Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix - wikipedia Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Verizon IndyCar Series Venue Arizona State Fairgrounds ( 1915, 1950 -- 63 ) ISM Raceway ( 1964 -- 2005, 2016 -- 2018 ) First race 1915 Last race 2018 Distance 255.5 miles Laps 250 Previous names Bobby Ball Memorial Jimmy Bryan Memorial Most wins ( driver ) Al Unser ( 6 ) Most wins ( manufacturer ) Chassis : March Dallara ( 9 ) Engine : Offenhauser ( 25 ) The Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix was a Verizon IndyCar Series race held at the ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Open wheel racing in the Phoenix area dates back to 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the AAA, and then passed to the United States Auto Club in 1956. USAC moved the race to the newly built Phoenix International Raceway in 1964. The race became a CART event in 1979, and joined the Indy Racing League in 1996. It was held continuously through 2005. After a hiatus of eleven years, the race was revived by the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016. It was held on Saturday night under the lights. Long considered a popular Indy car track, Phoenix has a rich history of open wheel races, including a spectacular crash involving Johnny Rutherford ( 1980 ), and the final career victory for Indy legend Mario Andretti ( 1993 ). Contents 1 History 2 Past winners 2.1 Arizona State Fairgrounds 2.2 Phoenix International Raceway 2.3 Support races 3 Selected race summaries 3.1 Champ Car World Series 3.2 IndyCar Series 4 Broadcasting history ( United States ) 4.1 Spring race 4.2 Fall race 5 References 6 External links History During its time on the USAC Championship Car circuit, Phoenix International Raceway typically held two races annually, one in the spring, and one in the fall. During the CART years, two races were scheduled through the mid-1980s, but the track dropped down to one race per year starting in 1987. In many years, Phoenix served as the CART season opener. After a feud between the track ownership and CART series officials, the track was dropped from the CART schedule after 1995, and immediately switched to the Indy Racing League beginning in 1996. Citing low attendance, the race was put on hiatus after the 2005 season. In 2007, the Grand Prix Arizona for the Champ Car series was planned on a street circuit in downtown Phoenix nearby to the original course used for the United States Grand Prix. The event was cancelled four months before the event due to insufficient sponsorship funding. After a long hiatus, the track returned to the IndyCar Series schedule in 2016. The race was the only 1 - mile oval on the schedule. The race was scheduled for a twilight start, and raced into the night under the lights. With the reconfiguring of the track in 2011, the circuit measured 1.022 miles in length, and the race was scheduled for 255.5 miles. Desert Diamond West Valley was announced as the title sponsor of the race for 2016 on March 23. Past winners Arizona State Fairgrounds Season Date Race Name Driver Team Chassis Engine Tire Race Distance Race Time Average Speed ( mph ) Laps Miles ( km ) AAA Championship Car history 1915 November 20 Earl Cooper Stutz Motor Company Stutz Stutz Firestone 109 109 ( 175.418 ) 1 : 42 : 30 64.39 1916 -- 1949 Not held 1950 November 12 Phoenix 100 Jimmy Davies Pat Clancy Racing Ewing Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 16 : 54 78.020 1951 November 4 Phoenix 100 Johnnie Parsons Kurtis Kraft Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 10 : 54 84.626 1952 November 11 Phoenix 100 Johnnie Parsons Ricketts Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 09 : 52 85.87 1953 November 11 Phoenix 100 Tony Bettenhausen Belanger Motors Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 11 : 30 83.916 1954 November 7 − 8 * Bobby Ball Memorial Jimmy Bryan Dean Racing Enterprises Kuzma Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 10 : 59 84.524 1955 November 6 Bobby Ball Memorial Jimmy Bryan Dean Racing Enterprises Kuzma Offenhauser Firestone 97 * 97 ( 156.106 ) 1 : 09 : 24 83.862 USAC Championship Car history 1956 November 12 Bobby Ball Memorial George Amick Lindsey Hopkins Racing Lesovsky Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 05 : 20 91.826 1957 November 11 Bobby Ball Memorial Jimmy Bryan Dean Racing Enterprises