway oval following a 10-year hiatus. Dubai-based Englishman Ed Jones, 21, pushed as hard as he could for the Carlin team but never quite had the pace to challenge for the lead. RC Enerson, 19, from New Port Richey, Fla., completed the podium in this afternoon’s Indy Lights GrandRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer AVONDALE, AZ. April 2, 2016 – Heading into tonight’s Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, Honda teams are left scratching their heads as Chevrolet-powered cars swept the first ten grid positions led by Penske Racing’s Helio Castroneves. After completing a two-day test in February, all the Verizon IndyCar Series teams reported that track conditions were remarkably different upon returning to the 1.022 mile oval.  The track had hosted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the interim and, despite a power-washing of the surface, quiteRead More

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Kyle Kaiser didn’t turn the fastest lap during this afternoon’s qualifying session on the 1.022-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval – that honor fell to Brazilian Andre Negrao – but a blend of impressive pace and admirable consistency over his two-lap run was enough for the Californian teenager to claim the pole position for tomorrow’s Indy Lights Grand Prix of Phoenix. The pole was Kaiser’s second in three races for Juncos Racing, coming on the heels of his first career Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires pole onRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer The Verizon IndyCar Series will make its return this weekend to the Valley of the Sun for the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix. About the Race The race will be the second race of the sixteen-race schedule for the Verizon IndyCar Series. It will be the first oval track event of the season, in a schedule that compromises five oval races. IndyCars will be returning to the iconic track for the first time since 2005. Staged as a a Saturday Night event, theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Marco Andretti’s No. 27 Honda will get a new look for four races this season as United Fiber & Data return to Andretti Autosport. The company announced during the offseason that it was returning to the team as an associate sponsor and will now officially serve as a co-primary sponsor for Verizon IndyCar Series races at Phoenix, Long Beach, Pocono and Boston. A major sponsor for former Andretti Autosport driver James Hinchcliffe during both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, United Fiber & Data now joins SnappleRead More

PALMETTO, Fla. – Judging by the opening two races on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 12-13, this year’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season seems set to be a thriller. Five drivers representing four different teams claimed podium finishes and the top three point contenders are separated by just two points as the 16-car field heads next to the famed Phoenix International Raceway oval in Avondale, Ariz., for Round Three on Saturday afternoon, April 2. The 90-lap Indy Lights Grand Prix of Phoenix will serve asRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor IndyCar’s long awaited return to Phoenix International Raceway’s 1.022 mile oval, due to take place next weekend has just been given a boost by securing a title sponsor for the event. The sponsor is a new casino in the Phoenix area, known as Desert Diamond West Valley. “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Desert Diamond West Valley. Bringing IndyCar to PIR was a substantial goal of ours and this demonstrates the strong local support we have for the upcoming race right here in the valley.Read More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Heading into this past Sunday’s Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, Matt DiBenedetto, who drives the No. 83 Toyota Camry for BK Racing, had only recorded one top-20 in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event (Talladega 2015). DiBenedetto put himself in great position to nab a good finish this week by securing the 23rd starting spot in qualifying early in the weekend, but when the race started his racecar was on the tight side of the handling spectrum. DiBenedetto’s crew chief, Gene Nead wouldRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Through four races in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season we have already witnessed some outstanding moments. Among those moments have been two incredible photo finishes. Denny Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. to the line by one-one hundredth of a second in Daytona. This week in Phoenix, Kevin Harvick bested Carl Edwards by the same razor-thin margin. But throughout the entire four races we’ve seen so far, the finishes haven’t been the only exciting aspect. We have had the pleasure of watching breathtaking racingRead More