I used to hate Pocono (New Hampshire too), but both tracks are so much better with just 1 date. Next thing to do is to eliminate the stage cautions to improve the strategy. Overall though, this weekend was perhaps the best Pocono weekend in history, and I've been watching for over 20 years. All 3 races were WILD.
Pocono is a prime example of what letting a race track age can do. There are multiple grooves to run, Tire management is a factor and as the racetrack continues to age, it will become more and more prevalent. NASCAR has a very good package for the intermediate tracks, and the racing for the most part has shown the immense potential for this car. I think it’s just a matter of getting the short tracks, and the road courses dialed in as well and we could have the greatest racing product on the planet with this car.
Road courses this current car does okay but Short tracks the cars need help as the field ends up in a single no pass grove like a Talladega but worse as there is no way to run well on other lines. In Road courses it depends on the track, as some like Sonoma have only ever been okay with the Gen 6 and bad with 7 cars with no real passing allowed unless willing to ride off pavement in some cases like Kyle Bush or Kasey Kane has done but then others like Raceway of the Americas or COTA for short has great racing as did Road America with passing on multiple levels and Road America one special spot drivers kept trying to pass.
I've always had a bias for Pocono because I grew up 10 minutes from the track and there's a huge part of me that wants us to have 2 races again but regardless I'm very happy Pocono is really coming to life again. It has me ready for next year's race
Pocono is my NASCAR home track and been going races there for 20 years, yesterday felt so proud to be a fan and to be apart of that amazing crowd and atmosphere! From the giant crowd and packed infield to the long wait it took to get into (and out) the parking lots, it felt like I got transported back to 2005, and it was great to see! A late July date is perfect for this track. I have racing friends that want to go to Pocono next year now. So kudos to the track for an awesome weekend and keeping the momentum that NASCAR has right now going!
Also i was born 99 and didn’t start going to races myself till 22 and I think the kids growing up watching the early 2000s and love the sport are showing up plus the gen 7 really has brought a lot of tracks back
Pocono is my home track. I was there all weekend and Friday the infield was pretty full. The police did a great job directing traffic after the race. The first sold out race in a long time.
I'm partial to the track because I grew up about 50 miles west of the track. Even a diehard Pocono fan like me will say that the racing wasn't always the best. The biggest drama was often when fuel mileage came into play. Even so, this may have been the best Pocono race that I have witnessed. In the past, you only saw 2 or more wide on the frontstretch and the inside was king. If you started on the outside, you'd likely lose a few spots. But, this year we saw 3 wide in the tunnel turn with no one out of control. And, on restarts, somehow, the outside lane was definitely preferred. As it's my "home track", I'm glad to see that it's can put on a good show. Hopefully, NASCAR and/or Goodyear won't do something to mess it up.
Being at the race, the grandstands were sold out and parking lots were full. They can sell more seats in the lower section next year if this trend continues with more people coming in. It’s still spreads out, but still exciting. If cup go back to Indy Oval, we could see similar racing.
Pocono has always been one of my favorite tracks to watch. If I lived close to Pocono I'd have gone to the races long ago. It's so good to see the track with lots of people again.
I went to the second race in 2021, missed the race in 2022, and came back this year. I’m not sure how it was on TV, but I absolutely loved this race much better than the previous Pocono race I attended. The atmosphere amongst the crowd was so awesome, and it was cool to see how much action happened on the track. Really looking forward to going again next year!
I've been attending races at Pocono since 2007. This place will always be so special to me, and being there yesterday for not just the great racing, but the revamped fan experience as well as the complete sold-out crowd brought a *HUGE* smile to my face! I'm very happy this place is finally getting the respect it deserves to be a permanent keepsake on the schedule! 1 race is perfect for a facility like this! 😄
I live in Maryland and we don’t have that many chances to go to a somewhat nearby race with Dover and Pocono going to one date a year. On top of that Pocono has really worked hard to modernize the facilities
Same thing with New Hampshire. I think definitely like Pocono, while it sucks for me as a die hard fan, reducing it to one date a year definitely helped with attendance wise.
Pocono for me has soured over the years do to all the bad crashes. they've benefited going down to one cup race a year and I'm hoping that more tracks get that treatment long term
Pocono is my home track and Sunday was my first in person Nascar race. I think a mix of how hard the next gen is to drive plus having one date has made the racing more exciting. Thinking of going again next year but getting on the infield campgrounds.
Having one Pocono race at one of the most unique tracks in NASCAR combined with the good racing and controversy the Next Gen has contributed leaves fans wanting more Having one race makes it more important in fans' minds that they should attend given it's their only chance of the year to do so
I used to hate Pocono (New Hampshire too), but both tracks are so much better with just 1 date. Next thing to do is to eliminate the stage cautions to improve the strategy. Overall though, this weekend was perhaps the best Pocono weekend in history, and I've been watching for over 20 years. All 3 races were WILD.
I been to this track in the recent weekend, trucks was wild xfinity was wild and cup went full a million scoleville of chaos and action. Plus with recent addition of the new paddock plus fans got to see victory lane up close which to me was more cool. (Yes that building was gone but you got to change it up sometime). My take is for the track to have it’s rising Daytona project for the grandstand and garage bc I think it can be better for the fan experience long term with new seating more access to the garages and more money for their value. I had a great time and Poconos as home track for me as NJ guy I think earned it
You missed 3 factors, IMO: 1. Going down to one date definitely helped. Builds anticipation when you have to wait a year for the next race. 2. Shorter race helped. 500 miles at Pocono was a slog, even when the product was decent. Few races need to be 500 miles long. 3. Cannot be overstated how much the at track fan experience matters. This was not just a race weekend, this was a damn festival, it was just so fun being there, and the fair food was straight FIRE. I've never had that much fun at a racetrack.
ive been at every pocono race since 2002 and what the track itself has done for engagement of the fans needs to be noticed. talking to folks around the track that have beed to daytona, talledega, you name it, it was their favorite in terms of overall fan experience and next gen has helped its track product immensely
I’ve been twice. Once just for the day and once in the infield. Compared to Michigan, Pocono definitely has the ma and pa feel to it. It’s definitely a huge property and when I was there in 18 and 19 it did not seem busy at all. Seeing how full the stands are now as well as the infield it seems like a great vibe there now. Also since Michigan has gone to one race the same thing happened there. I go every year and it is jam packed now.
I used to not like pocono that much all those years ago but the last couple of years this track has become one of my favorites to look forward to on the schedule every year now, I've been to the last few races including this past Sunday's and let me tell you, being a part of that massive sell out crowd was something special the fan energy and the atmosphere felt like a 2000s race. Can't wait to be back at Pocono again next year😁
I went to Pocono for the first time yesterday and it was incredible! As I got onto 115, I rolled my eyes with how backed up traffic was but thankfully, only missed two laps. Thanks to JJ Yeley though, I got to see an early restart so it’s as if I didn’t miss anything. I feel like Denny Hamlin is becoming Aaron Rogers. He’s just becoming less likable every year.
