While it isn’t clear exactly how much money Phoenix Raceway’s two major NACSAR weekends bring into Arizona each year, the events definitely bring in visitors.
When drivers line up for Sunday’s 1 p.m. NASCAR Championship race, there will likely be about 40,000 fans cheering them on as their cars zip around the 1-mile dogleg oval. While only four drivers are in the hunt for a season championship, there will likely be more than 30 cars in the field — with fans traveling from all over North America to see them.
The most recent publicly published study mentioning the track’s economic impact appears to have been done in 2005. An Arizona State University study showed the track was responsible for $173 million annually, at the time, when the track hosted many more open-wheel events without as heavy a focus on stock cars.
