Phoenix Int'l Raceway on Friday will announce that it will honor NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, who is retiring from full-time racing after this season, by "formally renaming the 1-mile oval in his name" for the Nov. 15 Sprint Cup Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500, according to Michael Knight of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The track will be called "Jeff Gordon Raceway" for the fall race at PIR, which will be Gordon's "penultimate race" ahead of the season-ending event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Some aspects of the renaming "will benefit Gordon's Children's Foundation and Phoenix Raceway Charities." Gordon "will sign limited sets of five trading cards PIR will produce featuring his top moments." They "will be auctioned by the NASCAR Foundation," as will a signed car hood "with the Jeff Gordon Raceway logo." One trading card "will be included in each PIR ticket mailing." Free cards "will be distributed at the gates race weekend." There "will be trading posts in the Midway where fans can swap cards to try to collect the full set." A "24 Moments of Greatness" campaign "will ask fans to submit their favorite Gordon memories." His car number also will "be painted on the start/finish line with fans encouraged to write messages to Gordon," and Jeff Gordon Raceway memorabilia "will be available for purchase" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/12).
