Tucson Speedway
 | |
| Location | Pima County, near Tucson, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°2′15″N 110°47′20″W / 32.03750°N 110.78889°W |
| Opened | 1968 |
| Former names | Raven Speedway |
| Major events | NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Chilly Willy, K&N Pro Series West, Lucas Oil Modified Series |
| Oval | |
| Length | 0.604 km (0.375 miles) |
| Banking | 3° – 9° Variable Banking |
Tucson Speedway is a 0.375 mi (604 m) paved oval racetrack located at the Pima County Fairgrounds, off Interstate 10 just south of Tucson, Arizona. It is one of only three paved ovals in the state of Arizona (the others are Phoenix Raceway and Havasu 95 Speedway).[citation needed]
History[edit]
The track was built in 1968, originally as a clay oval and called Raven Speedway.[1] Former NASCAR CEO Brian France took over track operations in 1990. The International Speedway Corporation (ISC) paved the racing surface and renamed the track in 1992. ISC sold the track to Deery Sports West, Inc. ten years later.[2]
In 2005, the track was sold to Dan and Joyce Ruth, who made many track improvements. Three years later, Ruth sold the track to Mark Ebert, who made it an ASA Member track. The track was closed in 2010 after a brief run as a dirt track.[3] In 2012, Tucson businessman John Lashley bought the lease on the track and spent six months renovating the facility, which included a change back to asphalt. It re-opened in 2013 as Tucson Speedway. In 2014 Tucson Speedway joined NASCAR as an authorized Hometrack.
Racing[edit]
In 2014, Tucson Speedway re-joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.[3] Tucson Speedway features Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Pro-Stocks, Modifieds, Hornets, Bandoleros, and Thunder Trucks. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule holds the Twin 100s events in May.
Races are usually held every other Saturday night, with occasional practice sessions held on Friday's the day before. Thanks to the warm climate in Tucson, the track is able to remain open from February to November, only closing on weekends when there is a NCS race at Phoenix Raceway.
Former events[edit]
In 1995, Tucson Speedway hosted the second-ever NASCAR Truck Series race, the Racing Champions 200. This race returned in 1996 and 1997 as the NAPA 200.[citation needed]
It was also the home of the TV program Winter Heat Series, which ran during NASCAR's offseason from 1994–95 and 1998–99. This program was the launching pad for the careers of drivers such as Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Matt Crafton and others.
References[edit]
- ^ "Pima County Attractions – Tucson Raceway Park". Pima County Attractions. Archived from the original on February 22, 2006. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ Finley, Patrick (May 25, 2006). "Phoenix man seeking takeover of TRP lease". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b "Tucson Speedway – NASCAR Home Tracks". hometracks.nascar.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.