ALERTS
NASCAR invades Valley over big race weekend
Denny Hamlin leads several cars through turn 3 in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Hamlin went on to win the race.
Photographer: Eric English
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 11/07/2012
AVONDALE, AZ - NASCAR has arrived back in the Valley this weekend, and if you are on your way to Phoenix International Raceway, expect a weekend full of racing activities.
The action gets started on Thursday night when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR K&N Pro-Series West go out and practice on the still-new surface at PIR. This will only be the third time that racers have been on the new pavement.
Friday is when the top racers like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Brad Keselowski first take to the track. NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying begins at 4:10 p.m.
Friday night the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series gets the racing weekend started with the Lucas Oil 150. Notable drivers like Ron Hornaday and Todd Bodine will take on 150 laps.
Saturday is the busiest day of the weekend with two qualifying runs (K&N Pro Series and Nationwide), and two races: the Nationwide Series Great Clips 200 and the K&N Series Casino Arizona 50 Race.
Sunday is when the most notable racers come to the green flag.
The green flag drops for the AdvoCare 500 at 1 p.m., and it will be packed house. According to a PIR spokesperson, the grandstands are already sold out but there is hillside seating still available.
This season, Phoenix is the second to last race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. The Chase to the Cup Championship looks like it will come down to the last lap. Heading into Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson leads Brad Keselowski by only seven points.
Stay with ABC15 and abc15.com for updates on races throughout the weekend.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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