PAST
POCONO RACEWAY
NEWS/RUMORS
- Pocono Raceway retracts slots bid: Joseph Mattioli, Pocono Raceway's founder and chief executive, said he decided against applying for one of two stand-alone slots parlor licenses up for grabs statewide because rules set by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board all but eliminate family involvement in running a casino. ''None of our people would be participating, and we didn't like that,'' he said. ''You'd need gambling professionals for everything.'' Mattioli, who announced plans earlier this year to develop a $300 million hotel and casino complex to rival a similar operation at the Dover Downs track in Delaware, said his family will invest the money earmarked for the casino in another major project that ''was put on the back burner'' several years ago. He said only that it is a development project that requires the hiring of an architectural firm. An announcement would be made next year. Mattioli's Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Tunkhannock Township, hosts two NASCAR events each year, the Pocono 500 and the Pennsylvania 500. His decision to drop out of the application process leaves five announced projects competing for the two Category 2, or stand-alone, slots licenses. A Category 2 license allows for as many as 5,000 slot machines. Potential holders of a stand-alone license must submit an application and a $50 million bond by Dec. 28.(Allentown Morning Call)(12-6-2005)
- NASCAR Expects 'bump' and patch to be fixed for 2006: NASCAR and Pocono officials had six weeks to fix the troublesome tunnel turn here but failed, and drivers yesterday were not a bit happy with the bumps. "It's hard to believe it's there again," Mak Martin said. John Darby, NASCAR's Nextel Cup director, said that one tunnel bump - created when the sub-base sank a bit - was repaired after the June 500 when drivers had 23 left-front tire failures. But Darby said a second bump developed since then, when the base under that part of the track also settled. That entire part of the track, Darby indicated, will have to be dug up and a new base laid and new asphalt poured before next June's race. "There is a lot of undermining of the sub-base right now created by the tunnel," Darby said. "It needs to be recompacted, so the sub-base quits moving around on us. In just the last five weeks, it has jumped around so much on us that there has been a new problem created, even after the other one was fixed."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-25-2005)
- Pocono Rumble Strips gone? UPDATE 2: hearing that Pocono Raceway has removed the rumble strips in the corners, hoping that will allow the tire problem that happened in June will not occur again. No word if the patch in the tunnel turn was fixed.(7-7-2005)
UPDATE: Goodyear will recommend higher air pressures for the left-side tires at Pocono when the circuit returns there in July and will provide a harder compound at Michigan in August. After all the tire issues at Pocono last month, the track repaved the tunnel turn, taking out many of the dips. The asphalt rumble strips that many thought contributed to the tire problems were removed in favor of concrete strips.(Sporting News)(7-12-2005)
UPDATE 2: After the rash of flat tires last month during the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway, there was talk that NASCAR's exclusive tire provider would come up with a different product for Sunday's Pennsylvania 500. But upon further review, Goodyear placed blame for more than 22 tire failures on a rough patch and the curbing at the speedway's tunnel turn [turn 2]. Phil Holmer, Goodyear's stock car manager, said a variety of issues created the problem, none involving the integrity of the tires. Holmer said Goodyear would bring the same tire this week to Pocono. While some of the problem may have been in the tunnel turn, Holmer's opinion is that the teams themselves were to blame for trying to shortcut Goodyear's suggestions. "We recommended 18 (pounds per square inch) tire pressure in June, and the teams that had trouble went under that," Holmer said. "They got in trouble also when they set the camber too aggressive. They were riding on the side of the tires. You're going to have trouble when you try to race on a couple of inches of tire." Special tire tests are closely scrutinized by NASCAR. Only two or three teams (cars) are allowed to participate and the whole procedure is under strict supervision of NASCAR tire engineers. Because NASCAR restricts in-season tests, care is taken so teams involved do not get what would, in effect, be bonus tests. Nothing beyond tire testing is allowed. Ideal tire tests are performed by two or three of NASCAR's car makes -- Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge -- and preference is given to drivers and teams that gave the best feedback in the past. As for Pocono, Holmer said, "All we can do is strongly suggest things, which we are doing with a ball peen hammer this time to beat it in. In the end, though, it's up to them." He said Goodyear is asking teams to use a minimum of 19 psi of tire pressure and employ more common sense when setting camber.
The speedway has done its part. The offending tunnel turn bump has been smoothed and a new, tire-friendlier curb installed inside the turn.(Express Times)(7-21-2005)
- U. S. Senator Rick Santorum Named Pennsylvania 500 Grand Marshal: U. S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has been named Grand Marshal for Pocono Raceway's July 24th Pennsylvania 500, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. Senator Santorum's duties as Grand Marshal will include greeting each NASCAR driver during driver introduction and then giving the command "Gentleman Start Your Engines" to start the 32nd annual Pennsylvania 500. Rick Santorum has served in the United States Senate since January of 1995. Currently, in the 109th Congress, Senator Santorum serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee; the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration; the Senate Special Committee on Aging; and the Senate Finance Committee, of which he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. Senator Santorum was raised in Butler County, Pennsylvania and attended college at Penn State University.
For Pennsylvania 500 ticket information, call the Raceway Ticket Office toll free at 1-800-RACEWAY (722-3929) of visit www.poconoraceway.com.(Pocono Raceway PR)(7-19-2005)
- Changes at Pocono MORE: Pocono Raceway will make changes made to the track after a series of tire problems in last weekend's race, a NASCAR official said Saturday. The series returns there July 24. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, said the patches in the track's second turn will be redone. One patch had been put in a couple of months before the race and contributed to some of the tire issues. Pemberton also said that the apron will be redone and the rumble strips will be put further back on the inside of the track surface.(News and Record)(6-19-2005)
MORE: A postrace review of the racing surface at Pocono, where more than 20 left-front tires went flat in the tunnel turn during the race two weeks ago, shows that the track is probably to blame for the tire problems. So the tunnel turn will be repaved, and the controversial rumble-strips on the inside edge will be redone. Some of those rumble strips, upon closer examination, showed sharp edges, which cut the tires. Plus, asphalt patches in the tunnel turn were poorly done, creating bad bumps, which accentuated tire/chassis problems. Goodyear will apparently not be changing the tire compounds for the race at Pocono in July.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-25-2005)
- Mattioli 'Not Selling' Pocono Raceway: The offers keep rolling in — one, sometimes two a year. They broke $100 million in 2001 and, lately, they've been between $200 and $300 million. But Doc Mattioli — builder, owner and patriarch of Pocono Raceway — isn't selling. ''No way!'' he says for the umpteenth time. ''I don't need to sell. I don't need the money. What am I going to do with it? I tell 'em money doesn't mean anything to me, but some of them just keep calling.'' That's because Mattioli is sitting on a gold mine. Pocono is one of only two tracks on NASCAR's 22-track circuit that remains privately owned (the other is Bob Bahre's New Hampshire International Speedway) and Mattioli's 2.5-mile tri-oval is the site of not one, but two Nextel Cup races, which, in this NASCAR's bull-market era, is the equivalent of holding a boatload of stock options in pre-IPO Google.(Allentown Morning Call)(6-12-2005)
- No Shifting at Pocono: Changes in NASCAR's gear rules mean competitors will not be able to shift through the turns this Sunday at Poco#"I disagree with the gear rule," Jeff Gordon says. "At Pocono, we'll be way down on RPM, and we won't be able to shift. It's like putting a restrictor plate on the cars at New Hampshire. We won't be able to pass, and that's not a good thing." Many competitors feel the lack of horsepower will produce single-file racing.(Sporting News)(6-6-2005)
- Casino at Pocono? Dr. Joseph Mattioli, board chairman and CEO of Pocono Raceway, plans to apply for a casino/slots parlor license. The casino would be on the race track's grounds in Long Pond, Pa., which hosts two Nextel Cup races annually. Mattioli's project involves a convention center and shops. The proposed casino would be built behind the track's grandstands. The state Gaming Control Board is expected to award seven licenses to horse-racing tracks, five to stand-alone slot parlors and two to resorts. "We have the land, water, sewer and parking, and people know where we are," Mattioli said recently. "We're only 3 miles off the interstate [Route 80]. It's a gamble, but it's not as big a gamble as building [the raceway] was 40 years ago." Although the attendance at both Pocono Cup races each year is very good, speculation persists that the track eventually will lose one of its races. Whenever I ask Mattioli about this, he pretends he can't hear me. Finally, Mattioli said that he "anticipates" having two races next year.(Philadelphia Daily News)(5-26-2005)
- Free Tix to Soldiers for Pocono Race: Five hundred soldiers who recently returned from Iraq will get to see the Pocono 500 NASCAR race for free. Drs. Joseph and Rose Mattioli, owners of Pocono Raceway in Long Pond [PA], will give two free tickets to the June 12 race to 500 Army National Guardsmen and Guardswomen from the 103rd Armored Regiment and the 109th Field Artillery.
