Approximately 12% of drivers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series say that Phoenix International Raceway is their favorite track, making PIR the second most-popular track in NASCAR's top circuit, according to the results of a mid-season survey published in the July 2-July 9, 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated.

In the survey, PIR finished tied with Atlanta Motor Speedway, and only behind Bristol Motor Speedway (18%). Of tracks within the International Speedway Corporation body of ownership, PIR was the most popular.

With the Sunday, November 11 running of the Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil, PIR will host its fall NEXTEL Cup Series event for the 20th consecutive year. The stretch dates back to Alan Kulwicki's historic first win and "Polish Victory Lap" after winning the one-mile oval's first Cup race on November 6, 1988.

Past winners at PIR include the winners of a combined 21 NEXTEL Cup Series championships: Kulwicki, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt (7), Terry Labonte (2), Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart (2), Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and most recently, Jeff Gordon (4).

With 11 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 and only nine degrees in 3 and 4, PIR's unorthodox setup is often provided enthusiastic reviews by competitors.

"When we come out to Phoenix two times a year, it's like a homecoming each time. I know every inch of that race track," said Stewart, a PIR NEXTEL Cup winner in 1999. "I've driven six different types of cars there, and between all those cars I've run at least five different lines. I feel like I know it better than most of the other folks who've just run stock cars there. I really do feel like it's my West Coast home away from home."

"I love going to Phoenix. It's one of the fun race tracks we go to," said Jeff Burton, who won PIR's NEXTEL Cup events in 2000 and 2001. "For a flat race track, it puts on great races. The track has multiple grooves. You can run the middle groove in Turns 1 and 2 and the middle groove in Turns 3 and 4. The grooves change all the time. You never know what race track you are going to get and, to me, that makes it a lot of fun."

"I love Phoenix, I love that place," said rookie David Reutimann. "It's just a weird-shaped race track and I grew up racing on stuff that was odd-shaped. I think I like it because it's not the normal track - it's flat and fast."

"Phoenix is one of those places I grew up racing on and I have a long history there," said Kevin Harvick, who swept PIR's NEXTEL Cup slate in 2006.

Asked what he liked most about the one-mile oval, Harvick said, "Cactus, blue walls and we win there a lot."