Bryan Sperber President of Phoenix International Raceway
Growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida,
home of the Daytona 500, the “Super
Bowl of NASCAR,” Bryan Sperber was destined
to become a racing fan.
Today, Sperber holds the dream job for
any Valley NASCAR enthusiast as president
of Phoenix International Raceway.
As one of the fastest-growing spectator
sports in the United States, NASCAR has
experienced a huge surge of fans in recent
years.
In April of 2005, Sperber was able to help
harness that growing popularity by adding
a second stop in Phoenix onto the NASCAR
schedule. Today, PIR attracts 300,000 people
to Arizona and brings in an estimated $400
million each year to the state’s economy.
“The racing bug has been out in the
Valley of the Sun and has bitten quite a
bit,” Sperber says. “From our perspective,
we think NASCAR racing and Phoenix
International Raceway is what being a resident
of the Valley is all about.”
This month, while preparing for three
days of speed at PIR from April 10-12,
Sperber invited The Times in for a look
around his private office.
Filled with die-cast cars, motorsports art
and autographed pictures of some of the
legends of NASCAR, Sperber’s memorabiliastrewn
Avondale office is a tribute to the
sport’s popularity and growing legacy.
By Shanna Hogan
1. PIR coffee mug. “I drink coffee
every day – and lots of it.” 2. Bottle of orange Gatorade from
1996. The bottle featured a promotional
contest for consumers in
which the winner received tickets
to the five biggest professional
sporting events: NBA Finals, World
Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup
and the Daytona 500. “It was a big
step for us (NASCAR) to be considered
an equal to the Super Bowl.” 3. Construction helmet he wore
when going to check out the progress
of 2005’s track expansion,
which cost $24 million and added
14,000 new seats. 4. Bullet from an F-16 fighter jet.
It was a Christmas gift from several
personnel at Luke Air Force
Base, who also work for the track’s
operations group. “It was the most
touching gift that I could have ever
asked for. I just think the world of
all of our men and women in the
armed forces.” 5. Bobblehead doll of a chiropractor
Sperber is friends with.
6. Painting Sperber commissioned
of a Porsche that raced at Watkins
Glen in the 1970s. “It never really
did much on the track; it doesn’t
have a pedigree in winning or
anything. Maybe it’s because I like
art, or whatever, but I just sort of
thought this was a cool car. The
big rumor was that it was owned
by members of the Grateful Dead. I
don’t know if that is true or not, but
it made for a great story.” 7. Football signed by Denver
Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback
John Elway. 8. Family photos. 9. Collection of die-cast cars. 10. Photo collage Sperber was
presented with on his birthday
from the staff at PIR. 11. An autographed photo of
three of the legends of New York
Watkins Glen racetrack (of which
Sperber was formerly president),
founder Cameron Argetsinger,
three-time winner Mark Martin and
legendary racer Jackie Stewart.
12. Guitar signed by the staff
of PIR, presented to Sperber (he
plays guitar) when he became
president.
