Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway (formerly known as the Pocono International Raceway in early years) is a tri-oval track in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1969, including NASCAR, IndyCar Series, and IMSA GT Championship races. The facility is owned by Mattco, Inc. and led by track chief executive officer Nick Igdalsky.

After over a decade of planning and construction delays, Pocono Raceway opened in 1969 under the control of David Montgomery. Montgomery quickly left any involvement with the speedway after him and investor Joseph Mattioli disagreed with the facility's future plans, with Mattioli taking over control of the venue. Under Mattioli's tenure, the main tri-oval opened two years after the venue's initial opening. Pocono Raceway initially faced heavy financial turmoil throughout much of the 1970s, but was able to recover starting in the mid-1980s with the success of its NASCAR races. Pocono Raceway received major expansion and upgrades in the 1990s and 2000s with the addition of seating and renovation of various amenities at the track.

Description

Configurations

Pocono Raceway's main track in its current form is measured at , with 14° of banking on the track's first turn, 8° of banking on the track's second turn, and 6° of banking on the track's third turn. Compared to other NASCAR oval tracks, the track is the only one on the schedule that has three turns. All turns are based on turns from other racetracks; track designer Rodger Ward designed the first turn after Trenton Speedway, the second turn after Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the third turn after the Milwaukee Mile. In addition to the tri-oval, the venue features various infield road course layouts; according to current Pocono Raceway CEO Nick Igdalsky, there are 44 possible configurations.

Amenities

Pocono Raceway is located in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, and is served by Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 115. Although the venue does not release official seating capacity figures due to its private ownership, ''Frontstretch'' estimated a seating capacity of 76,812 in 2021.

Track history

Planning and construction

In 1957, Racing, Inc. was formed by disgruntled fans in Pennsylvania who criticized the lack of racing amenities in the state. After searching around 30 tracts of land, on April 6, 1962, the ''Pocono Record'' reported that Racing, Inc., led by David Montgomery, began purchasing tracts of land in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, totaling over at a price "in excess of $114,000" (adjusted for inflation, $) in hopes of building a multi-million dollar racing facility then known as the "Pocono Mountains International Raceway". The following month, the company began issuing common stock; further plans were also released by Montgomery within the month, with proposals of 110,000 grandstand seats being made. The following month, the track layout was revealed to be a oval. In January 1963, the first events on an improvised circuit of the track was held; the event was deemed a success by organizers, with plans to host future improvised races "every two to three weeks".

Persistent delays

Developers of the track began clearing land on November 9, 1964. By this point, Montgomery stated to the ''Record'' that the track layout had changed to a new "top secret" design. In April 1965, the ''Record'' reported that plans expanded for the multi-layout complex to include a oval, which was slated to host the complex's first race. Two months later, the secret design was revealed to be a tri-oval shaped layout; additional plans for a road course layout using parts of the oval, a dragstrip, and a road course layout using portions of both ovals were made. Groundbreaking on the now-named Pocono International Raceway (PIR) took place on July 8, 1965, with plans to open the facility on September 5. However, the opening was delayed until the spring of 1966 due to constant rain.

In May 1966, a United States Auto Club (USAC) Indy-car race was announced to inaugurate the facility on August 28 of that year; however, after further rain and a self-described "tight money situation" according to Montgomery, the race and the track's opening was postponed, with the latter being delayed until the spring of 1967. A $176,219 (adjusted for inflation, $) lien was filed by construction contractor Schartz and Baker in December 1966 due to alleged unpaid dues, placing doubts on the project's financial stability; Montgomery refuted the claim in January, and four months later, Racing, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Schartz and Baker for filing the lien "without basis". The lien was dismissed on August 23, 1967, and the lawsuit was settled on May 25, 1968, with both ending in victories for Racing, Inc. The legal battles with Schartz and Baker halted all construction for nearly two years; construction did not resume until early July. Two months later, track officials announced a 200-lap "preview race" on the oval for October 20 featuring supermodifieds; however, after three postponements due to weather, the track's opening was delayed until the spring of 1969.

Early years

PIR officially opened on May 4, 1969, for a supermodified program won by Jim Shampine on the venue's oval. During the program, the venue experienced its first fatality after Troy Ruttman Jr. crashed during the feature event, suffering a fractured skull. The venue's short road course layout, now measured at , opened approximately four months later. In February 1970, USAC agreed to host their second attempt at an event at the speedway, this time with a race on the venue's tri-oval. Along with the USAC race, the deal also promised a 500-mile race with " late model stock . According to PIR board member and eventual future long-time track CEO Joseph Mattioli, PIR did not make a profit in both 1969 and 1970, with Mattioli and Montgomery disagreeing over how to expand the facility.

Six months after USAC's announcement, Montgomery resigned from his position as CEO of the track, with Mattioli, a former Philadelphia dentist who helped paid off much the facility's finances in its construction phase, being named as his replacement by the start of 1971. In late October, paving of the tri-oval was completed, with testing runs conducted on November 2 by Jim McElreath, Jim Hurtubise, and Al Loquasto. To accommodate the newly built track, seating capacity was increased from 10,000 to "more than 69,000" according to ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'''s Bill Simmons. According to a June 1971 interview given by Mattoli, the entire facility cost $6 million (adjusted for inflation, $).

An official ribbon cutting ceremony for the tri-oval was held on June 19, 1971. It held its first race on July 3, with Mark Donohue winning the 500-mile USAC-sanctioned event. PIR held its first major stock car race later that year on September 25, with Butch Hartman winning a 500-mile USAC-sanctioned event. In 1973, parts of the road course layout were repaved by April, including the second and third turns of the main speedway. Two months later, the venue's 2.8-mile road course held its first race. After USAC's stock car racing contract expired in 1973, the facility was in heavy financial turmoil, with Mattioli considering selling off the track. He was convinced otherwise by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who was able to convince Mattioli by giving him a business card with an inspirational quote from American politician Adlai Stevenson II. The venue later hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series event the following year on August 4, with Richard Petty winning the event. In 1978, the tri-oval's second turn was repaved twice in the same year after complaints were raised by drivers about the bumpiness of the track surface.

Financial troubles in midst of CART–USAC split

In 1979, the track suffered numerous financial blows. After numerous car owners in USAC split to create their own racing league named Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) the year prior, the USAC-sanctioned 1979 Pocono 500 faced numerous issues, including Schaefer Beer ending their title sponsorship of the race after eight years, numerous CART-affiliated drivers boycotting the event, and the 1970s energy crisis all caused economic downturn for the event. In addition, the inaugural major drag races at the venue scheduled for May 18–20 were cancelled; a dispute began between the raceway and the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), the event's sanctioning body, for refunds. In August, PIR sued CART in an antitrust suit for $6.3 million (adjusted for inflation, $).

The following year, in response to venue's financial hit in 1979, the venue was leased out by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a year to help the track's financial situation. In February 1981, ''The Morning Call'' reported that Mattioli was considering selling the track, with himself admitting that he was negotiating with three separate groups interested in purchasing the venue. After a chaotic 1981 Pocono 500 that saw another CART boycott, another lawsuit was filed by the venue against the organization; this time for $9 million. In 1982, despite the track being still up for sale, Mattioli admitted in April that they were "looking for recapitalization possibilities" in efforts to retain racing, adding a second annual Cup Series weekend. The following month, CART settled with PIR out of court, agreeing on a five-year contract. The following year, now out of their financial troubles with the success of their events, Mattioli stated to ''The Citizens' Voice'' that "we certainly aren't thinking of selling the facility at this time". He later stated in a 1995 ''Scranton Times'' interview that the addition of a second Cup Series event saved the facility, stating, "I've been quoted on more than one occasion that Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. saved our ass."

Financial recovery, 1990s venue expansion

In 1984, the tri-oval's frontstretch and pit road was repaved alongside the construction of a new victory lane. Two years later, 14 pit road suites and the repaving of the tri-oval's first and second turns was completed. By 1987, the venue's financial state was recovering; ''Citizens' Voice'' reporter John Zimich wrote that with increased attendance and sponsor deals, "Pocono has survived a great deal of adversity and the future certainly looks bright". However, in the following couple years, the track received considerable criticism from open-wheel drivers for an unsafe and bumpy track surface. As a result of the complaints, the future of open-wheel racing at the venue was put into jeopardy. Although a contract was signed for the race to run until 1990, after further safety complaints in 1989, the Pocono 500 was removed from the CART schedule starting in 1990. However, in a conflicting statement, Mattioli stated that the event's departure was instead due to its lack of profitability.

Pocono Raceway underwent heavy renovations throughout the 1990s. In 1990, the venue underwent a beautification project, with the renovations including the addition of a concrete wall in the first and second turns, the planting of 500 trees and additional flowers outside the tri-oval's perimeter, and the improvement of the track's sewer system. In the next two years, the track added two new grandstands, adding a 5,000-seat and a 5,100-seat grandstand in 1991 and 1992, respectively. In 1994, Mattioli began efforts to buy out minority shareholders in the company in a last-ditch effort to amass funds for further expansion after the venue was denied from separating from the Tunkhannock Township to become its own borough. In an interview from the same year, he expressed hopes of expanding the track complex to include a dual hotel and convention center building, a water park, and the addition of 20,000 seats to the racetrack. The following year, a $5 million, three-year improvement project was completed, which revamped the garages and added various amenities. In 1996, the tri-oval was fully repaved; the first complete pave of the main track since its opening. That same year, Mattioli denied rumors of selling the facility to racetrack owner Bruton Smith, stating in the ''Times Leader'', "The raceway is in trust to my grandchildren, and that's written in stone." Seating additions of 15,000 and 17,000 seats were constructed in 1997 and 1999, respectively, with the latter expansion also including a $7 million garage area renovation. According to Mattioli in an interview with ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', from 1990 to 2000, he spent an average of $3 million annually in expanding the venue's amenities. Sometime during these renovations, the original oval was removed from the venue's layouts.