Kuzma Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 09 : 46 86.001 1958 November 11 Bobby Ball Memorial Jud Larson Bignotti - Bowes Racing Associates Lesovsky Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 04 : 42 92.738 1959 October 18 Bobby Ball Memorial Tony Bettenhausen Lindsey Hopkins Racing Kuzma Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 07 : 50 88.458 1960 November 20 Bobby Ball Memorial A.J. Foyt Bignotti - Bowes Racing Associates Meskowski Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 07 : 21 89.079 1961 November 19 Bobby Ball Memorial Parnelli Jones Agajanian Racing Lesovsky Offenhauser Firestone 89 * 89 ( 143.231 ) 1962 November 18 Bobby Ball Memorial Bobby Marshman Lindsey Hopkins Racing Kuzma Offenhauser Firestone 51 * 51 ( 82.076 ) 0 : 33 : 13 92.124 1963 November 17 Bobby Ball Memorial Rodger Ward Leader Card Racing Watson Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 1 : 10 : 35 85.01 1954 : Final 65 laps completed on November 8 due to heavy dust and the rough condition of the track. 1955 : Race shortened due to rough track conditions. 1961 : Race shortened due to darkness. 1962 : Race shortened due to crash. Phoenix International Raceway Season Date Race Name Driver Team Chassis Engine Tires Race Distance Race Time Average Speed ( mph ) Laps Miles ( km ) USAC Championship Car history 1964 March 22 Phoenix 100 A.J. Foyt Anstead - Thompson Racing Watson Offenhauser Firestone 100 100 ( 160.934 ) 0 : 55 : 48 107.536 November 22 Bobby Ball Memorial Lloyd Ruby Bill Forbes Racing Halibrand Offenhauser Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 51 : 23 107.736 1965 March 28 Jimmy Bryan Memorial Don Branson Leader Card Racing Watson Offenhauser Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 24 : 33 106.456 November 21 Bobby Ball Memorial A.J. Foyt Anstead - Thompson Racing Lotus Ford Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 2 : 00 : 01 99.99 1966 March 20 Jimmy Bryan Memorial Jim McElreath John Zink Company Brabham Ford Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 31 : 05 98.828 November 20 Bobby Ball Memorial Mario Andretti Dean Racing Enterprises Brawner Hawk Ford Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 54 : 38 104.697 1967 April 9 Jimmy Bryan Memorial Lloyd Ruby Gene White Firestone Mongoose Ford Firesone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 44 : 18 86.296 November 19 Bobby Ball Memorial Mario Andretti Dean Racing Enterprises Brawner Hawk Ford Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 49 : 13 109.872 1968 April 7 Jimmy Bryan Memorial Bobby Unser Leader Card Racing Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 29 : 10 100.938 November 17 Bobby Ball Memorial Gary Bettenhausen Gerhardt Racing Gerhardt Offenhauser Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 54 : 19 104.972 1969 March 30 Jimmy Bryan 150 George Follmer George Follmer Racing Cheetah Chevrolet Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 21 : 55 109.8 November 15 Bobby Ball 200 Al Unser Vel 's Parnelli Jones Racing Lola Ford Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 48 : 59 110.109 1970 March 28 Jimmy Bryan 150 Al Unser Vel 's Parnelli Jones Racing P.J. Colt Ford Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) November 21 Bobby Ball 150 Swede Savage All American Racers Eagle Ford Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 17 : 30 116.807 1971 March 27 Jimmy Bryan 150 Al Unser Vel 's Parnelli Jones Racing P.J. Colt Ford Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 20 : 40 111.565 October 23 Bobby Ball 150 A.J. Foyt Anstead - Thompson Racing Coyote Ford Motor Company Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 21 : 18 110.333 1972 March 18 Jimmy Bryan 150 Bobby Unser All American Racers Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 27 : 32 102.805 November 4 Best Western 150 Bobby Unser All American Racers Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 10 : 31 127.618 1973 March 17 Phoenix 150 Race postponed by rain and eventually cancelled due to infrastructure damage and scheduling conflicts. November 3 Arizona 150 Gordon Johncock STP - Patrick Racing Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 18 : 15 115.015 March 17 Phoenix 150 Mike Mosley Agajanian - Leader Card Racing Eagle Offenhauser Firestone 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 17 : 08 116.663 November 2 Phoenix 150 Gordon Johncock STP - Patrick Racing Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 12 : 28 124.202 March 16 Bricklin 150 Johnny Rutherford Team McLaren McLaren Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 21 : 06 110.971 November 9 Phoenix 150 A.J. Foyt Gilmore - Foyt Racing Coyote Foyt Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 21 : 02 111.055 1976 March 14 Jimmy Bryan 150 Bobby Unser Bob Fletcher Racing Eagle Offenhauser Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) November 7 Bobby Ball 150 Al Unser Vel 's Parnelli Jones Racing Parnelli Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 23 : 34 107.695 1977 March 27 Jimmy Bryan 150 Johnny Rutherford Team McLaren McLaren Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 20 : 48 111.395 October 29 Bobby Ball 150 Gordon Johncock Patrick Racing Wildcat Drake Goosen Sparks Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 22 : 53 108.597 1978 March 18 Jimmy Bryan 150 Gordon Johncock Patrick Racing Wildcat Drake Goosen Sparks Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 17 : 05 116.757 October 28 Miller High Life Bobby Ball Memorial 150 Johnny Rutherford Team McLaren McLaren Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 14 : 24 120.974 Champ Car World Series history 1979 March 11 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 Gordon Johncock Patrick Racing Penske Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 15 : 23 119.389 October 20 Miller High Life 150 Al Unser Chaparral Cars Chaparral Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 13 : 03 123.203 1980 March 2 Phoenix 150 Race cancelled due to Salt River floods November 8 Miller High Life 150 Tom Sneva Jerry O'Connell Racing Phoenix Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 30 : 04 99.925 1981 March 22 Kraco Car Stereo 150 Johnny Rutherford Chaparral Cars Chaparral Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 17 : 08 116.681 October 31 Miller High Life 150 Tom Sneva Bignotti - Cotter Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 20 : 10 112.266 1982 March 28 Kraco Car Stereo 150 Rick Mears Team Penske Penske Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 15 : 48 118.727 November 6 Miller High Life 150 Tom Sneva Bignotti - Cotter Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 21 : 05 110.997 March 20 Phoenix 150 Race cancelled due to Salt River floods October 29 Miller High Life 150 Teo Fabi Forsythe Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 11 : 03 126.671 1984 April 14 Dana - Jimmy Bryan 150 Tom Sneva Mayer Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 14 : 39 120.555 October 13 Stroh 's 150 Bobby Rahal Truesports March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 31 : 47 98.048 1985 March 31 Phoenix 150 Race cancelled due to general deterioration of the track. October 13 Dana 150 Al Unser Team Penske March Cosworth Goodyear 150 150 ( 241.401 ) 1 : 14 : 35 120.644 1986 April 6 Dana 200 Kevin Cogan Patrick Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 39 : 42 120.345 October 19 Circle K / Fiesta Bowl 200 Michael Andretti Kraco Racing March Cosworth Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 29 : 06 134.676 April 12 Checker 200 Roberto Guerrero Granatelli Racing Team March Cosworth Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 26 : 56 138.02 1988 April 10 Checker 200 Mario Andretti Newman / Haas Racing Lola Chevrolet Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 38 : 22 121.992 1989 April 9 Checker Autoworks 200 Rick Mears Team Penske Penske Chevrolet Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 35 : 09 126.112 1990 April 8 Autoworks 200 Rick Mears Team Penske Penske Chevrolet Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 35 : 01 126.291 1991 April 21 Valvoline 200 Arie Luyendyk Granatelli Racing Team Lola Chevrolet Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 32 : 18 129.988 1992 April 5 Valvoline 200 Bobby Rahal Rahal / Hogan Racing Lola Chevrolet Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 31 : 56 130.529 1993 April 4 Valvoline 200 Mario Andretti Newman / Haas Racing Lola Ford - Cosworth Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 36 : 53 123.847 1994 April 10 Slick - 50 200 Emerson Fittipaldi Team Penske Penske Mercedes - Benz Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 51 : 41 107.437 1995 April 2 Slick - 50 200 Robby Gordon Walker Racing Reynard Ford - Cosworth Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 29 : 33 133.98 IndyCar Series history March 24 Dura Lube 200 Arie Luyendyk Treadway Racing Reynard Ford - Cosworth Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 42 : 14 117.368 1997 March 23 Phoenix 200 Jim Guthrie Blueprint Racing Dallara Oldsmobile Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 2 : 14 : 33 89.19 1998 March 22 Dura - Lube 200 Scott Sharp Kelley Racing Dallara Oldsmobile Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 2 : 02 : 19 98.11 1999 March 28 MCI WorldCom 200 Scott Goodyear Panther Racing G - Force Oldsmobile Goodyear 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 56 : 40 102.856 2000 March 19 MCI WorldCom 200 Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing Riley & Scott Oldsmobile Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 47 : 11 111.957 2001 March 18 Pennzoil / Copper World Indy 200 Sam Hornish, Jr. Panther Racing Dallara Oldsmobile Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 35 : 57 125.072 2002 March 17 Bombardier ATV Indy 200 Hélio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara Chevrolet Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 43 : 00 116.504 2003 March 23 Purex / Dial Indy 200 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 59 : 55 100.073 March 21 Copper World Indy 200 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 33 : 46 127.981 2005 March 19 XM Satellite Radio 200 Presented by Argent Mortgage Sam Hornish, Jr. Team Penske Dallara Toyota Firestone 200 200 ( 321.868 ) 1 : 30 : 24 137.753 2006 -- 2015 Not held 2016 April 2 Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Chevrolet Firestone 250 255.5 ( 411.186 ) * 1 : 49 : 39 139.822 2017 April 29 Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Dallara Chevrolet Firestone 250 255.5 ( 411.186 ) 1 : 46 : 25 144.058 2018 April 7 Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Josef Newgarden Team Penske Dallara Chevrolet Firestone 250 255.5 ( 411.186 ) 1 : 44 : 00 147.395 2016 race at PIR, after 2011 reconfiguration, is measured at 1.022 miles. Support races Season Date Winning Driver Chassis Engine ARS / Indy Lights Series 1986 April 6 Steve Millen March Buick October 19 Fabrizio Barbazza March Buick April 12 Jeff Andretti March Buick 1988 April 9 Paul Tracy March Buick 1989 April 8 Mike Groff March Buick 1990 April 7 Paul Tracy March Buick 1991 April 21 Robbie Groff March Buick 1992 April 5 Adrián Fernández March Buick 1993 April 4 Sandy Brody Lola Buick 1994 April 10 Greg Moore Lola Buick 1995 April 2 Greg Moore Lola Buick 2003 March 22 Mark Taylor Dallara Infiniti March 20 Thiago Medeiros Dallara Infiniti 2005 March 20 Jon Herb Dallara Infiniti 2016 April 2 Kyle Kaiser Dallara Mazda - AER Season Date Winning Driver USAC Mini-Indy Series 1977 October 29 Herm Johnson 1978 March 18 Tim Richmond October 28 Kevin Cogan SCCA Super Vee Series 1980 November 8 Al Unser, Jr. 1981 October 31 Pete Halsmer 1982 March 28 Michael Andretti November 6 Michael Andretti October 29 Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. 1984 April 15 Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. 1985 October 13 Jeff Andretti 1986 October 19 Mike Groff April 12 Ken Johnson 1988 April 10 Ken Murillo 1989 April 9 Robbie Groff 1990 April 8 Stuart Crow Selected race summaries Champ car world Series 1980 : Johnny Rutherford led the first 37 laps, then on lap 71 was chasing leader Tom Sneva. Dicing through slower traffic, Rutherford slipped by Sneva in turn three to take the lead. He then suffered a spectacular crash. Coming out of turn four, he touched wheels with Dennis Firestone and spun into the outside wall. Then the car flipped up in the air and landed upside - down on its roll bar. Rutherford escaped with a concussion and only minor cuts and lacerations. 1985 ( fall ) : In the second - to - last race of the season at Phoenix, Al Unser, Sr. and Al Unser, Jr. finished 1st - 2nd, and ended the day within 3 points of each other going into the season finale. The father and son battle for the 1985 championship is famous in Indy car lore. 1986 ( spring ) : Michael Andretti led 78 laps, but his engine started smoking on lap 163. Kevin Cogan took the lead on lap 164, and won his first ( and only ) career Indy car race. Cogan finished a lap ahead of second place Tom Sneva. 