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  *Comments on Phoenix Raceway:*
  View the most recent comment <#77> | Post a comment <#post>


  1.   Eric posted:
  02.21.2010 - 2:55 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

Phoenix International Raceway was a track that Cart and IRL race races
up to 2005. The only openwheel races left on that track is the USAC
Midget, Silver crown series and the modified series there.The track hold
its first race date in 1964.

Nascar has been running there since 1988. That track is a unique race
track based shape based the fact the track has a curve between turns two
and three.

Phoenix International Raceway started to have two cup dates in 2005.
Jimmie Johnson has the most wins here with 4. Davey Allison, Mark
Martin, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick are tied 2nd
with 2 wins here a each.

Track is more on the driver than the equipment here.


  2.   Hokie20 posted:
  02.22.2010 - 2:02 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (2)

The track is located in Avondale, AZ - just outside of Phoenix


  3.   Smokefan05 posted:
  02.27.2010 - 10:47 pm
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Just like pocono but only smaller. And people fill the place up.


  4.   Cfob posted:
  03.05.2010 - 2:40 pm
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Just like Pocono?

Eh, not so much.


  5.   Cooper posted:
  03.14.2010 - 3:43 pm
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Phoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile tri-oval race
track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, as the new home
of major open-wheel racing in the Phoenix area, replacing the track at
the Arizona State Fairgrounds as an automobile racing venue.

Due to a change in focus by the track's current owners, ISC, the Phoenix
area's long history of hosting Indy-style racing (only Indianapolis
itself and Milwaukee have had more) came to an abrupt end in 2005, when
PIR failed to host an Indy Racing League event for the first time.
Ironically, stock car racing's top series, NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series,
didn't even run at PIR until 1988. Their inaugural race was won by the
late Alan Kulwicki, who debuted his Polish Victory Lap here after taking
the checkered flag.

PIR has a unique tri-oval shape, with a curve in middle of its
backstretch between turns two and three, commonly referred to as "the
dogleg". This exists because the original builders were constrained by
both the rocky hills located on the property and their incorporation of
an external road course and dragstrip into PIR's design.


  6.   TeamPlayersBlue posted:
  04.08.2010 - 1:28 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

One of the only tracks designed for open wheel that usually always puts
on a good show for NASCAR stock cars. CART/USAC Championship cars raced
here with crowds as big/bigger than NASCAR but when the IRL got the
Phoenix race after the split the attendance was never good.


  7.   ARR94 posted:
  06.09.2010 - 1:46 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

Home of the 1st Ever Camping World Truck Race in 1995 and the last one
of that very year. It only has one race now and it's the 24th race.


  8.   Talladega87 posted:
  06.09.2010 - 1:47 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

When I think of the old layout, I think of the extreme unesscary gap
between the walls in the front stretch. Looks like a SAFER barrier, but
without any. Also I think of the opening wall down turn 2.


  9.   Steve posted:
  11.24.2010 - 5:18 pm
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Terrible news about Phoenix: ISC want to remodel PIR, including a
possible reconfiguration of the circuit, and the possibility of
progressing banking. If this happens, it will be a mutilation of a
historic track.

But what else is new; it's ISC after all...


  10.   Zed 3_88fan4eva posted:
  12.17.2010 - 5:48 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Well that is terrible news Steve, but it doesnt surprise me either.

Yeah ISC brought a second cup weekend but it took alot more including
the ever popular Copper World Classic which filled the place up as much
as a cup race which also produced some of the best races and had so much
to offer with Silver Crown's, USAC midgets, Southwest/West Series,
Supermodifieds and Trucks. The Copper World put many drivers in the
spotlight like Davey Hamilton, Ron Hornaday & Tony Stewart just to name
a few.
There was also the IRL weekend usually held in April and the Southwest &
West series I belive had their season finales in October there. There
was so much racing and so many different series and ISC pretty much
killed it.

Its nice that ISC has helped build the place up and add more grandstands
and add a second cup weekend but at what cost


  11.   Neal posted:
  02.26.2011 - 9:48 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (1)

PIR, like Loudon and the Milwaukee Mile, is a great open-wheel venue and
a craptacular stock car track.