In the Dale 3, Rusty, Davey Allison days Pocono was an outdoor insane asylum. Place was banged out twice a year. Backlogs on I-80 for miles. Yesterday kinda brought back some of that old mojo. The sport needs more characters like back then, and fearless drivers.
It was my first race yesterday, and honestly, it felt like a blast from the past- it was a whole experience, and at the end, I felt like I was at a race from 25-30 years ago. As the sun set over turn 3 and the drama between Denny and Larson unfolded, It took my mind back to the 1999 Bristol night race, the infamous "rattle his cage" moment, the crowd erupted into boos, some for Denny, some for NASCAR, and that kind of drama is what NASCAR fans (and motorsports fans in general) crave, along with seeing great racing and just having a great time cheering their favorite drivers.
I always thought Pocono was a pretty good race except the period near the end of the 2010's. I went to the July race in 2003 and it was very good. Crazy that it's been 20 years.
Pocono Raceway has definitely seen it's charm come back. I remember the glory days from the 2000s and early 2010s when the track was packed for almost every NASCAR race. It's such a bummer to see photos of empty seats at the track from the late 2010s. And yes, there was actually rumors of Pocono closing, around the same time rumors were going around regarding the closure of tracks like COTA, Kansas and Homestead Miami. Many people like to blame the decline of NASCAR during the late 2010s for empty seating at the track, but I really think it's because in the later years Pocono had two race weekends, fans of Pocono Raceway who used to go to all the race weekends back in the day preferred to just attend one race during that time because of massive increases in pricing. The same thing can be said for other tracks that had two dates. The ownership of the track are definitely smart when it came to fixing the problem. First was the Pocono doubleheader that was held in 2020 and 2021, and a thriller of a finish during the 2021 Saturday race between Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman definitely brought Pocono back in the spotlight. Then when WWT Raceway came onto the 2022 schedule, Pocono surrendered one of it's races, and led to Pocono having only one race weekend. That really brought the attendence up. By the way, the Governor of Pennsylvania at the time actually would have had allowed limited capacity at the track for the 2020 races on the condition that Monroe County, the Pennsylvania county that Pocono Raceway is located at, was allowed to enter the "Green Phase" of reopening by June 26. In cause you don't know what I'm talking about, when states started to allow businesses to reopen with safety measures after the shutdowns early in the pandemic, Tom Wolf, the Governor during that time, implemented a county color coding system to allow counties with low virus transmission rates to safely open back up. You had the red phase, yellow phase and green phase. Red phase meant high transmission and non essential businesses must stay closed, yellow phase meant some non essential businesses can open back up with social distancing requirements, but large gathering places (movie theaters, bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, festivals, stadiums etc) must remain closed, and green phase meant all businesses can open back up with social distancing measures. But Monroe County was seeing a resurgance of cases of the virus, mainly because of an outbreak at a nursing home in the county, which resulted in Monroe County not being allowed to enter the green phase until it was too late. By the way, the 2019 Pocono 400 might not have been a great race, but it was definitely a memorable historic one, with Kyle Busch tying Rusty Wallace for his 55th win. I think more people need to look back on that race and appreciate it more and more. Say what you want about Kyle Busch and the 550 HP package, but the 550 package actually worked at Pocono.
Pocono is an incredibly unique track that deserves a date permanently on the schedule. Honestly tracks with only one date are either forgettable or start to become Crown Jewels. Night Bristol and the southern 500 being examples. In the 2000s neither would be a crown jewel but today? Both are in my opinion. Not saying Pocono ever would be but if they keep investing in the track and their facility and nascar keeps bringing packages that exemplify Poconos features (high horsepower, low downforce) than I could see Pocono become one of /THE/ races you want to win
I think the one race at Pocono that was good during the Gen 6 era, I think it was 2014 or 2015, it was the Pocono race where Kurt Busch was in a massive fuel save mode and was shutting the car off as he was going into T1. I thought that race was pretty good cause of the strategy and wondering if Kurt was gonna make it by doing this or not. But it definitely looks like the single race date for Pocono has definitely saved the track, same with New Hampshire. And hopefully the same gets done to many of the other tracks. Especially with the short tracks. Fans were always going on about how NASCAR needs more short tracks, then never show up for em cause of all the short tracks NASCAR has and the ones fans want r all in the same area. But then ya get one inside a major football stadium and supposedly a 2 mile track getting cut down to a .5 mile banked short track and people got a massive issue. Fontana I can understand, but seeing how Michigan, Kentucky, and Texas have been racing wise since their repaves, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The 2015 Pocono races are my least favorite Pocono races, especially the second race. Yes, the finish to the second race made it more interesting, but the rest of the race was pretty boring.
I'd love to see Pocono back on the IndyCar schedule. With the unfortunate tragedies of Justin Wilson (RIP) & Robert Wickens, IndyCar probably won't go back.
@@naparacingfan9275 I hate to say this, but that’s honestly not an excuse. There’s been more deaths at Indy and they still race there to this day. Indy and Pocono are identical in terms of how long the track is. The problem was NEVER the track, the problem is how the drivers raced at Pocono. Wilson’s death was a freak accident. Wickens’ accident was just drivers being aggressive and RHR being under Wickens when it was too late to back-off. Plus Pocono was first built for IndyCar since 1971. Let’s not have IndyCar race at Indy ever again since “Pocono scary” by the logic of blaming Pocono as a track. It’s dumb
@@naparacingfan9275 and yet they’re still racing at Indy…. That’s just hypocritical of them. It’s bs. Plus they lost the title sponsor of the Pocono race, so that’s why. But it’s bs to whine and cry about “ovals being dangerous for IndyCar” and still race at Indy. They’re delusional for blaming the track instead of blaming the aggression of the drivers and the cars being hard to pass there. Being an IndyCar fanatic is a huge blessing for me, but man it’s so complicated due to things like that… Yet they wonder why the sport isn’t growing
I have always loved Pocono as it's my NASCAR (& for awhile IndyCar) home track. The track itself didn't suck, the racing package mostly sucked before this car came.
This was the first NASCAR race I've ever attended, so I'll try to put aside my obvious sentimental bias...I really enjoyed it until the officials officiated at the end. I went to see Kevin race since I missed Kurt, Kahne and Dale Jr.
I was there this year for all four races (since the ARCA was moved to Saturday morning). Enjoyed every minute of it. Sat in the shaded section. There was WiFi everywhere even though I didn't really need it. Got to walk around the infield with the Paddock plus pass. Walked on the track and through the pit stalls getting to see the crews setting up and chatting with the fans. There was definitely a buzz and I'm going to continue going every year. Also helps I live 45 minutes away near Nazareth.
@@danielfoster3642 I was there once for the final Busch race that Martin Truex won passing Bobby Hamilton Jr. The crowd was deafening. It was awesome. I miss it now. Pretty much just overgrown nothing now.
Just like the Gen 7 has saved the Coca Cola 600…it has potential. If you just take aside the late race drama yesterday, it was trending towards a typical pocono race so I can’t say yet the new car has saved pocono but has potential for sure
Went to my first race there in 2001. Ricky Rudd won. Back then you spent a week infield and it was amazing. All the practices and qualifying and races. Plus it was just fun for a kid. Went back 20 years later and it’s just as fun. I’m biased but it’s my favorite track. Going there will help sway people.
Went to the 1st race in 2021 and this past weekend and holy shit was the experience night and day. It was PACKED and so many things to do. The atmosphere was top notch.
I like it because it’s unique. But the race in the past couple years has been better. It’s been along time since I’ve been there over 20 years ago in 2003.
The only problem I have and I am not even a 22 fan was the fact that you get penalized for winning a stage and forced to the back. For most tracks, I don't like stage racing and it has taken a lot of the strategy away only to replace it with the decision to win the stage or not. And not winning should never be incentivised soo much. Sucked to see him put in that spot for winning and he legitimately won that stage and didn't just stay out while others pitted and won.
I’ve been to 6 nascar races, 5 of them at Pocono (August 16, July 19, Saturday cup 21, 22, and 23). The last couple have been amazing compared to the first few. Not many were there initially but now the track is a sellout. Amazing track resurgence.
I live very close to pocono and got stuck in the traffic to the track on race day. Roads were shut down with traffic for miles around the track. It was very surprising.
The superspeedways and intermediates are where the new car really shines- they nailed the intermediate package, the superspeedway package is serviceable, and although the road course and short track packages need some serious work, the car absolutely can work at those tracks with the right modifications. Pocono and the new car are a match made in heaven, I can foresee many more years of dramatic, action-packed racing yet to come.
@@harrisongrant8558 I look forward to Michigan in a couple of week. It could be even better than Pocono. Worried about the short tracks though. Best short track NASCAR racing right now is the xfinity cars
@@walkerking3875 Michigan was a great race last year, and it's an intermediate track, so it will probably be good this year as well. NASCAR is working on improvements for the short track package, so hopefully it will be better next year.
As an Indycar fan in addition to NASCAR, I don't see the same rebirth for Pocono for an Indycar return that happened for NASCAR for one major reason and that is safety. The death of Justin Wilson in 2015 as well as the violent accident that paralyzed Robert Wickens in 2018 all but sealed Pocono's reputation as an unsafe track for Indycar & the majority of the current Indycar field would object big time to going back there because the speeds are way too high & putting restrictor plates on the cars to slow them down would likely result in a Las Vegas 2011 scenario. I say this even though I think Indycar needs more ovals on its schedule to balance out the number of road/street courses. For those wondering what happened to the date previously held by Pocono on the Indycar schedule, it was taken by the Nashville street race. Apart from the first edition, that race has been pretty bad (the worst among the street circuits on the schedule) & Indycar should look to move the race to Nashville Superspeedway instead.
Which street course do you think is the worst? Chicago or Nashville? And this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the NASCAR Chicago Street race.
@@danielfoster3642 Nashville's by far because it either produces boring racing or the race is a wreck fest. I would actually want to see Indycar attempt to race the same street course NASCAR raced on in Chicago as a replacement or as a new event because I think it would produce much better racing. It would also bring Indycar back to an important market because it has been over a decade since Indycar last raced in the area at Chicagoland Speedway. If the street race isn't an option, then Indycar should return to Chicagoland Speedway.
@@chrisguardiano6143 IndyCars on the Chicago Street Course would be interesting. Although I don't think the city of Chicago is ready to commit to IndyCar right now.
I wonder what a Pocono night race would look like if they did one. I wonder if it’d be a slog since the cooler temperatures would make the track less slick, or if it would shake things up enough that the drivers would get more ballsy and push limits. I don’t know, but it’s something I would like to see happen just once. I want to see how something like that turns out in my lifetime.
I always thought Pocono was a cool track to watch. Even as a young fan I liked the whole “no turn 4” craze, and all the different style turns. That alone made me want to watch even if the racing was kinda bland. Now this makes me want to see how Indy would do
People hate to admit it, but the next gen car though has flaws and is not perfect, is probably the best intermediate and road course car in the history of the sport. Not to mention, it looks good
It looks better than the last few generations of Cup car, but it still doesn't look good, especially at speed with the ass-dragging it has to do because of the diffuser.
As a pa native who went to about half off the pocono races from 2010-2014 and went to the last two I agree I love the racing I always did the problem isn’t racing it is getting into the track is a nightmare they only have one entrance and they only have a two lane high way going by the track and they really need to upgrade the facilities the only have one big screen and it’s pretty small so if miss something on the track it’s difficult actually look at that screen me and my bother in law had look up nbc tele cast twice for the running order now will I go back again hell yeah I love NASCAR it wasn’t a bad experience it’s just need to do a better job at upgrading it
NASCAR gotta do one date per track for most tracks. You’ll see images like Pocono more often when the single date is the big event for the year. Don’t saturate the market when the sport doesn’t have the same popularity. I think Michigan is having the same effect
The other benefit of one date for most tracks is that we would have more open dates to try out new venues and fresh ideas, and expanding to new audiences will be a lot easier when we have more spots to fill. The only ones I'd say deserve more than one date are Daytona and Talladega.
Indycar is too dangerous. There has been way to many bad wrecks there in the last decade, not to mention what happened to Justin Wilson, I'd maybe look into another race weekend yes but not with Indycar
While the 2019 races weren't all that impressive, there was still some decent action. And the first race was a historic one, with Kyle Busch tying Rusty Wallace for his 55th career win. More people need to appreciate it more, even if the racing wasn't the best.
You need a Pocono on the track. It's big, it's unique, it's a track that takes a lot of skill to figure out. It might not be as sexy as the tri-ovals and superspeedways but breaks up the "cookie cutter" tracks fans have long bellyached about. That said, having one date rather than two (relatively close to each other on the schedule) dates, probably will help it out in terms of attendnace.
Tell ya’ll what I’ll take two Pocono races over a single Vegas or Indy road course (because I want brickyard back on the schedule) Let’s have the season end on a historical track like Nashville fairgrounds or maybe Bristol Room for debate? How. Y’all feel on my insignificant opinion?
I usually cancel my TV subcription for this time of the year. Some of my least favorite tracks in a row (Loudon, Atlanta, Pocono) and I just wait for the football season to start. I’ve watched every single race this year start to finish and I couldn’t give a damn less about football. Pocono was cool, atlanta was amazing. I attended nashville in person and there wasn’t more than a couple dozen empty seats not to mention it was a solid race. Richmond was a little boring but still awesome and solid. Like Jr said, it’s a great time to be a nascar fan.
That 2022 Pocono DQ was the biggest BS call I've seen in a while. It made me lose all respect for the inspection process. Cause they wanted the Golden Boy to win.