1987 : Roberto Guerrero qualified third, but failed post-qualifying inspection for being 2.5 pounds underweight. He was forced to start last on the grid. Guerrero quickly charged through the field, and was in the top five by lap 46. He dueled with Bobby Rahal for the lead on lap 62, and dominated the second half. Even a stop - and - go penalty for hitting a tire in the pits did not slow Guerrero 's run. Guerrero won by 8 seconds over Rahal, becoming only the fourth driver in modern Indy car history to win a race from the last starting position. 1988 : Polesitter Rick Mears led the first 22 laps, and stretched out to a large, dominating lead. Coming out of turn four on lap 22, however, Mears tangled with Randy Lewis, spun down the main stretch, and came to rest with a broken suspension. Mario Andretti led the final 135 laps to win. 1989 : Danny Sullivan held the lead late, but his Penske teammate Rick Mears blew by him on lap 183. Sullivan pitted for tires, but his pitside tank had no more fuel to take on. Mears had a lap on the entire field as he stretched his fuel to the victory. At the line, Al Unser, Jr. barely held off Sullivan for second place. 1990 : Rick Mears made it back - to - back victories at Phoenix, this time in dominating fashion. Mears led the final 132 laps, nearly lapping the field at one point. The attention focused on the battle for second between Galles - Kraco Racing teammates Bobby Rahal and Al Unser, Jr. On lap 189, Rahal was able to weave through lapped traffic and pass Unser for second, as Mears cruised to victory. 1991 : Arie Luyendyk, driving for the fledgling Bob Tezak UNO / Granatelli Racing, took the lead on lap 143. Luyendyk pulled out to a large lead while Bobby Rahal, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Michael Andretti battled wheel - to - wheel for second. Fittipaldi and Rahal were side - by - side when Danny Sullivan 's Alfa Romeo engine blew, bringing out the yellow and white flag. Fittipaldi passed Rahal, but it was after the yellow light came on. Luyendyk won his second Indy car race, and Rahal was restored to second. 1992 : Bobby Rahal led wire - to - wire, leading all 200 laps en route to victory. Rahal became the first driver to accomplish that feat at Phoenix since A.J. Foyt in 1964. Michael Andretti qualified for the pole position, the first pole for the Ford - Cosworth XB engine, but his car did n't even pull away from the starting grid. He was pushed to the pits due to fouled spark plugs, and started the race four laps behind the field. 1993 : Rookie Nigel Mansell arrived at Phoenix anticipating his first open wheel oval race, but crashed during practice and sat out with a back injury. Mansell 's teammate Mario Andretti won the race, and became the oldest winner of an Indy car race ( 53 years, 34 days ). It was Mario Andretti 's final Indy car victory. 1994 : Hiro Matsushita touched wheels with Teo Fabi in turn three on lap 63. The two cars crashed and collected leader Paul Tracy. Seconds later, rookie Jacques Villenueve came upon the scene in the high groove, and t - boned Matsushita 's car, splitting it in two, and sending it spinning wildly to the infield. Matsushita escaped with no injuries besides a sore shoulder. Later in the race, Mario Andretti crashed on the backstretch, and Michael Andretti clipped another car, which sheared off his left front wheel, which bounced into a spectator area. No injuries were reported. Emerson Fittipaldi won, with his Penske teammate Al Unser, Jr. second. After sitting out the race a year before, Nigel Mansell placed third. 1995 : In the closing laps, Paul Tracy and Emerson Fittipaldi battled for the lead. Both had to pit though for a `` splash - and - go '' to make it to the finish. With 7 laps to go Fittipaldi 's pit stop handed the lead to Michael Andretti, but Andretti did not realize he had inherited the lead. Andretti allowed Robby Gordon to pass him for the lead with five laps to go, and Gordon won his first career CART series race. It would be the final CART series race at Phoenix. IndyCar Series 1996 : The race switched to the new Indy Racing League. On lap 128, Foyt Racing drivers Scott Sharp and Mike Groff ( running 1st - 2nd ) ducked into the pits for their final stop. However, they did not see that the yellow flag had come out, and were penalized one lap for pitting while the pits were closed. Arie Luyendyk cruised over the final 66 laps to victory. During a practice run, Buddy Lazier suffered a fractured back after a crash. Lazier would come back to win the Indy 500 two months later. 