Major PIR upgrade approval imminent

Phoenix to be upgraded

It appears the long-awaited renovation of Phoenix International Raceway is at hand. Directors of International Speedway Corp., PIR's parent company, met in recent days and are believed to have approved plans to modernize the Avondale facility, azcentral sports was told exclusively by two motorsports industry sources with knowledge of the situation.

The sources requested not to be identified by name. It's believed the cost of such a major project would be between $150-$200 million and likely would take about two years to complete. For the first time in several years, Sunday's Can-Am 500 isn't a grandstand sellout. PIR has lagged well behind the Valley trend to build new or upgrade existing sports venues. Arizona Republic