Im from PA and was at the first 2019 pocono race and the racing was boring and Kyle Busch dominated. The experience of the track itself though was great . That was the first race my wife ever went to she liked it
Don't let nascar media/owners/drivers fool you narrow groove tracks are where it's at... it's Where it's always been at they just hate the tool it takes on there checkbooks that's why they preach multi spaced out racing is great! Smhhh
One 400 mile race compared to two 500 milers helps. The racing still leaves a lot to be desired. There's not much passing and the leader has such an aero advantage that you already know who will win if there's no "help." The Indy oval will look like this unfortunately. I've never loved Pocono. It's on the low side of average.
Flat track that has only one groove, washboard straightaways, and a configuration that makes it impossible to nail a setup... Honestly, it sucks. Boring for the people at home, and enraging for the teams. Most drivers don't like it, even the ones who are good at it. The location is what brings fans to it and the fact that they decided only once a year is enough has gone into the slight increase in numbers. Really, all it would take is one race of Goodyear messing up on the tire compound for it to go away entirely.
Its a boring race if the same driver wrecks someone for the win. Denny killing the enjoyment of pocono is enough for us to not want pocono on the schedule
To be honest the stages NEED TO GO AWAY!!! They just seem to be more of an issue. One drawback is a really good car can run away at half the track Nascar goes to but the stages really never did anything in my opinion other than take strategy out as a skill set for crews
I think going to 1 race a year has done wonders for Pocono, New Hampshire, and Dover. I think Richmond should be next track to follow suit. I'm also hoping Indycar will go back to Pocono.
At least the crowds are good again at Pocono. I was surprised it got a sellout and performed well the last 2 years. 4 years ago the Pocono races we're just write off weekends that no one looked forward to.
@@chrissterner3484 I do remember parking being a huge issue for the track the years I was there. I do remember there were plans to help solve the problem with parking a couple years ago, but I couldn't tell if they fixed it or not. Maybe it's still in the works, but who knows. I also remember the traffic on 115 on race days was bad, at least for the years I was there. Not Kentucky 2011 or Nashville 2021 bad, but still pretty bad.
Yes but would it made that much of a difference far as the winner goes? Maybe yes Truex or Reddick could had gotten one more chance at Hamlin but we'll never know if one of them or an different driver could had won if it went to overtime.
Kyle Larson said it best after the race. "Its a long boring race." Which is true. Ever since stage racing it really took the race from the track. No fuel mileage, no gutsy calls from the pit. I think they should do something in the back stretch, like a s curve. something.
I sometimes think back when they built the place they should have put the grandstands in the tunnel turn like the big tri-ovals and the start/finish coming out of the tunnel turn. But it's fun to watch them wide open on that big straight too.
Just like Dover, an overwhelming majority of people have to drive a minimum of three hours to get to these tracks. One race is not worth it not at all. Also you didn't take into account the multi-year ticket use that was allowed for the new weather guarantee from 2021. So 40,000, or a little under 40% of those tickets used in 2023 were from previous races, but hey who's counting right? The ticket office at two. My girlfriend works in the ticket office and was specifically responsible her and 18 others for counting the weather guarantee tickets and it was overwhelming to say the least.
NASCAR still has many problems though. First off why do all the cars look the same I mean come on stop it with the stupid same cars we always get. Second NASCAR is more expensive than ever many people used to make a living in NASCAR while now its mainly for the rich. Third NASCAR has horrible marking and no video games or toys which is huge in this day and age. Fourth the tracks are ehhh like why the heck is Texas on the schedule come on. Fifth why does everyone change teams, manufactures, and car numbers every year there is a reason why guys like Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliot, Brad K, Joey Logano, Martian Truex jr, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are so popular cause they don't change teams every year and sponsors every race for the most part. Along with all of that NASCAR just doesn't fell like NASCAR no personalities nothing its bland which is really hurting it. Also WHY ARE STAGES STILL A THING NASCAR ISN'T THE NFL GET RID OF THE STAGES AND THE STUPID POINT SYSTEM AND BRING BACK THE OLD SYSTEM AND 80% OF MY COMPLAINTS WOULD BE GONE!!!!!!!!!
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What do you think of Pocono now?
I. Love. It. The racing has been very good with the next gen at Pocono. Yesterday was the best Pocono Race I have ever seen.
I used to hate Pocono (New Hampshire too), but both tracks are so much better with just 1 date. Next thing to do is to eliminate the stage cautions to improve the strategy. Overall though, this weekend was perhaps the best Pocono weekend in history, and I've been watching for over 20 years. All 3 races were WILD.
It's a yearly visit now, look forward to it every summer. Track is fun to be at, racing has been exciting, surrounding area is beautiful.
Simply stated…POCONO delivered all weekend!!!
I think they should bring the double header back and just put another race on the schedule.
Pocono is a prime example of what letting a race track age can do. There are multiple grooves to run, Tire management is a factor and as the racetrack continues to age, it will become more and more prevalent. NASCAR has a very good package for the intermediate tracks, and the racing for the most part has shown the immense potential for this car. I think it’s just a matter of getting the short tracks, and the road courses dialed in as well and we could have the greatest racing product on the planet with this car.
Road courses this current car does okay but Short tracks the cars need help as the field ends up in a single no pass grove like a Talladega but worse as there is no way to run well on other lines. In Road courses it depends on the track, as some like Sonoma have only ever been okay with the Gen 6 and bad with 7 cars with no real passing allowed unless willing to ride off pavement in some cases like Kyle Bush or Kasey Kane has done but then others like Raceway of the Americas or COTA for short has great racing as did Road America with passing on multiple levels and Road America one special spot drivers kept trying to pass.
I like worn out Pocono from the 2000s
@@caseysmith544rid of diffuser on short tracks
Pocono is my home track and I was at the track on Sunday. I have been going to Pocono since 2014. The race on Sunday was the best race at Pocono ever
I’ve been going to Pocono since 2001. It’s a home track to me and this action really shows what the track has to offer.
Im happy that Pocono is back. Pocono is actually my third most favorite track, behind Bristol and Michigan, Michigan is my hometrack by the way.
I've always had a bias for Pocono because I grew up 10 minutes from the track and there's a huge part of me that wants us to have 2 races again but regardless I'm very happy Pocono is really coming to life again. It has me ready for next year's race
Pocono is my NASCAR home track and been going races there for 20 years, yesterday felt so proud to be a fan and to be apart of that amazing crowd and atmosphere! From the giant crowd and packed infield to the long wait it took to get into (and out) the parking lots, it felt like I got transported back to 2005, and it was great to see! A late July date is perfect for this track. I have racing friends that want to go to Pocono next year now. So kudos to the track for an awesome weekend and keeping the momentum that NASCAR has right now going!