2000s to present day

In 2004, SAFER barriers were installed around the outside perimeter of the tri-oval in the safety push after Dale Earnhardt's death at the 2001 Daytona 500. That same year, Pocono Raceway officials expressed interest for applying for a slots license to open a casino, unveiling design plans for a $300 million, complex in January 2005. However, the idea was scrapped in December after Mattioli realized that due to Pennsylvania laws, he and his family would have no control over running the facility, which he opposed. In 2006, in lieu of a casino, officials announced plans to build a $50 million, 250-unit "gated community" resort. Construction on the resort started the following year after initial delays, with the first 56 units of the resort opening in September 2009. Also in 2007, Mattioli's grandson, Brandon Igdalsky, was appointed as Pocono Raceway's president. After cracks began to appear in the third turn of the tri-oval, the turn was repaved in 2008 in time for that year's Pennsylvania 500. In 2009, groundbreaking began on a solar panel farm to completely power the track with alternative energy; the farm was completed the following year. In response to safety concerns following a crash featuring NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne's car almost going outside the track's barriers at the 2010 Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500, "more than" of SAFER barriers and of catchfence was installed from turn one to turn three.

Post-Mattioli era

On August 5, 2011, Mattioli announced his retirement as CEO of Pocono Raceway, with Brandon replacing Mattioli as CEO. Two months into Brandon's tenure, track officials announced the first complete repaving of the track since 1996; the repave was completed in time for the 2012 Pocono 400. In September 2012, track officials announced the return of major open-wheel racing with the IndyCar Series scheduling a race for their 2013 season. Upgrades to the track's infield road course and the removal of curbing on the tri-oval's second turn to remove curbing were made in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In 2015, the venue experienced its second fatality after IndyCar driver Justin Wilson was hit in the head by a flying nose cone. In the following two years, additional SAFER barriers were installed, with it completely surrounding the outside perimeter of the track. In August 2017, Brandon resigned from his position to take a job in NASCAR, with Brandon's younger brother, Nick, named as CEO of the track. In 2019, following safety concerns after the death of Wilson alongside a crash at the 2018 ABC Supply 500 that paralyzed driver Robert Wickens, IndyCar dropped the track from its schedule starting in 2020. Two years later, NASCAR later dropped one of its two races from its schedule starting in 2022.

Events

Racing events

NASCAR

Pocono Raceway hosts one annual NASCAR weekend, highlighted with a NASCAR Cup Series race known as The Great American Getaway 400. The facility also hosts the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 and the third-tier NASCAR Truck Series' MillerTech Battery 200 as support races. In 2020, NASCAR ran its first multi-series tripleheader, with all three races running on the same day as a result of a Truck Series race being delayed due to rain.

Open-wheel racing

The first major open-wheel races at Pocono Raceway were run in 1971 on tri-oval as the track layout's first event, with the event being sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC). In 1982, control of the event was handed over to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) after the organization had split from USAC three years prior. Seven years later, after numerous safety complaints, the event was dropped by CART starting in 1990. After a 22-year absence, open-wheel racing returned with the IndyCar Series in 2013. However, after further safety complaints in the wake of the fatal crash of Justin Wilson and a crash that paralyzed driver Robert Wickens, the series stopped racing at the facility after 2019.

Other racing events

* From 1975 to 1976, Pocono Raceway held an annual Trans-Am Series race.
* From 1981 to 1985, Pocono Raceway held an annual IMSA GT Championship race.

Non-racing events

* In 1972, Pocono Raceway held Concert 10, a two-day rock music festival that had a estimated attendance of 200,000.
* Since 2022, Pocono Raceway has hosted the Elements Music Festival, an EDM music and arts festival.

Lap records

As of July 2022, the fastest official race lap records at Pocono Raceway are listed as:

References

External links

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Champ Car circuits
IndyCar Series tracks
NASCAR tracks
Motorsport venues in Pennsylvania
ARCA Menards Series tracks
Pocono Mountains
NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway
IMSA GT Championship circuits
Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Pennsylvania
Tourist attractions in Monroe County, Pennsylvania
1971 establishments in Pennsylvania
Sports venues completed in 1971
Road courses in the United States