Michael Knight

Special for azcentral sports

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.

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PIR, built in 1964, was repaved in 2011 for about $10 million. Some infrastructure work was done at that time in anticipation of a more extensive remodeling.

ISC finished a $400 million “re-imagining” of its flagship Daytona International Speedway last year. That made the home of NASCAR’s premier Daytona 500 and IMSA’s Rolex 24-hour sports car classic motorsports’ first stadium-like track.

ISC is a publicly traded company controlled by NASCAR’s founding France family. Chairwoman Lesa France Kennedy told azcentral sports four years ago that PIR would be a “priority” after Daytona, although budgets for updates at its Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Richmond, Va. tracks were authorized first. ISC owns and/or operates 13 speedways.

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.

RELATED: Jimmie Johnson won't take it easy at PIR

Don’t speed

NASCAR has made it much more difficult to speed -- on pit road.

Additional electronic timing lines have been added on pit road this year to better enforce speed limits, a safety measure. In the past, drivers could “push” the limit, depending on where their pit stall was in relation to the closest line.

Violators are usually assessed a drive-through penalty, meaning the driver has to pass through pit lane, without stopping for service. NASCAR TV partner NBC Sports reported Cup contender Denny Hamlin has 10 penalties this season.

“The (additional) timing lines really do change things,” said Jimmie Johnson, who will try for his record-tying seventh Cup championship next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “They average maybe 115 feet in length. When you’re traveling at 50 mph, that’s 6-to-8 car lengths. If you waver any on your tach (tachometer), you can be over so easily.

“By the time you react, you’ve already gone through the timing loop. You’re dead in the water. It’s really tightened up how close we push the envelope.”

Pit road speed at PIR is 45 mph. NASCAR allows a 5 mph tolerance.

STEWART: Tony Stewart ready to walk away from NASCAR

Pit stops

--Brian Scott, runner-up three weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway, said Thursday he’ll retire after this season. Albertsons will end its sponsorship of the Scott-driven No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford.

--Greg Biffle is scheduled to make his 500th consecutive Cup start Sunday, becoming the 17th driver to do so. His streak began in 2003. Biffle has 19 series victories.

--Clint Bowyer has endured a frustrating season waiting to take over for the retiring Tony Stewart. Competing for the lower-budget HScott Motorsports team, Bowyer has only three top-10 finishes and is 27th in points.

--Michael Annett, HScott’s other driver, will go to the Xfinity Series next year with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, which will also have Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier and William Byron. Annett’s Pilot Flying J travel centers sponsorship will go with him.

NASCAR: Schedule | Standings | Statistics

Race week at PIR

What: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Xfinity, Camping World Truck races.

When: Friday-Sunday

Where: Phoenix International Raceway

Tickets, information: phoenixraceway.com

Friday (gates open at 9:30 a.m.)

9:30 a.m.: Truck Series practice (FS2)

10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series practice (NBCSN)

11:30 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice (NBCSN)

1 p.m.: Truck Series final practice (FS2)

2:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series final practice (NBCSN)

4:45 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series qualifying (NBCSN)

6:30 p.m.: Truck Series qualifying (FS2)

8 p.m.: Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 (FS1)

Saturday (gates open at noon)

1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series practice (NBCSN)

2:15 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying (NBCSN)

4 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series final practice (NBCSN)

5:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Ticket Galaxy 200 (NBCSN)

Sunday (gates open at 8 a.m.)

12:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Can-Am 500 (Channel 12)