Tucson Speedway
Coordinates: 32°2′15″N 110°47′20″W / 32.03750°N 110.78889°W
| Location | Pima County, near Tucson, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1968 |
| Major events |
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (1995–97) |
| Oval | |
| Length | 0.6 km (0.375 mi) |
| Banking | 3° – 9° Variable Banking |
Tucson Speedway is a 3/8-mile 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 International Raceway and Havasu 95 Speedway).
History
The track was built in 1968, originally as a clay oval and called Raven Speedway.[1] Current NASCAR CEO Brian France took over operations of the track in 1990. International Speedway Corporation 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 also made many changes to the track, including making it an ASA Member track. After five years, the track was closed. In 2012, Tucson businessman John Lashley bought the lease on the track and spent six months renovating the facility, which re-opened in 2013 as Tucson Speedway. In 2014 Tucson Speedway joined NASCAR as an authorized Hometrack.
Racing at TRP
In 2014, Tucson Speedway re-joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Tucson Speedway features Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Pro-Stocks, Modified and Hornets.
Races are almost always held on Saturday night, with practice sessions held on Friday. 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 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix.
Former events
In 1995, TRP hosted the second-ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, the Racing Champions 200. This race returned in 1996 and 1997 as the NAPA 200.
TRP was also the home of the TV program Winter Heat Series, which ran during NASCAR's offseason from 1994-95 to 1998-99. This program was the launching pad for the careers of drivers such as Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Matt Crafton and others.
References
- ↑ "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.