Also i was born 99 and didn’t start going to races myself till 22 and I think the kids growing up watching the early 2000s and love the sport are showing up plus the gen 7 really has brought a lot of tracks back
Pocono is not an easy track to concur or master - Fans that call it boring or whatever don’t understand
Pocono is my home track. I was there all weekend and Friday the infield was pretty full. The police did a great job directing traffic after the race. The first sold out race in a long time.
I'm partial to the track because I grew up about 50 miles west of the track. Even a diehard Pocono fan like me will say that the racing wasn't always the best. The biggest drama was often when fuel mileage came into play.
Even so, this may have been the best Pocono race that I have witnessed. In the past, you only saw 2 or more wide on the frontstretch and the inside was king. If you started on the outside, you'd likely lose a few spots. But, this year we saw 3 wide in the tunnel turn with no one out of control. And, on restarts, somehow, the outside lane was definitely preferred.
As it's my "home track", I'm glad to see that it's can put on a good show. Hopefully, NASCAR and/or Goodyear won't do something to mess it up.
I love attending races there. The staff is so friendly and majority of the races I’ve attended has always been entertaining.
For once, Bowman changed a track's future for the better
track reaper becomes the savior :') ...poetic
Haha truth!
He still got one of the dates removed tho
If you think that this is true you are delusional
Being at the race, the grandstands were sold out and parking lots were full. They can sell more seats in the lower section next year if this trend continues with more people coming in. It’s still spreads out, but still exciting. If cup go back to Indy Oval, we could see similar racing.
Sometimes, I do wish IndyCar never left Pocono.
Pocono has always been one of my favorite tracks to watch. If I lived close to Pocono I'd have gone to the races long ago. It's so good to see the track with lots of people again.
If I lived closer to the track, I would definitely go to every race.
I was at pocono this weekend and it was a blast. Never went to a cup race at pocono but it was so much fun
I went to the second race in 2021, missed the race in 2022, and came back this year. I’m not sure how it was on TV, but I absolutely loved this race much better than the previous Pocono race I attended. The atmosphere amongst the crowd was so awesome, and it was cool to see how much action happened on the track. Really looking forward to going again next year!
I've been attending races at Pocono since 2007. This place will always be so special to me, and being there yesterday for not just the great racing, but the revamped fan experience as well as the complete sold-out crowd brought a *HUGE* smile to my face! I'm very happy this place is finally getting the respect it deserves to be a permanent keepsake on the schedule! 1 race is perfect for a facility like this! 😄
I live in Maryland and we don’t have that many chances to go to a somewhat nearby race with Dover and Pocono going to one date a year. On top of that Pocono has really worked hard to modernize the facilities
I’ve always loved Pocono.
I just remember one or two terrible xfinity series races there.
But overall it’s always put on a decent to great race.
Same thing with New Hampshire. I think definitely like Pocono, while it sucks for me as a die hard fan, reducing it to one date a year definitely helped with attendance wise.
Pocono for me has soured over the years do to all the bad crashes. they've benefited going down to one cup race a year and I'm hoping that more tracks get that treatment long term
Pocono is my home track and Sunday was my first in person Nascar race. I think a mix of how hard the next gen is to drive plus having one date has made the racing more exciting. Thinking of going again next year but getting on the infield campgrounds.
infield here is a whole different breed!
Having one Pocono race at one of the most unique tracks in NASCAR combined with the good racing and controversy the Next Gen has contributed leaves fans wanting more
Having one race makes it more important in fans' minds that they should attend given it's their only chance of the year to do so
I used to hate Pocono (New Hampshire too), but both tracks are so much better with just 1 date. Next thing to do is to eliminate the stage cautions to improve the strategy. Overall though, this weekend was perhaps the best Pocono weekend in history, and I've been watching for over 20 years. All 3 races were WILD.
The stage’s arguably created more strategy
New Hampshire was always my least favorite track even when Texas was bad.
I been to this track in the recent weekend, trucks was wild xfinity was wild and cup went full a million scoleville of chaos and action. Plus with recent addition of the new paddock plus fans got to see victory lane up close which to me was more cool. (Yes that building was gone but you got to change it up sometime). My take is for the track to have it’s rising Daytona project for the grandstand and garage bc I think it can be better for the fan experience long term with new seating more access to the garages and more money for their value. I had a great time and Poconos as home track for me as NJ guy I think earned it
It's the momentum that NASCAR has right now, with more and more fans coming to the races for a few weeks now
You missed 3 factors, IMO:
1. Going down to one date definitely helped. Builds anticipation when you have to wait a year for the next race.
2. Shorter race helped. 500 miles at Pocono was a slog, even when the product was decent. Few races need to be 500 miles long.
3. Cannot be overstated how much the at track fan experience matters. This was not just a race weekend, this was a damn festival, it was just so fun being there, and the fair food was straight FIRE. I've never had that much fun at a racetrack.
ive been at every pocono race since 2002 and what the track itself has done for engagement of the fans needs to be noticed. talking to folks around the track that have beed to daytona, talledega, you name it, it was their favorite in terms of overall fan experience and next gen has helped its track product immensely
also please tell me this proves every track should have 1 race?
I’ve been twice. Once just for the day and once in the infield. Compared to Michigan, Pocono definitely has the ma and pa feel to it. It’s definitely a huge property and when I was there in 18 and 19 it did not seem busy at all. Seeing how full the stands are now as well as the infield it seems like a great vibe there now. Also since Michigan has gone to one race the same thing happened there. I go every year and it is jam packed now.
I used to not like pocono that much all those years ago but the last couple of years this track has become one of my favorites to look forward to on the schedule every year now, I've been to the last few races including this past Sunday's and let me tell you, being a part of that massive sell out crowd was something special the fan energy and the atmosphere felt like a 2000s race. Can't wait to be back at Pocono again next year😁
I went to Pocono for the first time yesterday and it was incredible! As I got onto 115, I rolled my eyes with how backed up traffic was but thankfully, only missed two laps. Thanks to JJ Yeley though, I got to see an early restart so it’s as if I didn’t miss anything. I feel like Denny Hamlin is becoming Aaron Rogers. He’s just becoming less likable every year.
Hate him or love him, you can't deny the fact that Denny Hamlin has become the king of Pocono Raceway.
Dover only having 1 race is absolutely increasing Poconos attendance
The last 3 or 4 years Pocono has put on some solid racing.
In the Dale 3, Rusty, Davey Allison days Pocono was an outdoor insane asylum. Place was banged out twice a year. Backlogs on I-80 for miles. Yesterday kinda brought back some of that old mojo. The sport needs more characters like back then, and fearless drivers.
It was my first race yesterday, and honestly, it felt like a blast from the past- it was a whole experience, and at the end, I felt like I was at a race from 25-30 years ago. As the sun set over turn 3 and the drama between Denny and Larson unfolded, It took my mind back to the 1999 Bristol night race, the infamous "rattle his cage" moment, the crowd erupted into boos, some for Denny, some for NASCAR, and that kind of drama is what NASCAR fans (and motorsports fans in general) crave, along with seeing great racing and just having a great time cheering their favorite drivers.
