History of Pocono Raceway in Timeline
Pocono Raceway, nicknamed "The Tricky Triangle," is a superspeedway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, within the Pocono Mountains. It hosts three NASCAR national series races and an ARCA Menards Series event annually. Historically, Pocono held Indy Car races from 1971-1989 and 2013-2019. Furthermore, from 1982 to 2021, it traditionally hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races each year, though the first date was eliminated in 2022.
1959: Track Design by Rodger Ward
In 1959, Rodger Ward designed the Pocono Raceway track. Ward won the Indianapolis 500 in 1959 and 1962.
1962: Track Design by Rodger Ward
In 1962, Rodger Ward designed the Pocono Raceway track. Ward won the Indianapolis 500 in 1959 and 1962.
1971: First Indy Car Race
In 1971, Pocono Raceway hosted its first Indy Car race, which was sanctioned by USAC as part of the IndyCar 500-mile Triple Crown.
1971: Inaugural IndyCar Race at Pocono
In 1971, Pocono Raceway hosted its first IndyCar race, which was part of the IndyCar 500-mile Triple Crown.
1977: Inaugural Race of Champions
In 1977, Pocono Raceway hosted the first Race of Champions Modified race on the 2.500-mile triangular superspeedway.
1979: Race of Champions
In 1979, the Race of Champions Modified race was held on the 2.500-mile triangular superspeedway at Pocono Raceway.
1980: Race of Champions Moved to Infield Oval
In 1980, the Race of Champions Modified race was moved to the three-quarter-mile infield oval at Pocono Raceway.
1982: Start of Two NASCAR Cup Series Races
From 1982, Pocono Raceway hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, with the first race traditionally held earlier in the season.
1989: Final Indy Car Race
In 1989, Pocono Raceway hosted what would be its final Indy Car race for some time, won by Emerson Fittipaldi, as the track was criticized for its roughness and safety concerns.
1991: Final Race of Champions
In 1991, Pocono Raceway hosted the last Race of Champions Modified race.
1991: Experimentation with Shifting Gears
In 1991, some NASCAR drivers, including Mark Martin, began experimenting with shifting gears on the long front straight at Pocono to improve lap times.
1992: Race of Champions Moved to Flemington
In 1992, the Race of Champions was moved to Flemington Raceway.
1993: Widespread Shifting and Special Transmissions
By 1993, the entire NASCAR field was shifting gears at Pocono, utilizing special Jerico transmissions to shift without the clutch.
May 1997: Mark Martin's Speed Record
In May 1997, Mark Martin set a speed record at Talladega Superspeedway.
2005: Gear Rule Change
In 2005, a new gear rule was implemented, which eliminated the effectiveness of shifting gears at Pocono.
July 2010: Installation of Solar Photovoltaics System
In July 2010, Pocono Raceway began the installation of a 3 megawatt solar photovoltaics system, making it the largest solar-powered sports facility in the world.
December 2010: Pocono System Surpasses 1,000,000 Kilowatt Hour
By December 2010, the Pocono solar system had surpassed the 1,000,000 kilowatt hour production mark, after less than four months in operation.
2011: Return of Shifting
In 2011, the gear rule was changed again, leading to the return of shifting gears at Pocono.
September 30, 2012: IndyCar Return Confirmed
On September 30, 2012, it was officially confirmed that the IndyCar Series would return to Pocono with a 400-mile race on July 7, 2013.
July 7, 2013: IndyCar Series Returns to Pocono
On July 7, 2013, the IndyCar Series made its return to Pocono Raceway with a 400-mile race. This marked the revival of IndyCar's all-oval Triple Crown.
2013: Return of IndyCar
In 2013, the IndyCar Series returned to Pocono Raceway with a 400-mile race, marking the revival of IndyCar's all-oval Triple Crown.
2014: Fastest 500-Mile IndyCar Race
In 2014, the Pocono IndyCar race became the fastest 500-mile race in motorsports history, with Juan Pablo Montoya completing the race at an average speed of 202.402 MPH.
August 24, 2015: Death of Justin Wilson
On August 24, 2015, Justin Wilson died from injuries sustained during the 2015 ABC Supply 500 after being struck by debris from a crash.
2018: Robert Wickens Crash
In 2018, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Robert Wickens collided during the race, resulting in a severe crash that left Wickens paralyzed from the waist down.
September 1, 2019: IndyCar Series Announces Departure
On September 1, 2019, the IndyCar Series released the 2020 schedule, announcing they would not return to Pocono in 2020, moving the race date to Richmond Raceway.
2019: Last IndyCar Race
In 2019, Pocono Raceway hosted what would be its last IndyCar race. This was a period of increased safety concerns following the 2018 race.
2019: Five-Car Collision and Calls for Removal
In 2019, a five-car collision occurred, hospitalizing Felix Rosenqvist, and leading to calls by Robert Wickens for IndyCar to remove Pocono from the schedule.
2020: IndyCar Series Not Returning
In 2020, the IndyCar Series did not return to Pocono, as the race date was moved to Richmond Raceway.
2021: Final Year of Two NASCAR Cup Series Races
2021 marked the final year in which Pocono Raceway hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, ending a long-standing tradition.
July 2022: Fastest Official Race Lap Records
As of July 2022, this entry concerns the fastest official race lap records at Pocono Raceway.
2022: Reduction to One NASCAR Cup Series Race
In 2022, the traditional first date for one of the NASCAR Cup Series races was removed from Pocono Raceway's schedule, reducing it to a single race.
