NASCAR races into Phoenix and The Valley of the Sun twice a year giving NASCAR fans a chance to escape into the Sonora Desert for the excitement of NASCAR racing.

The first race of the 2009 season in Phoenix is the weekend of April 17th with both NASCAR Nationwide and the first night race of the season in the Cup Series. The weekend of November 13th through the 15th brings NASCAR back with races in the Camping World, Nationwide and Cup series.

April and November in Phoenix provide the racing and outdoor enthusiast the perfect opportunity to add a little adventure to their travels around the NASCAR circuit with near perfect weather and a number of things to do within an easy drive from Phoenix International Raceway.

I talked to Kerry Murphey, nationally syndicated host of The Final Lap radio broadcast and The Final Lap Podcast about what makes Phoenix International Raceway such an exciting track and his favorite things to do while he’s in town for the races.

Besides being the only track on the circuit with seating on a mountain PIR is unique in a number of ways, “First the track itself has a layout that is different than any other on the schedule. It’s a 1 mile, very flat oval with a dog-leg on the backstretch, which promotes side-by-side racing for the most part. Being one of the older tracks in NASCAR it also has a great history to look back on (and) the scenery around the track is a perfect backdrop.” said Murphey.

When watching the race Kerry says, “The front stretch heading into turn 1 makes for some interesting racing because of the narrow track, as well as the setting sun in the drivers eyes… but keep an eye out on the dog-leg, drivers sometimes have trouble with that on the backstretch since it is so unusual.”

While in town for the races in April Murphey says, “Being an avid baseball fan (and) NASCAR media member, I like to take in a Diamondbacks game if they are in town, as that is one of the most beautiful parks in the Major Leagues. They usually have the roof open at that time of year which brings in some great breezes and makes for a great baseball atmosphere.”

Besides NASCAR racing, Arizona has some other great destinations to take a trip to before or after race weekend. “Having only seen the Grand Canyon once in my life, I’d like to go and see it again, and it’s not too far of a drive from Phoenix. Flagstaff and Tucson are a couple of beautiful places to visit as well.”

Some other things to do while in town for the NASCAR races include hiking the Estrella Mountains in which the track is nestled into. There is a riparian area on the Gila River not very far from the track and Downtown Phoenix and surrounding communities have plenty to offer as well.

To learn more about Kerry Murphey and his radio broadcasts and Podcasts visit The Final Lap and you can follow The Final Lap and SeeTheSouthwest on Twitter at @thefinallap and @SeeTheSouthwest.