Second Annual Celebrity Softball Game set between Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Karen Pistone

Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway will square off on the diamond for the second straight year as both tracks announced the return of the Second Annual Celebrity Softball Game, featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. The game will be played on Wednesday, April 24 at the home of the Harrisburg Senators in Harrisburg, Pa.

Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota, will captain Team Dover, while Harvick, who pilots the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet SS, will lead Team Pocono. In the inaugural game last year, Jeff Burton and the team from The Tricky Triangle narrowly defeated Carl Edwards and the Monster Mile after mounting a late comeback.

Access to the celebrity softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for the Senators game start at just $8, and all children ages 16 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear get a free Senators Hat and free passes to the Kids Play Area. For tickets, call 717-231-4444 or visit SenatorsBaseball.com.

In addition to Bowyer and Harvick, the rosters from each team will be made up of members of national and local motorsports media, as well as other local media personalities, and a few other special guests.

As rosters are announced, they will be posted and updated at DoverSpeedway.com and PoconoRaceway.com, as well as on Facebook.com/DoverInternationalSpeedway and Facebook.com/PoconoRaceway, and on Twitter at @MonsterMile and @PoconoRaceway.

Gates for the game will open at 4 p.m. with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the softball game, time permitting, Bowyer and Harvick will throw out the first pitch for that evening’s 7:05 p.m. baseball game between the Harrisburg Senators and the visiting Reading Fightin’ Phils. The teams are the AA affiliates of the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.

Source: Dover International Speedway Press Release

Throughout both the softball and baseball games, both tracks will be promoting and giving away tickets to their respective NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races which take place on Sunday, June 2 at Dover and Sunday, June 9 at Pocono.

The tracks have also teamed up to offer an all-new ticket package that includes a ticket for each of the tracks’ spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races — June 2 at Dover, June 9 at Pocono — as well as a hot dog, beverage and souvenir program for each race. The package costs $158 as the Monster Mile and The Tricky Triangle are only 158 miles apart.

NASCAR returns to Dover International Speedway for the June 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the June 1 “5-hour ENERGY 200″ NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the May 31 “Lucas Oil 200″ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. For tickets or more information, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.

Late call sends NASCAR crews, fans scrambling for cover as severe storm hits Pocono Raceway; 1 killed, 9 injured

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Karen Pistone

Crew members push the #14 Office Depot Back to School Chevrolet, driven by Tony Stewart, back to the garage as rain falls during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 5, 2012 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon won his first race of the 2012 season and the 86th of his career on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. However, his soggy victory was marred by tragedy. The victory celebration was interrupted by the news that a lightning strike had killed one race fan, and injured 9 others in two different areas – according to Pocono Raceway in a statement released today.

According to the statement, the fan killed was identified as Brian F. Zimmerman of Moosic, Pa. Zimmerman, a father of two, went into cardiac arrest at the scene. Efforts to revive him by emergency responders and doctors at the track were unsuccessful. Zimmerman was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. ET Sunday evening, according to Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen.

Harry Lewis, chief of the Pocono Mountain Regional Police, reported the fans were at their Dodge Caravan in the parking lot and had a pop-up canopy located behind the vehicle. It wasn’t clear whether the fans were touching the canopy when the lightning hit.

READ THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT RELEASED BY POCONO RACEWAY

Fans stand under the grandstand after the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race was postponed due to rain on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

At approximately 6:35 p.m., the control tower was notified of a second possible lightning strike in the vicinity near Gate 3. That person was taken to the Pocono Raceway’s Infield Medical Center where they were initially treated for minor injuries before being transported to Pocono Medical Center in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania for further evaluation.

A severe storm warning was issued for the region surrounding the track at 4:12 p.m. At 4:21 p.m., the track issued warnings on its Twitter and Facebook accounts: “ATTENTION FANS: Severe thunderstorms are in the area which will produce high winds and lightning. Should arrive in 10-15 mins.” (See actual tweets below).