  12.   CBASS posted:
  03.01.2011 - 8:46 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Neal, you might want to retract that statement after that awesome Cup race.

It's gonna hard to see them change the track, but that's business for
you. At least the shape of the track will be unaffected, the only change
is that they're adding slight progressive banking in the corner & dogleg.


  13.   Cornys posted:
  11.08.2012 - 9:59 pm
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Love the unique race track. The Sprint Cup Series needs more like it :x


  14.   We need more Onion posted:
  01.04.2013 - 12:19 pm
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Hm... before expanding my knowledge deeper into American motorsports I
always tought that this track opened in like 1987 or so, surprise for me
to see that USAC raced here back in '64.


  15.   Larrys 50th PIR posted:
  09.30.2014 - 2:42 pm
   Rate this comment:      (2)      (0)

I have been going to Phoenix International Raceway for 50 straight years.
my first race was March 22 1964 USAC Champ Cars
HERE IS THE STARTING LINEUP we saw that day
Parnelli Jones .... A.J.Foyt
Roger McCluskey .... Don Branson
Rodger Ward .... Chuck Hulse
Bobby Unser .... Bud Tinglestad
Johnny Rutherford .... Johnny White
Lloyd Ruby .... Eddie Sacks
Bobby Marshman .... Len Sutton
Bobby Grimm .... Johnny Boyd
Jim Hurtubise .... Norm Hall
Jerry Weld .... Jim McElreath
Ed Kostenuk .... Dee Jones
FROM MY March 22nd 1964 PIR PROGRAM


  16.   Cornys posted:
  08.14.2015 - 10:24 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

IndyCar may return to PIR on April 2, 2016 for a 250 lap night race.

Only problem is, they haven't agreed on the financial details yet. It
seems like they are really close to a deal, however :)

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/motor/2015/08/13/indycar-series-phoenix-international-raceway/31669817/


  17.   RaceFanX posted:
  11.15.2015 - 11:55 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Phoenix was built as a roval and originally included a road course that
featured both the oval's infield and exterior areas outside the track.
The exterior portions of the road course were closed off and removed in
the early 1990s but it did give the backstretch its famous/infamous
notch that was in place for years until a remodeling in the 2003 removed
it when the walls were moved back. The infield road course remained in
use through 2010 when it was sealed off and removed. The road course
hosted a variety of series over the years including Grand-Am, IMSA GT,
and SCCA Trans-Am competition.

For years the track featured a Goodyear pedestrian bridge that crossed
over the track between turns three and four. While a signature feature
of the track was removed in 2003 after a new access tunnel was built
under turn four.


  18.   Anonymous posted:
  01.07.2016 - 9:45 pm
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Indycar and Indy Lights are coming here in 2016.


  19.   Anthony posted:
  02.14.2016 - 6:01 am
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IndyCar is back, finally!!! Hopefully there is a resurgence in 1 mile
ovals.


  20.   Cornys posted:
  02.25.2016 - 4:21 pm
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Indy Lights completed a test session there today. They are presently
between morning and afternoon sessions. Top lap time was 21.8721
(168.214 MPH) set by the #7 of RC Enerson for Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports. There were 16 cars and drivers at the test!

Following the reconfiguration of Phoenix International Raceway, IndyCar
and Indy Lights will score the track as being 1.022 miles in length
rather than exactly one mile as they had previously.


  21.   Cornys posted:
  02.25.2016 - 4:23 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

IndyCar tests tomorrow. Look for speeds to near 180 MPH average.


  22.   Cornys posted:
  02.26.2016 - 4:27 pm
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IndyCar is looking into taking downforce away from the cars on the short
ovals. That is one of the main purposes of this weekend's test. In the
middle of the morning session, top speed has been set by Newgarden at
19.7041 seconds (186.723 miles per hour)

Honda is using last year's engines, so their lack of speed in this test
is not surprising.

Technical director for IndyCar says they were worried about a pack race
occurring without changes. The cars were easily wide open, and this is a
reduced downforce package that they are starting out with in testing.
Imagine what the package would turn without the reduced downforce.

Drivers were pulling 5.5Gs in the corners in the old package.


  23.   JFS posted:
  03.17.2016 - 11:35 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (1)

Harvick is the man here - 8 wins on this awesome track. I love it.


