Phoenix International Raceway, in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains, hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year. This one mile track was intended to be a leading open wheel race track, but Phoenix International Raceway now considers its two NASCAR race weekends its main events.
Each November, The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Checker Auto Parts 500 and the Nationwide Series Arizona 200 draw a sell out crowd of 76,800 NASCAR fans to watch racing in the Valley of the Sun.