Notification tweets that were sent out to race fans prior to the race being called due to severe weather. (Via Twitter)

At 4:38 p.m., cars were still on the track. NASCAR parked the cars on Lap 98, after they ran seven laps under caution as rain moved into the area. When what started as a light rain became a torrent, NASCAR called the race. The race was called around 4:50 p.m.

WATCH NEWS VIDEO:

Track spokesman Bob Pleban said an announcement was made on the track’s public address system immediately after the race advising fans to leave the grandstands because lightning was imminent.Some race fans tweeted it was hard to hear the announcements as the cars were coming down pit road in the pouring rain.

The questions raised here are: Did NASCAR wait too long to pull the cars off track when a severe thunderstorm warning had been issued for the area and was imminent? Did Pocono Raceway & NASCAR take the correct precautions for fan, NASCAR/Media crew safety to evacuate, seek shelter in time?

Storms approaching Long Pond – Pocono Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 5th at 3:25pm.

If one has ever been to a race, you will know that race fans DO NOT sit in the stands scrolling through their Twitter accounts during a race. And god willing if Facebook should ever load on a mobile phone while sitting in the stands or down in the pits….yet alone, pick up a strong enough signal to even upload a simple picture. Everyone practically knows that, that would NOT be happening with any cell phone. The use of social media in this case, I believe, was the wrong way to notify the fans. Maybe a scrolling message on the Sprint Vision screens that everyone can see. As for the announcement over the public announcement system – how many race fans have headphones on listening to the scanner or MRN radio during a race? I also know for a fact that even at Daytona International Speedway, you can not hear a word on the PA system. It is directed to the fans in the grandstands, not the FanZone which is located above the garage area.

I live in the lightning capital of the world – in Orlando, FL. One thing you never fool around with is Mother Nature. Cloud to ground lighting can happen even outside of a thunder head cloud. Once you hear thunder, you must take precautionary measures by seeking shelter immediately because you can get struck! As with the theme parks, water parks and beaches in Florida – they monitor the storms and evacuate when storms are 15 minutes out and shut/close/evacuate the surrounding area(s). Yes, it may be an inconvenience to some – those who don’t have a clue – but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Maybe, just maybe, NASCAR should have pulled the cars from the track sooner than they did. They had put the crews at risk as well.

As with anything bad, something good comes out of it. I see maybe tougher weather warnings/rules being applied at all NASCAR sanctioned tracks in light of this tragedy and more lives can maybe saved in the future.

But one must realize it is in their OWN hands to act like an adult and be responsible during certain situations also.

As of the time of this posting, NASCAR has not released a statement about the incident at Pocono Raceway.

READ RELATED OPINION ARTICLE by Brian Neudorff, Chief Meteorologist for KMVT-TV in Twin Falls, Idaho. He tweets NASCAR weather forecasts under the name @NASCAR_WXMAN.

Results / Point standings after the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Karen Pistone

