XM Satellite Radio Indy 200

The Phoenix Grand Prix is a Verizon IndyCar Series race held at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event began in 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the American Automobile Association, and then passed to the United States Auto Club in 1956. USAC moved the race to the newly built Phoenix International Raceway in 1964. The race became a CART event in 1979, and joined the Indy Racing League in 1996.

During its time on the USAC Championship Car circuit, Phoenix International Raceway typically held two races annually, one in the spring, and one in the fall. During the CART years, two races were scheduled through the mid-1980s, but the track dropped down to one race per year starting in 1987. In many years, Phoenix served as the CART season opener. After a feud between the track ownership and CART series officials, the track was dropped from the CART schedule after 1995, and immediately switched to the IRL beginning in 1996. Long considered a popular Indy car track, Phoenix has a rich history of open wheel races, including a spectacular crash involving Johnny Rutherford (1980), and the final career victory for Indy legend Mario Andretti (1993).

Bobby Ball

Robert Harper known as Bobby Ball (born 28 January 1944) is an English comedian, best known as one half of the double act Cannon and Ball, with Tommy Cannon. They hosted their own ITV show The Cannon and Ball Show for nine years between 1979 and 1988. Ball has since gone on to star in various sitcoms and dramas including Last of the Summer Wine, Heartbeat and Not Going Out.

In 2005, Ball took part in the fifth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Early life

Ball was born at Boundary Park General Hospital, Oldham, Lancashire, on 28 January 1944, to May (née Savage) and Bob Harper. He attended High Crompton Secondary, Shaw, Oldham.

Ball went to work in a factory as a welder, where he also met his future partner, Thomas Derbyshire (Tommy Cannon).

Career

Cannon and Ball

Ball was one half of comedy duo Cannon and Ball, opposite his friend and former colleague Tommy Cannon. The duo's primetime Saturday night television series The Cannon and Ball Show, was one of LWT's most successful series, with consistently high viewing ratings that lasted for twelve years. They starred in the film The Boys in Blue together in 1982 and guest starred in the Eric Sykes slapstick film, Mr H is Late in 1988. Other notable guest appearances were The Kenny Everett Show in 1982 and Shooting Stars in 1996.

Bobby Ball (racing driver)

Robert K. "Bobby" Ball (August 26, 1925, Phoenix, Arizona – February 27, 1954, Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver.

Early life

Ball's parents divorced when he was a year old. He was raised by his grandmother, who enrolled him in a military academy as a teenager in an attempt to take his mind off cars and motorcycles.

Racing career

Ball began racing with the Arizona Roadster Association, subsequently switching from roadsters to midgets. He won the Arizona State Midget Association (ASMA) championship in 1949 and 1950. He finished fifth in the 1951 Indianapolis 500 and 32nd in the 1952 Indianapolis 500.

Ball won the AAA Championship race at San Jose in November 1952. On January 4, 1953, he was involved in an accident at Carrell Speedway in Los Angeles which left him with terrible head injuries. He remained in a coma, first at the UCLA Medical Center and then at home in Phoenix, but died 14 months later of an infection. For many years one of the two championship races held at Phoenix International Raceway was a memorial race dedicated to Ball.