  24.   Cornys posted:
  04.01.2016 - 3:54 pm
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Track record will fall in this afternoon's IndyCar Series Qualifying. Ed
Carpenter turned a lap of 192.400 MPH (19.1227 seconds) in first
practice. Arie Luyendyk's official 1996 track record currently stands at
19.608 seconds (183.599 mph). 16 cars practiced faster than the track
record.

Also, Honda was WAY off in practice. Some of Honda's aero kit pieces
actually snapped in half and blew off the cars without contact.

It might be another long year for Honda.


  25.   FrontRowMotorsportsFan posted:
  11.11.2016 - 3:12 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

PIR looking at a 150-200 million dollar upgrade. Rumors at the track
include swapping of backstretch & frontstretch.


  26.   Canadianfan posted:
  11.17.2016 - 6:53 pm
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The new Phoenix International Raceway opening in 2018.

https://nbcnascartalk.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/8-color-site-plan2222.pdf

â?" The start/finish line is shown to be in what is now Turn 2.

â?" All the frontstretch grandstands would be eliminated and replaced by
an elevated RV parking lot and have additional parking behind it.

â?" The Allison grandstand in Turn 2 will be extended to go through the
entire turn.

â?" Pit road will be moved closer to the infield and have a tighter
radius. That will allow additional space between the track and pit road.

â?"There would be five new garages for competitors.

â?" The media center would be moved from its present location across
from the current start/finish line to just beyond Turn 2.

â?" The infield care center would move from behind the current media
center to between what is now Turns 3 and 4.

â?" Victory Lane would be moved behind pit road to spot between what is
now Turns 1 and 2.


  27.   joey2448 posted:
  11.18.2016 - 4:28 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Whoa, so apparently this is really happening?? Wow. I guess they're just
trying to spice things up, turn some heads.

I hate to see the old Phoenix go, but at the same time, I'm kind of
intrigued. Seems like the turns 1 and 2 (now 3 and 4) grandstands will
get a prime view of action and the new victory lane.

The one thing I would do different is put the start-finish line on the
other side of the dogleg. That way, guys would race off turn 4 and cut
through the dogleg as they scramble to the finish. That would be pretty
wild to see a fight to the finish through that thing.


  28.   Mile501 posted:
  11.18.2016 - 5:29 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Turn 2 seems like a really strange place to put a start/finish line. I
agree with Joey that putting it farther down the backstretch would
probably make for better finishes.


  29.   RaceFanX posted:
  12.07.2016 - 8:37 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

In October 1993, back when this track still had its roval layout,
Phoenix hosted the final race of the IMSA Camel GT season. The prototype
race was very notable since it saw the final appearance of the famous
GTP cars in competition. It was also the series' last race before Exxon
replaced Camel as its title sponsor.


  30.   SeanNumber2 posted:
  12.08.2016 - 10:30 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@29 and on top of that it finished at night, long before PIR installed
lights in 2004


  31.   Nathan8848 posted:
  01.30.2017 - 1:49 pm
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Concept art was released to today of the reconfiguration and it will be
interesting to say the least.


  32.   chevyfan98 posted:
  01.30.2017 - 9:40 pm
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The new finish line will be in what is now turn two and it will be
changed after the 2017 season.


  33.   chevyfan98 posted:
  01.30.2017 - 9:40 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

*2018 season


  34.   Seibaru posted:
  02.02.2017 - 11:28 am
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Will NOT host the NASCAR Mexico series in 2017.


  35.   chaseliott24fan posted:
  09.25.2017 - 4:59 pm
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According to a article I had just read, Phoenix Raceway will become ISM
Raceway starting in 2018


  36.   Sector posted:
  09.26.2017 - 9:28 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

What does the ISM mean exactly?


  37.   Mike posted:
  09.26.2017 - 9:33 pm
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ISM is the name of the company that just paid for the naming rights.
They're the same ISM that sponsored the race at Loudon last weekend.


  38.   JSPorts posted:
  09.26.2017 - 11:05 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

ISM stands for Ingenuity Sun Media. They design solar-powered and
digital media platforms that provide property owners with energy saving
solutions.