Each soldier will be permitted to bring one guest to the race, scheduled for June 12 at Pocono Raceway. The announcement came Monday afternoon at a press conference at the Kingston Armory near Wilkes-Barre, which is the headquarters for the National Guard units. The soldiers in the units hail from Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Pike counties, said Maj. Stephen Zarnowski, executive officer of the 55th Brigade, which includes both units. Most of them have recently returned home from duty in Iraq, where some of them served up to a year, Zarnowski said.(Pocono Record)(3-23-2005)
- Cup to Mexico? in 2006? Pocono to lose a race? The biggest crowd in NASCAR's Busch series history is expected here today for the Telcel Motorola 200. And Fox is broadcasting the race head to head against Tiger Woods in the Doral Open and the ACC finale between Duke and North Carolina, to see how well it will do in the ratings war. If the numbers are good enough - and NASCAR has sizzling ratings this season already - it appears NASCAR president Brian France might turn this weekend into a full-fledged Nextel Cup stop next March. NASCAR's marketing people have pulled out all the stops to make this weekend a success, and NASCAR is a big winner here already, regardless of what happens today. NASCAR is expected to announce a 10-year deal for a NASCAR-Mexico touring series, along the lines of the Busch series. The tour sponsor is not yet known. Busch beer isn't sold in Mexico, but Anheuser-Busch owns 50 percent of the largest Mexican brewer, whose headliner is Corona. Corona was being passed out here to crews at the end of each work day, to ease the pain of traffic on the bus ride home. The track seats 70,000, and as of last week 40,000 tickets had been sold. But this city isn't known for strong advance ticket sales, but rather has a history of event-day walk-up crowds. And yesterday's crowd just for qualifying was a good harbinger. The U.S. ambassador was host to NASCAR teams last night, and Mexican president Vicente Fox was expected to attend, an indication of the high-level politics involved in this NASCAR venture. The Mexican government, according to one report, has a $42 million, three-year contract with NASCAR for promotion of an annual NASCAR race here.(Winton Salem Journal)
AND Asked if he believed the Busch Series' visit to Mexico City was a harbinger of NASCAR's top series adding it to the schedule, NEXTEL Cup regular Elliott Sadler was noncommittal. "We got a little work to do with the race track before the Cup guys come," he said. "We've got to do some stuff with the chicane and stuff like that. Maybe one day, we'll see. I think they want to see what kind of response we get with the Busch cars. We always send the Busch cars to test the market a little bit, and then if it does good, the Cup cars may come."(Ford Racing)(3-6-2005)
Mexico in - Pocono out? NASCAR execs are justifiably ecstatic over this sport's Mexico City debut, and they're wasting no time planning ahead. The international calendar for stock-car racing for the 2006 season is taking shape, and this is a possible scenario, according to NASCAR sources:
* This Mexico City weekend becomes a full Cup race, probably Sunday March 5, 2006.
* The June Pocono Cup race is killed, replaced by the Watkins Glen Cup race, currently held in early August.
* On the newly opened August 2006 weekend, the Busch series - with any interested Cup stars - will run in Montreal on the Gilles Villeneuve Formula One course on the island of Notre Dame, in the heart of the city of 3.5 million.
* And NASCAR's Truck series enters the Mexico market by running a companion event at Monterrey - the city of three million 600 miles up the road from here, 21/2 hours from the U.S. border, a city called Mexico's richest town - with CART's Indy-car tour in April 2006.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-7-2005)
- Casino at Pocono? Casino slots made Dover Downs an even hotter destination stock-car track, and now the Mattiolis, who own the Pocono NASCAR track, are planning a similar venture. A slots casino, with 80,000 square feet of playing area, and 40,000 square feet of restaurants and shops, is on the drawing board for a piece of land six miles from the Pocono Speedway. Construction costs are estimated at $300 million.(Winston Salem Journal)(1-18-2005)
- Pocono goes to qualifying on Sat: Qualifying for the two NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway will now take place on Saturday, the track said Friday. Qualifying for the Pocono 500 in June and the Pennsylvania 500 in July had previously been held on Fridays. Immediately following Saturday qualifying, NASCAR will impound the race cars. Teams will not be permitted to work on the cars except in cases approved by NASCAR. The Pocono 500 weekend is set for June 10-12, 2005 and the Pennsylvania 500 weekend is set for July 22-24, 2005.(Philly.com)(12-18-2004)