2012 Official Race Results : Pennsylvania 400

August 05, 2012 | Race 21 of 36

FIN	ST	CAR	DRIVER	MAKE	SPONSOR	PTS/BNS	LAPS	STATUS	WINNINGS

1	27	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	Drive to End Hunger	47/4	98	Running	233,011
2	4	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	Farmers Insurance	43/1	98	Running	162,810
3	15	56	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	NAPA Auto Parts	41/0	98	Running	170,474
4	31	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	Miller Lite	41/1	98	Running	148,205
5	28	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Office Depot “Back to School”	39/0	98	Running	155,185
6	9	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	Haas Automation / Quicken Loans	38/0	98	Running	136,418
7	17	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	Fastenal	37/0	98	Running	132,226
8	19	15	Clint Bowyer	Toyota	5-hour Energy	36/0	98	Running	112,849
9	11	78	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	Furniture Row / Farm American	35/0	98	Running	110,043
10	5	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	Stanley	34/0	98	Running	111,718
11	3	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	Menards / Serta	33/0	98	Running	94,760
12	18	55	Mark Martin	Toyota	Aaron’s Dream Machine	32/0	98	Running	79,385
13	14	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	The Home Depot	31/0	98	Running	86,135
14	10	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe’s	32/2	98	Running	125,246
15	12	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	3M	29/0	98	Running	85,435
16	21	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	Budweiser	28/0	98	Running	120,796
17	16	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	Bass Pro Shops / Allstate	28/1	98	Running	106,043
18	13	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	Automotive Lift Institute	26/0	98	Running	111,646
19	25	22	Sam Hornish Jr.	Dodge	Shell / Pennzoil	0	98	Running	115,785
20	1	42	Juan Montoya	Chevrolet	Target	25/1	98	Running	118,926
21	26	38	David Gilliland	Ford	ModSpace	23/0	98	Running	89,668
22	23	31	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet	Enersys / Odyssey Battery	22/0	98	Running	112,210
23	7	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	Zest	22/1	98	Running	118,421
24	24	10	David Reutimann	Chevrolet	TMone.com	20/0	97	Running	72,785
25	37	93	Travis Kvapil	Toyota	Burger King / Dr Pepper	19/0	97	Running	95,418
26	22	83	Landon Cassill	Toyota	Burger King / Dr Pepper	18/0	97	Running	98,830
27	39	47	Bobby Labonte	Toyota	Scott Products	17/0	96	Running	91,868
28	32	34	David Ragan	Ford	Taco Bell	16/0	96	Running	81,332
29	2	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	FedEx Ground	16/1	90	Accident	113,901
30	6	51	Kurt Busch	Chevrolet	Phoenix Construction Services	15/1	84	Accident	80,760
31	41	32	Jason White	Ford	Zaxby’s	0	81	Transmission	76,610
32	8	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	Diet Mountain Dew / AMP Energy / National Guard	13/1	80	Running	76,435
33	20	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	M&M’s	11/0	74	Accident	115,443
34	36	30	David Stremme	Toyota	Inception Motorsports	10/0	43	Transmission	67,760
35	29	13	Casey Mears	Ford	GEICO	9/0	40	Brakes	67,610
36	38	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	AM / FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves	0	37	Brakes	67,385
37	34	26	Josh Wise *	Ford	MDS Transport	7/0	34	Brakes	67,205
38	42	36	Tony Raines	Chevrolet	@TMone / CRM Hiring Veterans	6/0	31	Fuel Pump	67,053
39	30	119	Mike Bliss	Toyota	Plinker Tactical	0	29	Overheating	64,225
40	35	37	J.J. Yeley	Chevrolet	Max Q Motorsports	4/0	27	Brakes	64,075
41	43	98	Mike Skinner	Ford	TRAQM.com	3/0	26	Rear Gear	63,925
42	40	191	Reed Sorenson	Ford	Plinker Tactical	0	10	Brakes	63,765
43	33	23	Scott Riggs	Chevrolet	North Texas Pipe	1/0	9	Brakes	64,148
44	-	33	Stephen Leicht *	Chevrolet	Little Joes Autos.com	0	0	No Value	0

Point Standings after the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway

RANK	+/-	DRIVER	POINTS	BEHIND	STARTS	POLES	WINS	TOP 5	TOP 10

1	–	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	744	Leader	21	0	1	9	15
2	–	Matt Kenseth	739	-5	21	1	1	9	13
3	–	Greg Biffle	738	-6	21	2	1	9	12
4	–	Jimmie Johnson	736	-8	21	1	3	10	15
5	+2	Martin Truex Jr.	694	-50	21	1	0	5	11
6	+2	Tony Stewart	691	-53	21	0	3	9	11
7	+2	Brad Keselowski	690	-54	21	0	3	7	11
8	-3	Denny Hamlin	683	-61	21	2	2	9	11
9	-3	Kevin Harvick	680	-64	21	0	0	3	9
10	–	Clint Bowyer	679	-65	21	0	1	4	11
11	+2	Kasey Kahne	622	-122	21	2	2	6	11
12	–	Carl Edwards	619	-125	21	1	0	2	10
13	+2	Jeff Gordon	611	-133	21	1	1	4	9
14	–	Ryan Newman	611	-133	21	0	1	3	7
15	-4	Kyle Busch	599	-145	21	1	1	6	9