  39.   joey2448 posted:
  04.08.2018 - 12:42 am
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

Josef Newgarden becomes the last driver to cross the current finish line
at Phoenix before the track undergoes a reconfiguration that will
essentially swap the straightaways. When the next race series shows up
(NASCAR in November 2018) the start-finish line will be where the
current turn 2 exit/backstretch kink is.

Newgarden was the last driver to cross the finish line at the straight
portion of the track, while A.J. Foyt was the first. In the 54 years of
the current layout, Foyt, Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock, Al Unser and Tom
Sneva were all four-time winners at Phoenix.


  40.   Seibaru posted:
  06.22.2018 - 8:34 pm
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Will not hold an Indycar race in 2019.


  41.   Canadianfan posted:
  06.22.2018 - 9:24 pm
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@40 IndyCar going to explore other opportunities with ISC.


  42.   #BowmanNation #TKNation posted:
  06.22.2018 - 9:40 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

What? INDYCAR, you are if your taking ism away, Watkins glen has to be
on the schedule in 2019(but then again, they're probably not gonna even
see this)


  43.   #BowmanNation #TKNation posted:
  06.22.2018 - 10:53 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

41. Acutually, what a sec, I'm not seeing this anywhere. Where did you
read this(if it is true)


  44.   #BowmanNation #TKNation posted:
  06.22.2018 - 10:57 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Actually make that 40


  45.   Canadianfan posted:
  06.22.2018 - 11:03 pm
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It's on Motorsport.com, twitter, reddit, Indianapolis Star newspaper.


  46.   Canadianfan posted:
  06.22.2018 - 11:04 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

NBC Sports as well.


  47.   #BowmanNation #TKNation posted:
  06.22.2018 - 11:21 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Ok thx


  48.   Canadianfan posted:
  06.22.2018 - 11:26 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@47

No problem, I think your probably right about Watkins Glen being the
replacement. Richmond would an interesting choice I think. Michigan or
California would be an ideal replacement.


  49.   #BowmanNation #TKNation posted:
  06.22.2018 - 11:57 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

I was just saying that because Watkins is my home track. (Could actually
maybe if the date is right) but anyways we probably won't know for sure
unless it pops up as a rumor on RACER, Motorsports, or somewhere else


  50.   Yeet posted:
  08.15.2018 - 11:05 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

The first and last race of the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series Season
took place here.
The first race fielded 33 trucks while the 2nd race fielded 40


  51.   Timothy Eklund posted:
  01.09.2019 - 2:41 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

It was just announced that the K&N pro series west will return here at
the end of the 2019 season.


  52.   Trent posted:
  03.07.2019 - 9:36 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Both Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch both have 14 total wins here, across
all three of NASCAR's national series.


  53.   Bayne&BowmanFan posted:
  03.19.2019 - 3:38 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

Think you can name all of the Cup drivers who have won at this track?
Try this quiz!:

https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/269033/nascar-cup-winners-at-ism-phoenix-raceway


  54.   Spen posted:
  03.19.2019 - 7:27 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

Got 41 out of 46, only because I'm a slow typer. 30 more seconds and I
would have had it.


  55.   joey2448 posted:
  03.26.2019 - 4:05 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Phoenix will now host the season finale starting in 2020, replacing
Homestead-Miami, which has hosted the last race of the year since 2002.


  56.   Timothy_Eklund posted:
  09.16.2019 - 4:13 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Will be hosting an arca race during the march weekend here. Pretty
surprising seeing as arca is pretty much a eastern/Midwest series.


  57.   Timothy_Eklund posted:
  09.16.2019 - 4:16 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

*starting in 2020


  58.   Maverick19 posted:
  09.16.2019 - 4:20 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Now that it's owned by NASCAR, I expect to see more of the same.


  59.   Jason24 posted:
  09.16.2019 - 4:58 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@58. Beat me to it. They will probably take the series nationwide. Some
stuff in the northwest would be really cool.


  60.   Anthony posted:
  09.16.2019 - 6:49 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Can the ARCA teams even afford to travel this far?


  61.   Canadianfan posted:
  01.03.2020 - 3:04 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

From Adam Stern:

@ISMRaceway
has mutually agreed to terminate its track naming-rights deal with
@ISMConnect, in a move that will be announced today, an early but not
entirely surprising end to what was originally billed as a long-term
relationship.