I always thought Pocono was a pretty good race except the period near the end of the 2010's. I went to the July race in 2003 and it was very good. Crazy that it's been 20 years.
The next gen car really did change Pocono for the better
There were really 4 rivalries.
Hamlin v Larson
Preece v LaJoie
Dillon v Reddick
Stenhouse Jr. v Cindric
A lot of rivalries to pick.
Pocono Raceway has definitely seen it's charm come back. I remember the glory days from the 2000s and early 2010s when the track was packed for almost every NASCAR race. It's such a bummer to see photos of empty seats at the track from the late 2010s. And yes, there was actually rumors of Pocono closing, around the same time rumors were going around regarding the closure of tracks like COTA, Kansas and Homestead Miami.
Many people like to blame the decline of NASCAR during the late 2010s for empty seating at the track, but I really think it's because in the later years Pocono had two race weekends, fans of Pocono Raceway who used to go to all the race weekends back in the day preferred to just attend one race during that time because of massive increases in pricing. The same thing can be said for other tracks that had two dates.
The ownership of the track are definitely smart when it came to fixing the problem. First was the Pocono doubleheader that was held in 2020 and 2021, and a thriller of a finish during the 2021 Saturday race between Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman definitely brought Pocono back in the spotlight. Then when WWT Raceway came onto the 2022 schedule, Pocono surrendered one of it's races, and led to Pocono having only one race weekend. That really brought the attendence up.
By the way, the Governor of Pennsylvania at the time actually would have had allowed limited capacity at the track for the 2020 races on the condition that Monroe County, the Pennsylvania county that Pocono Raceway is located at, was allowed to enter the "Green Phase" of reopening by June 26. In cause you don't know what I'm talking about, when states started to allow businesses to reopen with safety measures after the shutdowns early in the pandemic, Tom Wolf, the Governor during that time, implemented a county color coding system to allow counties with low virus transmission rates to safely open back up. You had the red phase, yellow phase and green phase. Red phase meant high transmission and non essential businesses must stay closed, yellow phase meant some non essential businesses can open back up with social distancing requirements, but large gathering places (movie theaters, bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, festivals, stadiums etc) must remain closed, and green phase meant all businesses can open back up with social distancing measures. But Monroe County was seeing a resurgance of cases of the virus, mainly because of an outbreak at a nursing home in the county, which resulted in Monroe County not being allowed to enter the green phase until it was too late.
By the way, the 2019 Pocono 400 might not have been a great race, but it was definitely a memorable historic one, with Kyle Busch tying Rusty Wallace for his 55th win. I think more people need to look back on that race and appreciate it more and more. Say what you want about Kyle Busch and the 550 HP package, but the 550 package actually worked at Pocono.
Pocono is an incredibly unique track that deserves a date permanently on the schedule. Honestly tracks with only one date are either forgettable or start to become Crown Jewels. Night Bristol and the southern 500 being examples. In the 2000s neither would be a crown jewel but today? Both are in my opinion. Not saying Pocono ever would be but if they keep investing in the track and their facility and nascar keeps bringing packages that exemplify Poconos features (high horsepower, low downforce) than I could see Pocono become one of /THE/ races you want to win
Pocono has always been one of my favorites. Not sure why it gets hate. High speeds and swapping of positions.
Because the battle for the lead doesn't even happen all that much. Pfft
I think the one race at Pocono that was good during the Gen 6 era, I think it was 2014 or 2015, it was the Pocono race where Kurt Busch was in a massive fuel save mode and was shutting the car off as he was going into T1. I thought that race was pretty good cause of the strategy and wondering if Kurt was gonna make it by doing this or not. But it definitely looks like the single race date for Pocono has definitely saved the track, same with New Hampshire. And hopefully the same gets done to many of the other tracks. Especially with the short tracks. Fans were always going on about how NASCAR needs more short tracks, then never show up for em cause of all the short tracks NASCAR has and the ones fans want r all in the same area. But then ya get one inside a major football stadium and supposedly a 2 mile track getting cut down to a .5 mile banked short track and people got a massive issue. Fontana I can understand, but seeing how Michigan, Kentucky, and Texas have been racing wise since their repaves, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The 2015 Pocono races are my least favorite Pocono races, especially the second race. Yes, the finish to the second race made it more interesting, but the rest of the race was pretty boring.
I only go to Bristol so I definitely show up!
@@PaperBanjo64 Cool.
Would be great if IndyCar raced at Pocono once again as a 500-mile race
I'd love to see Pocono back on the IndyCar schedule. With the unfortunate tragedies of Justin Wilson (RIP) & Robert Wickens, IndyCar probably won't go back.
@@naparacingfan9275 I hate to say this, but that’s honestly not an excuse. There’s been more deaths at Indy and they still race there to this day. Indy and Pocono are identical in terms of how long the track is.
The problem was NEVER the track, the problem is how the drivers raced at Pocono. Wilson’s death was a freak accident. Wickens’ accident was just drivers being aggressive and RHR being under Wickens when it was too late to back-off.
Plus Pocono was first built for IndyCar since 1971.
Let’s not have IndyCar race at Indy ever again since “Pocono scary” by the logic of blaming Pocono as a track. It’s dumb
@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT I agree but IndyCar has said before they won't return due to those tragedies.
@@naparacingfan9275 and yet they’re still racing at Indy….
That’s just hypocritical of them. It’s bs. Plus they lost the title sponsor of the Pocono race, so that’s why. But it’s bs to whine and cry about “ovals being dangerous for IndyCar” and still race at Indy.
They’re delusional for blaming the track instead of blaming the aggression of the drivers and the cars being hard to pass there.
Being an IndyCar fanatic is a huge blessing for me, but man it’s so complicated due to things like that… Yet they wonder why the sport isn’t growing
Sometimes I wish IndyCar never left Pocono.
I have always loved Pocono as it's my NASCAR (& for awhile IndyCar) home track. The track itself didn't suck, the racing package mostly sucked before this car came.
My biggest issue is getting there to it
This was the first NASCAR race I've ever attended, so I'll try to put aside my obvious sentimental bias...I really enjoyed it until the officials officiated at the end. I went to see Kevin race since I missed Kurt, Kahne and Dale Jr.
I was there this year for all four races (since the ARCA was moved to Saturday morning). Enjoyed every minute of it. Sat in the shaded section. There was WiFi everywhere even though I didn't really need it. Got to walk around the infield with the Paddock plus pass. Walked on the track and through the pit stalls getting to see the crews setting up and chatting with the fans. There was definitely a buzz and I'm going to continue going every year. Also helps I live 45 minutes away near Nazareth.
Do you remember Nazareth Speedway?
@@danielfoster3642 I was there once for the final Busch race that Martin Truex won passing Bobby Hamilton Jr. The crowd was deafening. It was awesome. I miss it now. Pretty much just overgrown nothing now.
