View source for Grand Prix Arizona

{{Champ Car race infobox
|Name=Grand Prix Arizona
|Venue={{flagicon|USA}}{{flagicon|Arizona}} Streets of Phoenix
|Sponsor=First Data Independent Sales<ref>{{cite news|url=https://au.motorsport.com/indycar/news/champcar-cart-grand-prix-arizona-title-sponsor-announced/2117204/|title=CHAMPCAR/CART: Grand Prix Arizona title sponsor announced|website=[[Motorsport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=January 15, 2007|access-date=October 24, 2021}}</ref>
|First race=never run
|First CCWS race=never run
|Time = 1hr 45min 
|Laps= 
|Previous names=None
}}
The '''Grand Prix Arizona''' was a planned annual round of the [[Champ Car|Champ Car World Series]] in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], and was going to be an [[open-wheel]] race on a temporary [[street course]] through downtown Phoenix. The inaugural event was to have taken place from November 30 to December 1, 2007 and would have been continued annually for at least five years had the event not been called off. Financial pressures forced the event's sponsors to cancel the inaugural race.<ref name="cancelled">{{cite news|url=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0828race0828-ON.html|title=Grand Prix Arizona canceled|date=29 August 2007|first=Jahna|last=Berry|publisher=The Arizona Republic}}</ref>

==History==
Grand Prix Arizona was owned and organized by local Arizona businessmen [[Dale Jensen]] and [[Bradley Yonover]]. Yonover and Jensen pitched their idea for bringing the race to downtown Phoenix and won over the support of local leaders, including the Phoenix city council, but had run into significant opposition from local businesses as well as concerns over noise brought up by [[Maricopa County]] [[sheriff]] [[Joe Arpaio]], as part of the track passed in front of the department's downtown call center.

The operators of nearby [[ISM Raceway|Phoenix International Raceway]] argued that the event's original planned dates were too close to the [[Can-Am 500|Checker Auto Parts 500]], a [[NASCAR]] race that is a major event for the race track. A compromise to postpone the proposed downtown race eased the fears and PIR officials withdrew their opposition,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.azcentral.com/w2/news/articles.php?start=&from=&articleid=195959&article=&full=1|title=Downtown race close to reality|date=26 September 2006|first=Monica|last=Alonzo-Dunsmoor|publisher=The Arizona Republic}}</ref> clearing the way for city council approval. A test run of the track held on March 6, 2007, featuring [[Team Australia]] drivers [[Will Power]] and [[Simon Pagenaud]] eased noise concerns and earned the approval of Arpaio, apparently clearing the final hurdle to the race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=11298 |title=TEAM AUSTRALIA PARTICIPATES IN PHOENIX NOISE STUDY AS PAGENAUD SCORES SURPRISE SPEEDING TICKET |date=7 March 2007 |publisher=Champ Car World Series |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015226/http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=11298 |archivedate=30 September 2007 }}</ref>

==Cancellation==
Race organizers experienced difficulties in securing adequate sponsorship for the event in spite of the favorable support from the Phoenix city council. The loss of primary sponsor [[First Data Independent Sales Fresno]] early in 2007 left the event with inadequate funding, and organizers were unable to line up a replacement.

Although ticket sales for the event had been underway, Grand Prix Arizona officials announced on August 28 that the inaugural event would be cancelled <ref name="cancelled"/> citing lack of economic viability due to insufficient corporate sponsorship.<ref>[http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=12147 Official statements concerning the cancelling of the Grand Prix Arizona] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213717/http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=12147 |date=2007-09-27 }} CCWS Retrieved 26 November 2007</ref> Event organizers were offering full refunds to those who had purchased tickets.

==The Track==
The [[Downtown Phoenix]] circuit was going to be 2.11 miles long and was going to encompass [[Chase Field]] and the [[Footprint Center|US Airways Center]], as well as a good portion of the Downtown Warehouse District. The circuit was set to begin on Jefferson Street, go south on 7th Street, head west on Lincoln Street (with some turns), head north on 1st Avenue across a portion of Madison Street and back to Jefferson Street. A unique aspect of the circuit was that pit road was not on the same straightaway as the start/finish line.

==See also==
*[[Phoenix street circuit]] – the circuit used when the [[Formula One]] [[United States Grand Prix]] was held in Phoenix from {{F1|1989}} to {{F1|1991}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.grandprixarizona.com Grand Prix Arizona]
*[http://www.champcar.ws Champ Car World Series]
*[http://www.coppersquare.com Copper Square] - Downtown Phoenix Partnership
*[http://www.coppersquare.com/about/news/447 Phoenix Convention Center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928104014/http://www.coppersquare.com/about/news/447 |date=2007-09-28 }}

{{Champ Car World Series}}
{{Champ Car tracks}}

[[Category:Champ Car races]]
[[Category:Champ Car circuits]]
[[Category:Motorsport in Arizona]]
[[Category:Sports in Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Arizona]]
[[Category:2007 disestablishments in Arizona]]