Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park Continues to Thrive; Racers Compete at ‘Street Car Takeover 2023’
NU Newsmedia
Chandler, Ariz. - Racers from all over Arizona and the greater Southwest gathered this weekend for a record turnout of Street Car Takeover 2023 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, pitting horsepower against horsepower in a fight to the finish line.
Many of Arizona’s fastest street car racers participated and competed in the series’ 10th anniversary of events starting with a meetup at Twin Peaks sports pub in Scottsdale and then a test and tune session Friday night, followed by a car show, roll racing, burnout competition, and 1/8 mile and 1/4 mile drag racing on Saturday.
“(We) put on these events for the love of the sport, it’s in (our) blood. I was born and raised in a motorsports family so it’s life to me,” says Cliff Parvin, the event announcer. “Some do it for the fortune, some do it for the fame, but I do it to be a part of the game.”
Dragan Rasuo brought his 1,600-horsepower turbo 1994 Toyota Supra, built by State 48 Performance & Fabrication, to compete in the roll racing event.
"I've been racing forever. Anything (that has) turbo on it, I'm on it," said Rasuo, 45. "(I come out) every time the car is running, and it's not broken, and whenever they have something like this."
Dale Carpentier brought his 1958 Corvette to compete in the car show.
“Obviously I like horsepower, and this is a good place to get (it),” Carpentier, 68, said. “When cars come in with license plates on and a parachute hanging out the back, that means there’s something going on.”
Carpentier inherited the car from his lifelong best friend Pete, who died from cancer. Carpentier rebuilt the car in his honor.
“Before he died, he told his wife that I was the only one who would put it together the way he wanted,” he said. “This is how Pete wanted it to look like. I’ve got his ashes in the glove box.”
Racing events like this have become increasingly rare as racetracks across the country shut down.
“(Young kids) got to race somewhere,” Rasuo explains. “Leave the (tracks) open. I think that’s safer for people. I’m sure there’s a lot of people that will go race on the street.”
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park has a different fate, though. Radford Racing School (formerly known as Bondurant Racing School) has reached an official agreement with the Gila River Indian Community to use the 447-acre track complex and remain open, after a much-anticipated closure. We reached out for comment, but details of that agreement remain unclear.
Racers across the Southwest worried for years over its expected closure. A Facebook group was created to rally the racing community behind the common cause of saving the track. Even the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), which holds an annual Nationals event at the complex, had expected such and promoted last March’s event as its last.
“We are here to stay – in a big way,” said Pat Velasco, owner of Radford Racing School, on the school’s website. The collaboration with Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park makes Radford Racing School the “largest driving and racing school in the world”.
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, formerly known to Phoenix-area residents as Firebird International Raceway is a motorsports complex that boasts four controlled track environments, to include a 1/4-mile NHRA sanctioned dragstrip, a 14-turn 1.6-mile road course, a 10-turn 1.25-mile road course, and a 12-turn 1.1-mile road course.
“I am super pumped to hear that this track is here to stick around hopefully for my kids to enjoy,” says George Sanchez, 35, owner of GAS Auto, and the driver of a 446 horsepower, 2023 Audi S3.
Frustrations among staff, racers, and spectators grew visible, however, as the event was cut short Saturday night. Hazards such as oil slicks and ambient temperature made track conditions unsafe, rendering some classes unable to compete. Their associated award pots are to be distributed amongst registered racers with checks mailed out this week, according to race officials.
“Some heavy hitters were not prepared enough to make sure fluid spills on the track were minimized by utilizing (an engine diaper), which ultimately ended it for all (of us),” said Sanchez who was unable to compete in his class due to the cancellation. “Safety for the drivers (is) a huge concern obviously, (though), and I respect that”.
Race officials made multiple public announcements that echoed this sentiment.
A crash on the track earlier Saturday evening caused further delays, as safety crews tended to the driver, recovered the car and cleaned up the wreckage. The driver was reportedly okay.
Enthusiasts can look forward to a return of ‘Street Car Takeover’ at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on November 22, 2024.
Event sponsors included: Cordes Performance Racing, Nitto Tires USA, Pure Drivetrain Solutions, Twin Peaks Restaurants, Weld Racing, Aeromotive, and Monster Energy.
Kelly Christine Photography, a local photographer, was on hand to cover the event.
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Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park has been officially renamed Firebird Motorsports Park in the days following our publication.