1997 : Independent owner / driver Jim Guthrie authored one of the biggest underdog wins in Indy Racing League / IndyCar history. On lap 180, a crash involving Sam Schmidt and Kenny Brack brought out a lengthy yellow flag. Guthrie stayed out, looking to stretch his fuel over the final 82 laps. Guthrie held off a hard - charging Tony Stewart over the final ten laps to secure his lone Indy car victory. Going into the race, Guthrie was forced to take out a second mortgage on his home to purchase his chassis. 1998 : On lap 59, Eliseo Salazar spun and collected Dave Steele and Robbie Buhl. Trying to avoid the crash, Arie Luyendyk touched wheels with Salazar, and slid through turn 2 upside down. On lap 169, the leaders pitted under caution, but Scott Sharp stayed out, gambling on track position. On lap 186, Kenny Brack and Mike Groff touched wheels, crashing hard. The long yellow allowed Sharp to conserve fuel. With two laps to go, the green came out with Sharp leading. Tony Stewart and Billy Boat were caught up behind the slow car of Mark Dismore, allowing Sharp to hold on for the win. After the race, Dismore was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Sharp was fined $15,000 when he failed post-race inspection with an oversized fuel tank. 2001 : In preparations for their return to the Indianapolis 500, Penske Racing enters their CART regulars Hélio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran for the IRL season opener at Phoenix. Both Penske cars, however, would drop out. Sam Hornish Jr., driving in his first start for Panther Racing, won his first career Indy car race. Hornish beat the leaders out of the pits with 73 laps to go, and dominated the rest of the way. 2005 : Tomas Scheckter brushed the outside wall in turn four on lap 193, bringing out the caution, and setting up a two - lap sprint to the checkered flag. Sam Hornish, Jr. led Dario Franchitti and Hélio Castroneves. Hornish got a good jump on the restart, while Franchitti slipped high in turn two, whitewalling the tires. Hornish won the race, while Franchitti fell back to 4th. Tony Kanaan, who finished third, started 21st and passed half the field on the first lap. 2016 : After an eleven - year hiatus, the IndyCar Series returned to Phoenix for a race under the lights. The track had been slightly reconfigured since the last race in 2005, and now was measured at 1.022 miles in length. In addition, the race length was lengthened to 250 laps. Hélio Castroneves broke the track record during qualifying, setting a new one - lap record of 192.631 mph. Passing was difficult during the race, and tire wear was a major factor. Penske teammates Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya both suffered tire failures while leading in the first half. Scott Dixon took the lead and led the final 155 laps to victory. Broadcasting history ( United States ) Spring race Season Channel Lay - by - lap Driver Analyst ( s ) Pit Reporter ( s ) Host ( s ) 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 ABC Jim McKay Chris Economaki Rodger Ward Jim McKay 1971 Car and Track Bud Lindemann Bud Lindemann 1972 Car and Track Bud Lindemann Bud Lindemann 1976 1977 1978 ABC 1979 NBC 1981 NBC 1982 NBC Paul Page Bruce Jenner Gary Gerould Paul Page Bruce Jenner 1984 NBC Paul Page Johnny Rutherford Gary Gerould Bruce Jenner Paul Page 1986 ESPN Larry Nuber Derek Daly Gary Lee Larry Nuber Derek Daly ABC Jim Lampley Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Jim Lampley Sam Posey Bobby Unser 1988 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser 1989 ABC Paul Page Bobby Unser Jack Arute Paul Page Bobby Unser 1990 ABC Paul Page Bobby Unser Jack Arute Gary Gerould Paul Page Bobby Unser 1991 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser 1992 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser 1993 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Gary Gerould Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser 1994 ESPN Paul Page Derek Daly Jon Beekhuis Gary Gerould 1995 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser Jack Arute Gary Gerould Paul Page Sam Posey Bobby Unser ABC Paul Page Danny Sullivan Jack Arute Gary Gerould 1997 ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack Arute Gary Gerould Paul Page Tom Sneva 1998 ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack Arute Paul Page 1999 Fox Sports Net Dave Calabro Jack Arute Arie Luyendyk Calvin Fish Vince Welch Jack Arute Dave Calabro Arie Luyendyk 2000 ABC Bob Jenkins Sam Posey Danny Sullivan Jack Arute Vince Welch Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva 2001 ABC Bob Jenkins Jason Priestly Larry Rice Jack Arute Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva 2002 ABC Paul Page Scott Goodyear Jack Arute Gary Gerould Bob Jenkins 2003 ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Danny Sullivan Jack Arute Gary Gerould Bob Jenkins ABC Paul Page Sam Posey Danny Sullivan Jack Arute Gary Gerould Todd Harris Paul Page Scott Goodyear 2005 ABC Todd Harris Gil de Ferran Scott Goodyear Jack Arute Jamie Little Dr. Jerry Punch Gil de Ferran Scott Goodyear Todd Harris 2016 NBCSN Rick Allen Townsend Bell Paul Tracy Katie Hargitt Kevin Lee Robin Miller Marty Snider Rick Allen Townsend Bell Paul Tracy 2017 NBCSN Rick Allen Townsend Bell Paul Tracy Katie Hargitt Kevin Lee Robin Miller Marty Snider Rick Allen 2018 NBCSN Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell Paul Tracy Katie Hargitt Kevin Lee Robin Miller Marty Snider Leigh Diffey Fall race Season Channel Lay - by - lap Driver Analyst ( s ) Pit Reporter ( s ) Host ( s ) 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 Car and Track Bud Lindemann Bud Lindemann 1969 1970 1971 1972 ABC 1973 1976 ABC Bill Flemming Chris Economaki Jim McKay 1977 1978 CBS 1979 1980 NBC Paul Page Tim Richmond Gary Gerould Paul Page Tim Richmond 1981 NBC Paul Page Gary Gerould Paul Page 1982 NBC Paul Page Bruce Jenner Gary Gerould Paul Page NBC Paul Page Bobby Unser Gary Gerould Paul Page Bobby Unser 1984 ESPN Bob Jenkins Gary Lee Jack Arute Gary Lee Bob Jenkins 1985 ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry Nuber Jack Arute Bob Jenkins Larry Nuber 1986 ESPN Bob Jenkins Derek Daly Larry Nuber Derek Daly Bob Jenkins References Jump up ^ Berry, Jahna ( 29 August 2007 ). `` Grand Prix Arizona canceled ''. The Arizona Republic. Jump up ^ `` PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY NAMES DESERT DIAMOND WEST VALLEY TITLE SPONSOR OF APRIL 2 PHOENIX GRAND PRIX ''. Retrieved 3 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Auto Racing Roundup : Cogan Gets a Break and Beats Sneva for First Indy - Car Win ''. Los Angeles Times. Avondale, Arizona : Tribune Publishing. Times Wire Services. April 7, 1986. Retrieved March 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Sharp / Dismore Fined for Phoenix Infractions ''. The Auto Channel. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 29. Jump up ^ Glick, Shav ( March 16, 2001 ). `` Penske CART Team Using Phoenix Race as Indy 500 Tuneup ''. Los Angeles Times. Avondale, Arizona : Tribune Publishing. Retrieved March 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` IRL : Hornish secures lucky 13th win at PIR ''. Motorsport.com. Motorsport.com, Inc. March 22, 2005. Retrieved March 13, 2016. External links Champ Car Stats : Fairgrounds archive, PIR archive, Indy Lights archive Ultimate Racing History : Fairgrounds archive, Phoenix archive Preceded by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IndyCar Series Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix Succeeded by Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach hide Races of the IndyCar Series Current Ovals Gateway Indianapolis Iowa Phoenix Pocono Texas Road and street courses Barber Detroit Indianapolis Long Beach Mid-Ohio Portland Road America St. Petersburg Sonoma Toronto Former Ovals Atlanta Charlotte Chicagoland Dover Fontana Homestead Kansas Kentucky Las Vegas Michigan Milwaukee Motegi Nashville Nazareth New Hampshire Pikes Peak Richmond Walt Disney World Road and street courses Baltimore Edmonton Houston New Orleans São Paulo Surfers Paradise Watkins Glen Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Desert_Diamond_West_Valley_Phoenix_Grand_Prix&oldid=848633063 '' Categories : Former IndyCar Series races Champ Car races Motorsport in Arizona Sports in Phoenix, Arizona Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2018 Hidden categories : Pages using deprecated image syntax Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Português Edit links This page was last edited on 3 July 2018, at 06 : 53 ( UTC ). 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Question: who won the indy car race in phoenix
Answer: Mario Andretti