Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. It could be the weather, it could be the plethora of available outdoor activities or it could be something unique to each new resident.

Perhaps the Valley of the Sun is your destination so you can attend one of the two Universal Technical Institute (UTI) campuses in the greater Phoenix area. Both the  UTI campus in Avondale  and the  Motorcycle Mechanics Institute  campus call the Phoenix area their home.

If you are in town for either the  Automotive,   Diesel,   Welding,   Airframe & Powerplant  or  Motorcycle  programs and racing is your passion, then you have plenty of options to get involved  (Airframe & Powerplant Technician training coming to UTI Avondale pending FAA approval). Follow along as we share a list of racing venues in the greater Phoenix area to check out when you have downtime from class.

Go-Kart Racing

Interested in getting involved with racing but don’t want to make the significant investment required to build a race car? Indoor electric go-kart racing might be right up your alley.  Octane Raceway  hosts daily go-kart racing — and things can get competitive. Located in Scottsdale, it’s a great way to spend some time when school isn’t in session.

Another great go-karting option is  K1 Speed. Located near downtown Phoenix, K1 hosts indoor electric karts and, despite the Arizona heat, the races continue all summer long.

Motocross Racing

Located in Casa Grande, Motoland MX is about an hour’s drive south of Phoenix. This track is considered to be one of those “hidden gem” venues that only locals know about. They don’t have a website, but check out  Motoland’s Facebook page  for more information. It’s worth the drive !

Canyon Raceway MX Park  is in the northwest valley, only about 17 miles from MMI Phoenix. Canyon offers year-round racing, open practice, multiple tracks and more. If you’re into motocross, don’t leave town before riding at Canyon.

Other Racing Venues

Arizona Motorsports Park, also known as AMP, is a private track in Litchfield Park, about 14 miles from the UTI Avondale campus. Being a private track, AMP doesn’t host track days or other events that are open to the public. However, access to the track is granted from one of the many local enthusiast clubs. More information about local clubs and track access is available on the AMP website.

Running February through November,   Arizona Speedway  hosts racing on their one-third-mile dirt oval, as well as sand drags, mud bogs and more. Located in San Tan Valley, this is a track you won’t want to miss during your time in Phoenix.

Phoenix Raceway, formerly known as ISM Raceway, is located in Avondale. Roughly 15 minutes south of campus, you can watch NASCAR and IndyCar action on their one-mile, tri-oval track. Local regional racing can be found at Phoenix Raceway as well.

Located about 20 miles south of downtown Phoenix, you’ll find  Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Wild Horse Pass hosts everything from drag racing to road course racing, drift events, car shows and even drag boat racing. With such a wide variety of attractions, this track is worth the drive !

So there you have it — our list of racetracks and racing opportunities in the greater Phoenix area ! To learn more about  UTI’s Arizona campuses, visit our campus page and  request information  today.