NASCAR Sprint Cup, Trucks head to Pocono Raceway; NNS to Iowa Speedway

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Karen Pistone

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Iowa Speedway
Qualifying: Sat., 4:30 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Race: Sat. 7:30 p.m. EDT – ESPN2
NASCAR NATIONWIDE POINT STANDINGS

Unfortunately, due to last weekend’s penalty when Elliott Sadler beat Brad Keselowski (leader) to the start/finish line during the Indy 250, Sadler’s perch at the top of the standings shrunk after being black flagged.

Why exactly was Sadler black flagged?

During last Saturday’s Nationwide series race at Indy, Brad Keselowski, the race leader, hit the accelerator in the ‘prescribed zone’ designated for restarts. However, Keselowski’s teammate at Penske Racing, Sam Hornish Jr., attempted to push Keselowski. The nose of Hornish’s Dodge lifted the rear bumper of Keselowski’s car slightly causing him to spin his tires.

Sadler, who then was being pushed by his teammate at Richard Childress Racing, Austin Dillon, reached the yard of bricks, (start/finish line) as Sadler was slightly more than one car-length ahead of Keselowski.

When Sadler did not give up the lead to Keselowski voluntarily, NASCAR black-flagged Sadler’s No. 2 Chevrolet, forcing him to serve a pass-through penalty, costing him the race as well as the chance of winning the Dash 4 Cash Bonus of $100,000.

According to NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton, NASCAR wanted to preserve an advantage for the race leader. Rules were designed “to help the driver who had the lead feel like he wasn’t losing all of his advantage when a caution comes out.” The leader has lane choice, the option of when to restart within the zone and the privilege of arriving first at the start/finish line.

A once-comfortable lead is now just one point ahead of his Sunoco Rookie teammate Austin Dillon. This weekend’s U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway is crucial for Sadler as a finish outside the top five could considerably shake up the points rankings.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Pocono Raceway
Qualifying: Sat., 9:35 a.m. ET (not aired)
Race: Sat, 12:30 p.m. ET – SPEED
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES POINT STANDINGS

When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits the pavement at Pocono Raceway in the Pocono Mountains 125 it will be the third time the series has competed at the 2.5-mile track, but the first time on the newly repaved surface. The new surface has potential to throw a wrench in the competition and shake up the championship hunt. However, statistics show the battle for the win could come down between the front runners in the points battle.

Three drivers inside the top-five in the championship standings – Timothy Peters, Justin Lofton and James Buescher – all have top-10 finishes at the famed Tricky Triangle. Peters increased his championship standings lead following Chicagoland to 23 points over Ty Dillon, Lofton, Buescher and Parker Kligerman.

Denny Hamlin remains the driver piloting the No. 18 KBM Toyota with Kyle Busch taking over the reins as team owner.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Practices: Noon / 3:30 pm ET Friday – SPEED
Qualifying: Sat., 10:30 a.m. ET – ESPN2
Race: Sun. 1:00 p.m. EDT – ESPN
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES POINT STANDINGS

Junior! Junior! Junior!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. officially last led the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings on Sept. 19, 2004 following a third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also led after the Oct. 3, 2004 race at Talladega Speedway, but lost the lead after a midweek penalty. Earnhardt made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ a year ago and finished seventh – his best points placing since a fifth in 2006. With a victory earlier this summer and 20 consecutive finishes on the lead lap Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte have every reason to believe they’re solid championship contenders.

