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MOTORSPORTS : FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

A Brief History of Firebird

In 1983 Charlie Allen, Dick Scott andBill Guptill unveiled what wouldbecome the most diverse and exciting

motorsports facility in the nation. Sincethat time, more than 10,000,000 visitorshave passed through the gates ofFirebird International Raceway inChandler, Arizona. Whether it is NHRADrag Racing, IHBA Drag Boat Racing,or countless other events, such as Bug-O-Rama, SCCA Road Races, CCSMotorcycle events, Bondurant Schoolof High Performance Driving, Indy andIndy Light Champ Car testing and somuch more, fans have grown to loveFirebird and its premier facility.

As the only race track in the countrythat hosts racing on the asphaltquarter mile and the liquid quartermile, Firebird International Racewaycontinues its commitment to itsguests. Yearly improvements aremade to the facility; new grandstandseating areas, VIP suite towers, roadcourses, hospitality and pavilion areasall keep Firebird a favorite among itsvisitors. The most exciting venue inthe Southwest provides thrills yearround. Records fall at a record pace atFirebird. To make sure fans never missa moment, season tickets, group ticketprograms and other discounts areavailable.

Who Uses Firebird?Professional Race Teams—Whether itsIndy Cars, Formula Atlantic, IndyLights, Funny Cars, Dragsters, DragBikes, Motorcycles or any other type ofrace team, they can select from any ofour tracks for testing and a distinctlydifferent challenge.

Club Racers—Sports Car Club ofAmerica, Arizona Sports Racing Assoc-iation, BMW, Desert Corvette Associ-ation, Vintage Auto Racing Associa-tion, Championship Cup Series Motor-cycle Racing, Arizona Navy and manyother clubs hold not only their local,but national events as well at Firebird.

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Automobile Manufacturers—Manufactur-ers use Firebird to unveil new cars to theinternational and national media, theirdealers and employees, Ride & Driveevents, and to conduct hands-on sales train-ing programs. Firebird’s full service capa-bilities and diversity of its many tracks makeit the perfect place to put their latest vehi-cles through their paces.

Others in the Automotive Industry—Arizona is one of the most popular locationsfor various proving grounds operated bymajor manufacturers. Firebird joins them inproviding a first-class facility, with its varioustrack configurations and perfect weathermaking it the most ideal independent hot-weather test facility in the nation.

Film Companies—Film production companiesrarely need to worry about losing anexpensive day of shooting due to weather.Firebird’s West Test track is also unique inthat it is 8 feet lower than surrounding terrainand the absence of signage provides ageneric background.

Special Events—Firebird is the home ofmany organizations for their special racingevents. Our special groups include yearly

events held by Bug-O-Rama, NOPI, AHDRA,PASA, Hot Import Nights and many others.

The Firebird FacilityCelebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008 andopen year-round, no other motorsport facilitycan boast of having:

Firebird Course—1.6 mile or 1.1 mile roadcourse utilizes 1/4 Mile Dragstrip with 14 turnsand a 5/8 mile straightaway; used for amateurroad races, testing for professional racingteams, television commercial productioncompanies and Ride & Drive Programs.

1/4 Mile Drag Strip—Top-rated NHRASanctioned; plays host to capacity crowdsattending annual events like the NHRAChecker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals. Firebirdholds monthly and weekly drag racingprograms for the benefit of the amateurracer as well. Firebird and O’Reilly AutoParts also offers a Junior Drag Program forthe young enthusiast.

East Test Track—1.25 Mile Road Coursewith 10 turns, a 1/2 mile straightaway and2/10th of a mile barriered pit lane makes it theperfect test track for Formula and Indy Cars.Also used by the Bondurant School for their

advanced students and by Ride & Drivepromotional companies.

West Test Track—1.1 Mile Road Course,incorporating 11 tight turns and a 3/8 milestraightaway. The elevated pit area overlook-ing the track, which is 8 feet lower than sur-rounding terrain, and the absence of signageprovides a generic background for film comp-anies and continuous observation of test cars.

Skid Pads—• Lot #3—210,000 Square Feet (not availa-

ble weekdays—used by Bondurant School)• Lot #4—270,000 Square Feet • Paddock A—811,000 Square Feet

The Skid Pads are all paved and enclosedwith security fencing. They are utilized bymany Club Racers and Ride & Drivecompanies for Autocross racing and handlingcomparison programs.

Firebird Lake—120 Acres / 1.1 Miles inLength / 2.4 Miles Oval. IHBA and APBASanctioned, the private lake is designedprimarily for high speed racing including dragand circle boats. Also the home of the ASUWater Ski team during the week, Firebird

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Lake offers nearly flawless conditions forwater-sports tournaments and boat-testing.

Hospitality Pavilions—• Lake Side Pavilion—The 2,400 squarefoot permanent structure is situated inside a27,000 square foot fenced, meticulouslyprepared turf area on the shore of FirebirdLake. The pavilion can be rimmed by tents, orthe grassy area filled with umbrella coveredtables and chairs. It is also a unique place toconduct award presentations, and entertainclients and employees for any type of event.• Bill Johnson’s Big Apple Pavilion—4,000square foot red-tiled roof open air pavilion,located through the main gate and beyondthe rotunda and show car display area.Flanked by palm trees, rimmed withflowering shrubs and enclosed with a securityfence, it is the perfect place for VIP andspecial activities.

VIP Tower Suites—• Coors Tower—Located inside of theFirebird Road Course circuit. Its three storieshouse time and scoring, media/press roomand five additional suites. The ground floorsuites are separated from the drag strip bywrought-iron fenced private patios and lowflowering shrubs, and offer the closest view

of on-track activities.• Gila River Casinos Tower—Four storiestall with double suites (120 square feet) andsingle suites (60 Square Feet) on the topthree floors. Its location at the north end ofthe drag strip provides a spectacular view ofthe Firebird Course as well as the rest of thefacility. These air conditioned, carpetedsuites, complete with wet bar, provide anexcellent atmosphere for entertaining clientsor for classroom/meeting purposes.

Conference Center—2,100 Square Feet—Located on the lower level of the PowerAdeTower with a capacity of 150 people, andwired for audio and video. Designed as atraining center for major auto manufacturers.Also serves as the ideal location forpress/media luncheons.

Lake Side Display Area/Pro Pits—This openpaved area of 650 feet in length by 45 feet inwidth, situated at the lake shoreline servesthe dual purpose of pro pits during selectedevents and as a display area during others. Itis spacious enough for training and productdiagnostics, or large tents to accommodatesupplier’s fairs, static displays, car shows andas a swap meet area. During major eventstents can be erected and enclosed with white

decorative fencing which provides the perfecthospitality village.

Bondurant School of High Performance

Driving—Corporate Offices and 1.3 MileRoad Course—The Bondurant School offers avariety of driving courses. Top pro racers,students worldwide and many celebritieshave taken advantage of Bondurant’s reputa-tion as being the best instructor in the busi-ness, and provides students with the mostdiverse advanced classes anywhere.

Welcome to Firebird!The fantastic desert mountain scenery thatsurrounds Firebird, coupled with Arizona’soutstanding weather, makes this the perfectlocation for any event. The spacious grounds,quality drag strip, test tracks and full, personalservice combined with the excellent facilitiesmakes it easy to understand why Firebird isthe most attractive sports center anywhere.

Firebird is the most versatile motorsportfacility in the country. More than 600,000motorsports enthusiasts pass throughFirebird’s gates each year to enjoy a variety ofevents at Firebird’s 440 acres, located on I-10,ten miles south of downtown Phoenix on theGila River Indian Community. ■

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