@@matthewdryden8223 Such a shame what happened to that track.
Just like the Gen 7 has saved the Coca Cola 600…it has potential. If you just take aside the late race drama yesterday, it was trending towards a typical pocono race so I can’t say yet the new car has saved pocono but has potential for sure
Went to my first race there in 2001. Ricky Rudd won. Back then you spent a week infield and it was amazing. All the practices and qualifying and races. Plus it was just fun for a kid. Went back 20 years later and it’s just as fun. I’m biased but it’s my favorite track.
Going there will help sway people.
Went to the 1st race in 2021 and this past weekend and holy shit was the experience night and day. It was PACKED and so many things to do. The atmosphere was top notch.
I like it because it’s unique. But the race in the past couple years has been better. It’s been along time since I’ve been there over 20 years ago in 2003.
Ive loved attending races here since I was a kid! Id love to come back to this track to see it with a sold out crowd
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Pocono
The only problem I have and I am not even a 22 fan was the fact that you get penalized for winning a stage and forced to the back. For most tracks, I don't like stage racing and it has taken a lot of the strategy away only to replace it with the decision to win the stage or not. And not winning should never be incentivised soo much. Sucked to see him put in that spot for winning and he legitimately won that stage and didn't just stay out while others pitted and won.
I’ve been to 6 nascar races, 5 of them at Pocono (August 16, July 19, Saturday cup 21, 22, and 23). The last couple have been amazing compared to the first few. Not many were there initially but now the track is a sellout. Amazing track resurgence.
Where was the other one?
Dover spring 2018
This year they banned beer in coolers. I just walked in with out getting it checked. 😂
Pocono has always been one of my favorite. Im glad we finally have a good intermediate package so it can put on a great show.
Pocono is definitely my favorite track.
I live very close to pocono and got stuck in the traffic to the track on race day. Roads were shut down with traffic for miles around the track. It was very surprising.
credit goes to the new car. The new car does great on 2 mile+ tracks
The superspeedways and intermediates are where the new car really shines- they nailed the intermediate package, the superspeedway package is serviceable, and although the road course and short track packages need some serious work, the car absolutely can work at those tracks with the right modifications. Pocono and the new car are a match made in heaven, I can foresee many more years of dramatic, action-packed racing yet to come.
@@harrisongrant8558 I look forward to Michigan in a couple of week. It could be even better than Pocono. Worried about the short tracks though. Best short track NASCAR racing right now is the xfinity cars
@@walkerking3875 Michigan was a great race last year, and it's an intermediate track, so it will probably be good this year as well. NASCAR is working on improvements for the short track package, so hopefully it will be better next year.
I’m still not a fan of Pocono, but the track is legendary for sure
As an Indycar fan in addition to NASCAR, I don't see the same rebirth for Pocono for an Indycar return that happened for NASCAR for one major reason and that is safety. The death of Justin Wilson in 2015 as well as the violent accident that paralyzed Robert Wickens in 2018 all but sealed Pocono's reputation as an unsafe track for Indycar & the majority of the current Indycar field would object big time to going back there because the speeds are way too high & putting restrictor plates on the cars to slow them down would likely result in a Las Vegas 2011 scenario. I say this even though I think Indycar needs more ovals on its schedule to balance out the number of road/street courses. For those wondering what happened to the date previously held by Pocono on the Indycar schedule, it was taken by the Nashville street race. Apart from the first edition, that race has been pretty bad (the worst among the street circuits on the schedule) & Indycar should look to move the race to Nashville Superspeedway instead.
Which street course do you think is the worst? Chicago or Nashville? And this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the NASCAR Chicago Street race.
@@danielfoster3642 Nashville's by far because it either produces boring racing or the race is a wreck fest. I would actually want to see Indycar attempt to race the same street course NASCAR raced on in Chicago as a replacement or as a new event because I think it would produce much better racing. It would also bring Indycar back to an important market because it has been over a decade since Indycar last raced in the area at Chicagoland Speedway. If the street race isn't an option, then Indycar should return to Chicagoland Speedway.
@@chrisguardiano6143 IndyCars on the Chicago Street Course would be interesting. Although I don't think the city of Chicago is ready to commit to IndyCar right now.
I think this is pretty great !
I wasn't long ago when the summer was a drag. June wasn't great but July has been awesome racing
I wonder what a Pocono night race would look like if they did one. I wonder if it’d be a slog since the cooler temperatures would make the track less slick, or if it would shake things up enough that the drivers would get more ballsy and push limits. I don’t know, but it’s something I would like to see happen just once. I want to see how something like that turns out in my lifetime.
Playing NASCAR 15 recently reminded me how nascar packed these high speed tracks 💀
I always thought Pocono was a cool track to watch. Even as a young fan I liked the whole “no turn 4” craze, and all the different style turns. That alone made me want to watch even if the racing was kinda bland. Now this makes me want to see how Indy would do
Turn 3 at Pocono is definitely one of the most famous turns in all of the NASCAR tracks, with the words "What, Turn 4?" painted on the walls.
one benifit is not having the worthless 550 package
People hate to admit it, but the next gen car though has flaws and is not perfect, is probably the best intermediate and road course car in the history of the sport. Not to mention, it looks good
It's not the best road course car though. Pfft
It looks better than the last few generations of Cup car, but it still doesn't look good, especially at speed with the ass-dragging it has to do because of the diffuser.
@@runrafarunthebestintheworld The only problem the Next Gen has right now racing wise are the short tracks. Gheez.
As a pa native who went to about half off the pocono races from 2010-2014 and went to the last two I agree I love the racing I always did the problem isn’t racing it is getting into the track is a nightmare they only have one entrance and they only have a two lane high way going by the track and they really need to upgrade the facilities the only have one big screen and it’s pretty small so if miss something on the track it’s difficult actually look at that screen me and my bother in law had look up nbc tele cast twice for the running order now will I go back again hell yeah I love NASCAR it wasn’t a bad experience it’s just need to do a better job at upgrading it
also this really the only track I’ve ever been too so i don’t know how the others are
NASCAR gotta do one date per track for most tracks. You’ll see images like Pocono more often when the single date is the big event for the year. Don’t saturate the market when the sport doesn’t have the same popularity. I think Michigan is having the same effect
Having one date for Richmond should be next for sure and that's it
The other benefit of one date for most tracks is that we would have more open dates to try out new venues and fresh ideas, and expanding to new audiences will be a lot easier when we have more spots to fill. The only ones I'd say deserve more than one date are Daytona and Talladega.
I always liked pocono.
Pocono and the glen are my faves in the cup series
You forgot the best rivalry: Joey Logano vs the tow truck drivers
I want to go to Pocono next year
No Indycar date, 1 cup date. That’ll make a difference
Indycar is too dangerous. There has been way to many bad wrecks there in the last decade, not to mention what happened to Justin Wilson, I'd maybe look into another race weekend yes but not with Indycar
@@racingempire7793 not saying that it should return, but losing a major event like that is gonna change things up
@@votekyle3000 maybe IndyCar could race the road course instead.
