Track Description:
The 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway is completely unique among all the tracks the Sprint Cup Series races at. NASCAR first raced at the Sonoran Desert facility in 1988, when Alan Kulwicki won and immortalized his success with his famous backwards “Polish Victory Lap.” The two ends of the track are completely different — Turns 1 and 2 are relatively sharp, with the exit of Turn 2 dumping the drivers into a short chute and then another corner smack in the middle of the backstretch. Turns 3 and 4 are much more gradual and sweeping, with a smooth exit to Turn 4 critical to applying power down the frontstretch, the only real straightaway of any length. The turns are almost flat, with banking ranging from 9 to 11 degrees. With four race victories and an average finish of 5.29 in 14 starts, Jimmie Johnson has pretty much owned PIR throughout his career. In fact, this track has been a huge asset to him during his run to a NASCAR record five consecutive Sprint Cup championships. Mark Martin, Johnson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, also sports an impressive record at the one-mile oval, where he has two race victories and an average finish of 8.64. His 833 laps led at PIR are second only to Johnson’s 857. A third Hendrick driver, Jeff Gordon, has an excellent average finish of 10.42 here. Also strong at PIR and getting better with each passing season is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who has a career PIR average result of 11.64. Last fall, Hamlin led the most laps here. Top drivers who struggle to finish well at Phoenix include Kasey Kahne, who has an average finish of 21.46, and Jamie McMurray, with an average finish of 20.20.