For 10 drivers vying for two “wild card” entries into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway has become a must-win affair. Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch are the current “wild card” holders, drivers ranked 11th through 20th with the most wins. Kahne has two victories and Busch, who finished second to Jimmie Johnson at Indianapolis, prevails via tie-breaker over Ryan Newman and Joey Logano. Kahne, Newman and Logano all have Pocono victories – Logano won there when the series visited the 2.5-mile track in June. It’s not quite a last-chance situation for 2012 non-winners Carl Edwards (12th) and Jeff Gordon (15th) but the clock is ticking toward midnight. Gordon has won five times at the Pennsylvania track most recently in June 2011. Edwards won in 2005 and 2008.

Pocono Raceway’s June event could have been a preview of this year’s Chase with six of the current top-10 drivers finishing among the top 10 of the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR. Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson were the best-placed among the series’ elite finishing third and fourth respectively. Greg Biffle (24th) was the only member of the current top five outside the top 10. Biffle won Pocono’s late summer race in 2010. Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of this week’s event – the first of two August victories that propelled the Penske Racing driver into the Chase as a “wild card” qualifier.

June’s event was the first held since Pocono’s latest repaving. Logano won the Coors Light Pole award at a record 179.598 mph speed.

“Pocono Presidential Pick for $100,000”
Pocono Raceway President and CEO Brandon Igdalsky has confidently picked Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400, pledging $100,000 to a lucky fan should Junior go to Victory Lane. Fans must register at the track prior to the halfway point of the race at which time the potential winner’s name will be drawn at random.

Earnhardt has yet to win at Pocono finishing second in 2001 and 2007. He was eighth in June’s race. C’mon Junebug!!

Speeding penalties set NASCAR record at Pocono Raceway

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Karen Pistone

As I have been stating since the beginning in my articles, this is a record-setting season for NASCAR.

The repave promised to prove that speeds would be a lot faster, but no one thought it would actually apply to pit road as well.

Ah, but it did.

The Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR resulted in more than just advertising the new Twitter / #NASCAR Page event – it also presented itself with a record-breaking 22 pit road speeding penalties. The following infractions were recorded by NASCAR for entering/leaving pit road at too fast of a speed:

#22   Speed-Exiting pits
#56   Speed-Exiting pits
#22   Speed-Exiting pits
#15   Speed-Exiting pits
# 2    Speed-Exiting pits
#24   Speed-Entering pits
#48   Speed-Exiting pits
#29   Speed-Exiting pits
#51   Speed-Entering pits
#18   Speed-Exiting pits
#48   Speed-Exiting pits
#93   Speed-Exiting pits
#51   Speed-Exiting pits
#93   Speed-Exiting pits
#34   Speed-Exiting pits
#31   Speed-Exiting pits
#49   Speed-Exiting pits
#93   Speed-Exiting pits
#51   Speed-Exiting pits
#43   Speed-Exiting pits
# 2    Speed-Exiting pits

The repave at Pocono Raceway included the extension of pit road. According to Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, the number of segments grew from 10 to 11, and the length of the final segment increased from 56 to 83 feet. NASCAR measures pit road speed from the yellow line at the entrance to pit road to the yellow line at the exit. The full distance is divided into segments, and drivers must average the speed limit (plus a tolerance of 4.99 mph) through each segment.

Here's a copy of the timing sections NASCAR had available to all crew chiefs prior to the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR. Photo credit Bob Dillner via Twitter

But there’s a catch: NASCAR provides specific information on the pit road configuration to any team that WANTS it. It’s not actually handed out directly TO the teams (as it is when there’s a rule change by NASCAR), but it IS available for the taking.

According to NASCAR, every week they are at a race track they make maps available for crew chiefs to have of the timing sections on pit road. Some opt to take one, others choose to measure their own lines, and some go off of last year’s measurements. “Our position is like it’s always been – yellow line to yellow line,” said Pemberton. So, therefore, NASCAR is confident in the pit road timing system at Pocono Raceway.

