The Arizona Republic reports that Phoenix International Raceway may be reconfigured next year. After next February's Sprint Cup race, the one-mile track is expected to be be repaved for the first time since 1993. But the newspaper reports that other "dramatic changes" under consideration include bottom-to-top gradual banking, widening and even opening up the radius of the turns. The purpose of the modification would be to "make racing more exciting for fans." The report emphasized that no final decisions have been made, however.
PIR's banking currently ranges from 3 to 11 degrees, and in racing terms PIR is considered a "flat" track. The progressive banking design has been popular at other tracks, such as the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway.