Alright folks, welcome back. We are headed to the desert this weekend for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, and honestly I cannot wait for this one. After three straight races at tracks that really favor wild drafting and road course wizardry, we finally get back to a good old fashioned flat oval where pure setup, tire management, and execution decide the winner.
Phoenix is one of the most unique tracks on the circuit. It is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval with that famous dogleg in the backstretch that breaks up the rhythm and punishes anyone who gets lazy behind the wheel. The banking is only 8 to 11 degrees in the turns, which means it is all about mechanical grip here. Aero is not going to save you at Phoenix. You either have a fast, planted race car or you do not.
Now let’s get into this week’s drier breakdown.