To conclude without recapping what everyone witnessed on Sunday – I do want to say congratulations to Joey Logano on his win at Pocono Raceway and his comment of “I hope it shuts ‘em all up,” during his Victory Lane interview with TNT, in regards to his win less streak in Sprint Cup, and winning in the Nationwide Series. This was Logano’s first victory and first top-10 finish in seven races at Pocono Raceway. At the age of 22, he became the youngest series winner at Pocono.

Testing completed at Tricky Triangle: What the NASCAR drivers were saying

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Karen Pistone

: Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet drives during testing for the new track surface at Pocono Raceway on Thursday in Long Pond, Pa. ~ Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Pocono Raceway is about to conclude two days of Goodyear Tire testing.

The newly completed repave project along with the shortened race length – from 500 to 400 miles – have offered drivers something to chat about. Day 2 of NASCAR Sprint Cup testing at Pocono Raceway just ended. Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne, led the way at 179.490 mph, fastest of the three test sessions. Jeff Gordon had earlier surpassed Kevin Harvick topping out a speed of 179 mph – Harvick was holding the top speed of 177.859 mph throughout the Goodyear Tire test. A.J. Allmendinger set the pace in the morning session at 177.190 mph – well ahead of the 175.380 mph fast lap Mark Martin recorded on Wednesday. A total of 41 cars tested today; yesterday 36 cars were on track.

Here’s what they are saying:

Over all, It’s FAST. It’s SMOOTH. Drivers are expecting some excitement on Sunday.

JEFF GORDON
Last year’s Pocono 400 winner Jeff Gordon said crew chiefs can leave their notes at the shop. “I am definitely not thinking about being the defending champion of that race at all just because there is nothing to compare to with a repave,” said Gordon. Gordon also stated that he “…loves Pocono Raceway and didn’t want to see it repaved, but understands tracks have to do what they need to do… and happy that the track did a good job”

Needless to say, this was recorded before his last run which resulted in the fastest speed of the day – so far.

Is this weighing heavily on his mind? You better believe it is. Gordon’s 94 points behind current 10th-place Clint Bowyer but a single point outside the top 20 and “wild card” territory. Gordon also looks to become the fifth driver to reach 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-10 finishes.

JIMMIE JOHNSON
Jimmie Johnson said repaving shouldn’t be a radical departure from the past because the same kind of materials were used in both old and new asphalt.

“Normally, it’s an edgy race track regardless of the tire that you come with on a new repave,” said Johnson, whose two Pocono victories came in 2004. “It sounds like we didn’t have that [during the test] and Pocono made sure they used the same mix, the same asphalt that we were racing on.

GREG BIFFLE
Current points leader, Greg Biffle, who previously won at Pocono during the 2010 August race is looking forward to the new format and thinks the fans should too. “I think the racing being shortened to 400 miles will create some excitement with the fan,” said Biffle. “There will be more urgency to go and different strategy.”

DENNY HAMLIN
“The race track is very fun in the sense of how they graded it and smoothed it out in different places,” said Denny Hamlin, a four-time winner at Pocono. “It’s still Pocono, but it drives very different than what it used to. You’re getting a feel of a lot of different race tracks here within the Pocono Raceway.

“You’re going to see massive dive bombs going into the corner trying to get position. My estimation – you’re going to see a lot of excitement,” Hamlin said.

JEFF BURTON
Jeff Burton stated in the news conference that the repave didn’t change the characteristics of the Tricky Triangle and since repaving has improved through the years, Pocono Raceway created a smooth, fast racing surface.

JOHN DARBY
NASCAR Managing Director of Competition and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby says the racing will improve as the weekend progresses and groove widens.

The final NASCAR Sprint Cup test session ends with the Top 10:
#5, #1, #55, #24, #27, #39, #22, #11, #31, #29

42 Cup teams took to the track during Thursday morning’s test session: The top 5:
#22-Allmendinger 177.190
#42-Montoya 176.602
#55-Martin 176.595
#15-Bowyer 176.550
#11-Hamlin 176.218

#NASCAR fans – get your phones ready, set….TWEET! @poconoraceway this Sunday

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Karen Pistone

Just so you are not caught off guard, the Pocono Race for this coming Sunday, June 10, was renamed from the Pocono 400 to the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR.

