In 1977, the first Copper World Classic was held, a marquee event for USAC midget and Silver Crown cars, featuring two road course races and two oval races. Another claim to fame came in 1970, when Hollywood actor-turned-racer Steve McQueen raced his Porsche 908 from pole position to victory in the 17 lap 'Winter Sprint' SCCA event, setting a new lap record of 1m41.9s in the process. Stock cars also were early visitors to the road course in January 1968, when a USAC event attracted the likes of Parnelli Jones, A.J. Then, in April, Davey MacDonald won an open sports car race. The road course was just as popular as the oval indeed, it staged the the first ever events, an informal SCCA regional on January 4-5, 1964, followed by a divisional on February 15-16. Foyt won the first ever oval race at PIR and added another three USAC wins in later years Mario Andretti was a four-time victor and the Unser dynasty also enjoyed much success here, with six Indycar wins for Al Sr and four for Bobby. Over the years, Phoenix would host 58 Indycar races, with winners forming a who's who of the sport: A.J. USAC began racing at the track in its first year and the venue quickly became a favourite of drivers. PIR was built with the goal of being the western home of open wheel racing, acting as a replacement for the dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Of course, the desert location does have some drawbacks the heat tends to make for a slippery race track, while the local wildlife is also an issue: before each race track officials send 'Snake Wranglers' to scour the speedway grounds and surrounding hills to gather up the rattlesnakes that tend to also make PIR their home.

Cheaper ticket prices helped ensure its popularity. Instead, many flock to the hillside alongside turns 3 and 4 (known as Monument Hill) for a unique top-down perspective. Spectators could often get among the best views of oval racing while at PIR – but not from the grandstands. To accommodate this, the track designers had to incorporate the unique dog-leg on the backstretch, which has become the circuit's signature feature. The road course wound its way around the exterior, departing and rejoining the oval course after Turn One. Opened in 1964 as Phoenix International Raceway, it was originally two-courses-in-one a 2.7-mile road course and one-mile tri-oval.

Phoenix raceway