NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With a new long-term lease on life after a proposed closing in 2023, the operators of Firebird Motorsports Park have gone full speed ahead with improvements at the famed Phoenix-area racetrack in anticipation of the 2025 NHRA Arizona Nationals, March 21-23.

First and foremost is a repaving of the popular dragstrip that has hosted an NHRA national event since 1985. Utilizing 125 truckloads of asphalt and employing pavers, rollers, and active-leveling skis, 35 members of Sunland Asphalt crafted a continuous pour with no cold joint, thanks to a solid plan by the company.

“When we made our announcement Dec. 7 of last year that we were not only continuing operation of the facility but rebranding as Firebird Motorsports Park, we understood the importance of our actions, proving to the motorsports community how committed we were to making the track successful and how great our support is from Gila River Development and the Gila River Indian Community,” said Track Manager Casey Buckman.

“I can't think of a better display of commitment than being able to ink a long-term agreement with NHRA to host the Arizona Nationals, as well as making the largest facility improvement in decades by replacing the asphalt surfaces of the dragstrip, within weeks of each other. We have great partners on this project in Sunland Asphalt, whose recent jobs include paving at Formula 1 events, and Kurt Johnson, whose reputation in the drag racing industry speaks for itself, all to make the most competitive surface possible for our great racers and fans.”

“This project just shows how strong our sport is right now, seeing NHRA member tracks investing in the future of their track, their local racers, and our sport as a whole simply makes me happy,” added NHRA Pacific Division Director Matt DeYoung. “It’s great to see vendors like Sunland Asphalt, Total Venue Concepts, and RDO show so much support and dedication to the success of this project.” 

“The future of drag racing and motorsports in Arizona is currently stronger and more exciting than we have seen in many years," said Chuck Sundstrom, whose GM Radford Racing School takes place on the facility grounds. "A year ago, we were all unsure as to the future of our track. Now, moving into 2025 we have a multiyear agreement with NHRA for the Arizona Nationals, a full schedule of multiple types of motorsports events, and a brand-new track surface that will give our racers and fans a quality of racing we haven’t seen in many years. The support and investment from the Gila River Community, NHRA, and everyone that has got us to this point over the past 18 months is going to have more of an impact on not only our community but also motorsports nationwide than any of us can imagine.”

The continuous pour was masterminded by the team at Sunland, whose credits include paving of the Miami Formula 1 racetrack and other big racing venues.

“We don’t want paving to ever stop, and in order to do that, we have to have a sufficient supply of material and truck; with the plant being 45 minutes away, we have to preplan with alternate detours and routes that those trucks can take if the main route gets shut down due to an accident or road closure,” said Sunland Asphalt Senior Project Manager Michael Lucarelli. “We also have a person driving that route all day long to ensure that the trucks don’t get stopped out there in traffic, and if they are, they have a way around the problem and to get them to the track. Our biggest goal is to never stop these pavers or equipment once we get rolling, so we need to keep that material flowing in here.
 
"From my motorsports background, I take pride in the race surface and giving the drivers the best possible race surface to perform on.”

Kurt Johnson, of Total Venue Concepts, added, “We’re happy to be involved with paving such an iconic racetrack, and seeing them partner with Sunland, who has experience in race tracks and understands how to put the proper tolerances in place, we should have a really fine surface.”