Why? Well a couple of weeks ago, NASCAR announced a unique digital partnership with the creation of twitter.com/#NASCAR, launching this week at Pocono Raceway. The twitter.com/#NASCAR event page will feature Tweets that bring fans closer to everything that unfolds during the Pocono 400.

Pocono Raceway will launch several Twitter-based initiatives throughout the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR race weekend. One such program will be a “Tweet Your Seat” contest, occurring during pre-race activities on Sunday, June 10, where one randomly-selected fan will become the Honorary Starter and wave the green flag to start the race.

Additionally, “The Tricky Triangle” will be hosting a Fan Fair Scavenger Tweet Hunt, with a Tweet Up to follow, on Sunday, June 10, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Tweet Hunt, open to the first 50 teams of two to arrive at the Flag Pole, located outside Fan Fair and behind the Grandstands, will be solely Twitter-based, meaning all participants must have a mobile device connected to their Twitter accounts. More information will be explained throughout the race weekend via the Raceway’s Twitter handle and website.

The Twitter.com/#NASCAR page will create a platform for millions of fans to view the best-possible content directly from the drivers, television personalities, race teams, media members tracks and race fans in attendance, all utilizing #NASCAR in their tweets. The tweets displayed on the newly-created page will be drawn using several algorithmic and editorial signals, bringing fans closer to everything taking place on a race day.

Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway teaming up for celebrity softball game

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Karen Pistone

Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway are pleased to announce the tracks are teaming up for a celebrity softball game featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Carl Edwards and Jeff Burton on Tuesday, May 15 at Campbell’s Field, home of the Camden Riversharks in Camden, N.J.

The game, billed as Team Dover vs. Team Pocono, marks the first time two NASCAR tracks have joined forces to promote their respective races. Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford, will lead the Monster Mile squad, while Burton, who pilots the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, will captain “The Tricky Triangle” team.

The teams rosters will be filled out with drivers from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well Philadelphia-area athletes and celebrities, and members of the local media. As they are announced, updated rosters will be posted at DoverSpeedway.com and PoconoRaceway.com, as well as Facebook.com/DoverInternationalSpeedway and Facebook.com/PoconoRaceway, and on Twitter at @MonsterMile and @PoconoRaceway.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the game, Edwards and Burton will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 7:05 p.m. Lancaster Barnstormers vs. Camden Riversharks baseball game.

During the Barnstormers vs. Riversharks game, both tracks will be giving away tickets to their respective NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races each inning — the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” race for Dover and the June 10 “Pocono 400″ race for Pocono.

Access to the Team Dover vs. Team Pocono celebrity softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for the Riversharks game start at just $5, and all children ages 16 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear get in free. In addition, the United Way of Camden County offers free admission for any child that wears the uniform of the little league team they play for to the game. For tickets, call 1-866-SHARKS-9 or visit www.riversharks.com.

NASCAR action returns to Dover International Speedway June 1-3, 2012 with the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the June 2 “5-hour ENERGY 200″ NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the June 1 “Lucas Oil 200″ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. For tickets or more information, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.

Then, June 8-10, NASCAR’s top national circuit heads north to newly-repaved Pocono Raceway for the “Pocono 400″ weekend June 8-10. The racing action kicks off with the “Pocono 200″ ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards race on June 9 and will be followed by the “Pocono 400″ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on June 10. For tickets or more information, call 1-800-RACEWAY or visit PoconoRaceway.com.

Press Release/Dover/Pocono

“Wild Card Fever” has NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fired up

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Karen Pistone

It took Menard 167 races to nab his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory as he sped over the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway adding to the mix of 14 different winners in 20 races – the most since 2003; four different first-time winners – the most since 2007; and the big one – five winners residing outside the top 10 in points, holding the Wild Card. Only six races remain before NASCAR’s “playoffs” – the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – meaning fewer chances for Wild Card wins, and potential Chase bonus points.

