Phoenix

Nigel Mansell’s practice accident before the 1993 Champ Car race once again proved that ISM Raceway (formerly Phoenix International Raceway) is not a place for the faint-hearted. Traditionally the first oval of the Champ Car and then IndyCar seasons until 2006, the race was restored to the calendar from 2016-18. The NASCAR Cup Series visits on two occasions each year, including the title decider since 2020. Banked at 11 degrees in Turns 1 and 2, and nine degrees in 3 and 4, Phoenix has an awkward dogleg on the backstretch. Drivers are flat-out except for touching the brakes entering Turn 1. Lap times had dipped under 20 seconds before the race switched from CART to IRL, so running in traffic is guaranteed throughout the race. Phoenix was built in 1964 to replace the Arizona State Fairgrounds dirt oval, which had held races from 1910.