Pocono Was Fine Prior To 2019
While the 2019 races weren't all that impressive, there was still some decent action. And the first race was a historic one, with Kyle Busch tying Rusty Wallace for his 55th career win. More people need to appreciate it more, even if the racing wasn't the best.
You need a Pocono on the track. It's big, it's unique, it's a track that takes a lot of skill to figure out. It might not be as sexy as the tri-ovals and superspeedways but breaks up the "cookie cutter" tracks fans have long bellyached about. That said, having one date rather than two (relatively close to each other on the schedule) dates, probably will help it out in terms of attendnace.
Tell ya’ll what I’ll take two Pocono races over a single Vegas or Indy road course (because I want brickyard back on the schedule) Let’s have the season end on a historical track like Nashville fairgrounds or maybe Bristol
Room for debate? How. Y’all feel on my insignificant opinion?
I usually cancel my TV subcription for this time of the year. Some of my least favorite tracks in a row (Loudon, Atlanta, Pocono) and I just wait for the football season to start.
I’ve watched every single race this year start to finish and I couldn’t give a damn less about football. Pocono was cool, atlanta was amazing. I attended nashville in person and there wasn’t more than a couple dozen empty seats not to mention it was a solid race. Richmond was a little boring but still awesome and solid. Like Jr said, it’s a great time to be a nascar fan.
That 2022 Pocono DQ was the biggest BS call I've seen in a while. It made me lose all respect for the inspection process. Cause they wanted the Golden Boy to win.
Im from PA and was at the first 2019 pocono race and the racing was boring and Kyle Busch dominated. The experience of the track itself though was great . That was the first race my wife ever went to she liked it
Pocono has always been great
Don't let nascar media/owners/drivers fool you narrow groove tracks are where it's at... it's Where it's always been at they just hate the tool it takes on there checkbooks that's why they preach multi spaced out racing is great! Smhhh
One 400 mile race compared to two 500 milers helps.
The racing still leaves a lot to be desired. There's not much passing and the leader has such an aero advantage that you already know who will win if there's no "help."
The Indy oval will look like this unfortunately.
I've never loved Pocono. It's on the low side of average.
I think Canadians being allowed easily in America helped this weekend
Flat track that has only one groove, washboard straightaways, and a configuration that makes it impossible to nail a setup... Honestly, it sucks. Boring for the people at home, and enraging for the teams. Most drivers don't like it, even the ones who are good at it. The location is what brings fans to it and the fact that they decided only once a year is enough has gone into the slight increase in numbers. Really, all it would take is one race of Goodyear messing up on the tire compound for it to go away entirely.
Its a boring race if the same driver wrecks someone for the win. Denny killing the enjoyment of pocono is enough for us to not want pocono on the schedule
To be honest the stages NEED TO GO AWAY!!! They just seem to be more of an issue. One drawback is a really good car can run away at half the track Nascar goes to but the stages really never did anything in my opinion other than take strategy out as a skill set for crews
I think going to 1 race a year has done wonders for Pocono, New Hampshire, and Dover. I think Richmond should be next track to follow suit.
I'm also hoping Indycar will go back to Pocono.
Nah Richmond should be left alone - Take one from Phoenix
Yes Richmond should definitely be next and don't have the Trucks race at Richmond and keep the Modified series.
I was there
I was there I said it was entertaining
At least the crowds are good again at Pocono. I was surprised it got a sellout and performed well the last 2 years. 4 years ago the Pocono races we're just write off weekends that no one looked forward to.
I like Pocono more and Denny Hamlin less 😂
Can they add an a better entrance
Didn't the track get a massive expansion project a couple of years ago? I haven't been to that track in a while, so I can't really tell.
@@danielfoster3642 if they did they dint do anything for the entrance and parking
@@chrissterner3484 I do remember parking being a huge issue for the track the years I was there. I do remember there were plans to help solve the problem with parking a couple years ago, but I couldn't tell if they fixed it or not. Maybe it's still in the works, but who knows. I also remember the traffic on 115 on race days was bad, at least for the years I was there. Not Kentucky 2011 or Nashville 2021 bad, but still pretty bad.
The cup series was a sham, ended under caution when it should havee went into overtime. The yellow should’v been waved right away.
Yes but would it made that much of a difference far as the winner goes? Maybe yes Truex or Reddick could had gotten one more chance at Hamlin but we'll never know if one of them or an different driver could had won if it went to overtime.
NASCAR should make Pocono the regular season finale instead of Daytona.
No.
Not gonna happen.
Kyle Larson said it best after the race. "Its a long boring race." Which is true. Ever since stage racing it really took the race from the track. No fuel mileage, no gutsy calls from the pit. I think they should do something in the back stretch, like a s curve. something.
I sometimes think back when they built the place they should have put the grandstands in the tunnel turn like the big tri-ovals and the start/finish coming out of the tunnel turn. But it's fun to watch them wide open on that big straight too.
But even before Stage racing Pocono is boring. Pfft
@@runrafarunthebestintheworld I agree
Did Kyle Busch say the same thing when he won the 2019 Pocono 400?
@danielfoster3642 I don't know what Kyle Bush said in 19. I commented on the iceberg about the race and what Kyle Larson said.
Just like Dover, an overwhelming majority of people have to drive a minimum of three hours to get to these tracks. One race is not worth it not at all. Also you didn't take into account the multi-year ticket use that was allowed for the new weather guarantee from 2021. So 40,000, or a little under 40% of those tickets used in 2023 were from previous races, but hey who's counting right? The ticket office at two. My girlfriend works in the ticket office and was specifically responsible her and 18 others for counting the weather guarantee tickets and it was overwhelming to say the least.
NASCAR still has many problems though. First off why do all the cars look the same I mean come on stop it with the stupid same cars we always get. Second NASCAR is more expensive than ever many people used to make a living in NASCAR while now its mainly for the rich. Third NASCAR has horrible marking and no video games or toys which is huge in this day and age. Fourth the tracks are ehhh like why the heck is Texas on the schedule come on. Fifth why does everyone change teams, manufactures, and car numbers every year there is a reason why guys like Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliot, Brad K, Joey Logano, Martian Truex jr, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are so popular cause they don't change teams every year and sponsors every race for the most part. Along with all of that NASCAR just doesn't fell like NASCAR no personalities nothing its bland which is really hurting it. Also WHY ARE STAGES STILL A THING NASCAR ISN'T THE NFL GET RID OF THE STAGES AND THE STUPID POINT SYSTEM AND BRING BACK THE OLD SYSTEM AND 80% OF MY COMPLAINTS WOULD BE GONE!!!!!!!!!
Winston Cup System is not coming back and it had its flaws also
@@JJA1987 Not as many as today also not the branding but the point system.