?The track will go back to Phoenix Raceway.


  62.   34McDowellFan posted:
  01.03.2020 - 3:39 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Track name has reverted back to Phoenix Raceway


  63.   George_Costanza posted:
  01.03.2020 - 3:57 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

What happened? Is ISM pulling out, like Monster did?


  64.   Canadianfan posted:
  01.03.2020 - 3:59 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@63

Just the naming rights for Phoenix Raceway. ?The Arizona Republic has
learned the raceway and ISM mutually agreed to restructure their
partnership, ending the ISM Raceway naming-right portion, although no
formal announcement is expected. ISM is focusing less on brand awareness
but will continue as a technology provider to the raceway and NASCAR.?


  65.   Marik posted:
  01.03.2020 - 4:17 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

#61 Good! ISM is such a boring name and Phoenix is a beautiful word.
Leave it alone.


  66.   Ralphie posted:
  01.03.2020 - 4:19 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Will it be just Phoenix Raceway as the name, or will they use the old
name of Phoenix International Raceway?


  67.   Canadianfan posted:
  01.03.2020 - 5:08 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@66

Phoenix Raceway will be the name.


  68.   Mile501 posted:
  01.03.2020 - 9:02 pm
   Rate this comment:      (1)      (0)

That was an oddly short-lived agreement. Other tracks (such as Lowe's,
Auto Club, and Infineon) kept their naming rights for much longer but
ISM only stayed with Phoenix for 2 years.


  69.   ScottB posted:
  01.04.2020 - 2:06 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

I never stopped calling it Phoenix. I thought I was behind the curve,
but it turns out I was ahead of it.

It just makes more sense to me to refer to tracks by their geographic
location, which isn't subject to change.


  70.   AJ73 posted:
  01.04.2020 - 3:19 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@69 Same here. I never liked calling Charlotte "Lowe's" or Sonoma
"Infineon" or Fontana "Auto Club".... I've never been a fan of that. I
like referring to them geographically too.


  71.   possum posted:
  01.04.2020 - 7:24 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@70 - huh, I never realized Sonoma was actually called that now. I've
still been calling it Sears Point. Fontana, of course, was originally
called California, a silly name by any standard. Like you, I've always
call it Fontana.

As for Phoenix, since no-one ever had a clue what ISM meant, that was a
total failure as a naming rights deal. Better for everyone for it to go
back to Phoenix.


  72.   Mile501 posted:
  01.04.2020 - 8:51 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

@71 - Why is California Speedway a silly name? We also call Texas,
Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan (and sometimes New Hampshire) by their
states instead of their cities.


  73.   Spen posted:
  01.04.2020 - 10:11 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

I never had a problem with calling it California. Its sister track is
also named after its state instead of a city, and no one has ever objected.


  74.   Mile501 posted:
  03.24.2020 - 7:18 am
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Does anyone know if there is a reason why the race at Phoenix is 312
laps instead of 311? By my calculations, 311 laps on a 1-mile track
would equal 500 km.


  75.   JSPorts posted:
  04.20.2020 - 12:47 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

Top 10 drivers since 2017:

1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Kevin Harvick
3rd: Kyle Larson
4th: Martin Truex, Jr.
5th: Denny Hamlin
6th: Chase Elliott
7th: Aric Almirola
8th: Brad Keselowski
9th: Joey Logano
10th: Clint Bowyer


  76.   Canadianfan posted:
  08.07.2020 - 5:45 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

From Phoenix Raceway:

Yes, we are excited to host the 2021 NASCAR Championship Weekend next
year, tentatively set for November 5-7.

The official 2021 NASCAR schedule will be released at a later date.


  77.   RaceFanX posted:
  03.28.2021 - 9:09 pm
   Rate this comment:      (0)      (0)

The SCCA Trans-Am Series raced here three times in the mid-1990s on the
infield road course layout. Price Cobb won the inaugural race in 1995
driving a Chevrolet Camaro while Ford Mustang drivers Dorsey Schroeder
and Tommy Kendall won in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Cobb's win here was
his only Trans-Am victory.


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