THE POSSIBLE SURPRISING PLAY-AAHS

David Ragan became the third first-time winner of 2011 with his win at Daytona, but dropped to 16th after a 23rd finish at Indianapolis. However, David Ragan is only seven points behind Paul Menard. Menard has a 14th place finish at Pocono from last June. A race within a race, these two just might flip-flop Wild Card positions on a weekly basis. But don’t forget Brad Keselowski, currently only 16 points behind Ragan, and had a 20th place finish at Pocono in June. Another player very well could be Regan Smith, the second first-time winner at Darlington, is currently 76 points out, and who had a finish of 15th at Pocono in June.

After race No. 26 at Richmond on Sept. 10th, the top-10 drivers will earn berths into the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field. Spots 11 and 12 will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20. Ties will go to the drivers with the best points position. All Chase drivers will have their points total reset to 2,000, but only the top 10 will earn three bonus points for each victory over the first 26 races.

So stay tuned….

Also keep in mind that Sunday’s race is the second event in the Sprint Summer Showdown presented by HTC EVO 3D. Here’s the top five in pre-race Driver Rating at Pocono:

1. Denny Hamlin (four career Pocono victories)

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Kurt Busch

4. Jeff Gordon

5. Tony Stewart

NASCAR driver stats heading to Pocono Raceway

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Karen Pistone

Pocono Raceway

Race #: 14 of 36 (6-12-11)

Track Size: 2.5 mile (200 laps/500miles)

· Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees

· Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees

· Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees

· Frontstretch: 3,740 feet

· Backstretch: 3,055 feet

· Shortstretch: 1,780

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono

Denny Hamlin 119.2

Jimmie Johnson 105.9

Tony Stewart 102.4

Kurt Busch 101.8

Jeff Gordon 98.8

Carl Edwards 98.6

Mark Martin 96.4

Brian Vickers 93.9

Ryan Newman 93.9

Kevin Harvick 91.4

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (12 total) at Pocono.

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· Seven top fives, 17 top 10s

Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge)

· Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s

Carl Edwards (No. 99 KELLOGG Ford)

· Two wins, five top fives, six top 10s

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

· Four wins, 16 top fives, 25 top 10s; two poles

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

· Four wins, seven top fives, eight top 10s; two poles

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

· Four top fives, seven top 10s

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Two wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles

Kasey Kahne (No. 4 Red Bull Toyota)

· One win, three top fives, five top 10s; two poles

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Affliction Clothing/Live Fast Ford Fusion Ford)

· Three top fives, eight top 10s

Mark Martin (No. 5 Farmers Insurance/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

· 19 top fives, 33 top 10s; three poles

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· One win, six top fives, seven top 10s; two poles

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Two wins, nine top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles

Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)

· Four top fives, five top 10s

Notebook

· There have been 66 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway.

· There was one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.

· All NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono have been scheduled for 500 miles.

· Buddy Baker won the first pole.

· There have been 36 different pole winners, including David Pearson who won the pole there in June 1984 but did not race; 16 drivers have more than one pole there.

· The pole has been swept just three times: Bill Elliott (1985), Ken Schrader (1993), Denny Hamlin (2006).

· Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.

· 29 different drivers have won races at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott, with five victories; 20 drivers have won more than once there.

· There have been six season sweeps at Pocono, the last by Denny Hamlin in 2006.

· Bobby Allison and Tim Richmond each won three consecutive races at Pocono.

· 47 of 66 Pocono races have been won from a top-10 start.

· The June 2005 race was won by Carl Edwards from the 29th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.

· Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 11 Pocono victories.

· Mark Martin leads all drivers in top fives (19) and top 10s (33), but has yet to win at Pocono. His best finish was second, six times (most recently in August 2004).

· Denny Hamlin (8.2) and Jimmie Johnson (9.5) are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish.

Racingal.com

A NASCAR Fan Blog by Karen Pistone

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