- Pocono Buys South Boston Speedway: Pocono Raceway has acquired South Boston Speedway. South Boston Speedway, which recently completed its 47th year of operation, is a NASCAR sanctioned 4/10 mile paved oval located in South Boston, Va. For the past five years, the Speedway has been directed by its President Joe Mattioli III, son of Dr. Joe Mattioli, CEO of Pocono Raceway and Manager Cathy Rice. During that time, South Boston has achieved the distinction of being recognized by Circle Track Magazine (March 2002) as the "Leader of the new generation of Super Short Tracks". Additionally South Boston boasts one of the biggest fields of NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars, averaging over 24 cars per event with each event paying $3,000 to win. South Boston has proven to be a great training ground for both competitors and future motorsports facility managers. Nick Igdalsky, Dr. Mattioli’s grandson, is currently working at South Boston, as well as competing in their Pure Stock Division. The acquisition will provide Pocono with a presence in the Southeast and will align South Boston with the excitement and prestige of Pocono, a NASCAR Nextel Cup facility, providing both venues with joint marketing and promotional opportunities. The management of South Boston will remain unchanged.(South Boston Speedway site)(11-30-2004)
- No Plans to Cut Pocono Race Length Back: Several drivers and many media members [and drivers] recommend shorter races at Pocono Raceway [from 500 to 400 miles] to improve the quality of racing. Asking this question is guaranteed to trigger a vocal eruption from the 79-year-old Dr. Joseph Mattioli, the boss at the mountain race track and former Philadelphia dentist. He doesn't even need a telephone to be heard from his office on Mount Mattioli. Every year, "Doc" responds the same way. Succintly, he asks, what don't we understand about "No, we are not shortening the races"?
"I'm not even going to comment on that," he said Tuesday, 2 days after Jimmie Johnson completed his sweep of the Nextel Cup races this year at the raceway. Then he did comment. Briefly. Reminded that Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick are the latest Cup drivers who would prefer shorter races there, Mattioli replied: "What Jeff Gordon said was beautiful. He said our race and Charlotte's [600-miler] should be shortened. I've always said, when 'Humpy' knocks 100 miles off his race, I'll talk [about shorter Pocono races]." Humpy is H.A. Wheeler, president and master promoter at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, which hosts the Coca-Cola 600 in May. Mattioli said he is not worried that a proposed track on Staten Island, N.Y., would hurt Pocono. The International Speedway Corp., owner of Daytona International Speedway and 11 other tracks, has purchased land on Staten Island. If ISC's plan is approved, the track wouldn't open until at least 2009. Some see a track on Staten Island as a threat to races at Pocono and New Hampshire. Mattioli differs, strongly. "It will be very good for us," Mattioli insisted. When Dover (Del.) International Speedway began attracting larger crowds in the 1970s and, later, when Cup races started at New Hampshire and Watkins Glen, N.Y., Mattioli said, more fans from those areas attended races at Pocono. He thinks a track in New York City will create fans who will go to races at Pocono.(paraphrased from the Philadelphia Daily News)(8-5-2004)
- SAFER at Pocono - done: SAFER was recently completed in Pocono Raceway's turns 2 and 3 in time for this weekend's Pennsylvania 500 at the 2.5-mile triangular track. When the series was here in June for the Pocono 500, only turn 1 had the SAFER walls.
Scranton Times)(7-29-2004)
- Pocono owner looking to get slots license: Pocono Raceway CEO Dr. Joseph Mattioli said Wednesday that he is interested in one of three available stand-alone slots licenses for his NASCAR racing venue at Long Pond in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County. Mattioli said he contacted state officials last year for consideration for a license - which would cost $50 million - to add a slots parlor on a site behind the grandstand on the racetrack. Mattioli said the family-owned Pocono Raceway's biggest competitor is Dover Downs in Delaware, which has slot machines. "For us to compete with them is pretty hard," Mattioli said. Additionally, the raceway did not want to lose one of the two races it hosts each year, attendance which is tantamount to four Super Bowls, he said.
"Most people don't realize this, but both NASCAR races are the biggest events in Pennsylvania for the whole year," Mattioli said. Wyomissing-based Penn National Gaming has casinos in eight states and horse racing facilities in four states, including two in Pennsylvania - The Downs at Pocono in Plains Township and Penn National Race Track in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County.
Under the law signed by Gov. Edward G. Rendell Monday, owners are only allowed a majority interest in one slots venue in the state. Penn National can get a license for one of its two horse racing tracks, but will have to sell two-thirds interest in the other in order to get it licensed.(Citizens' Voice)(7-8-2004)
- for the zillionth time....Pocono NOT for sale: The recent sale of Martinsville Speedway -- one of the last of the independently owned tracks with NASCAR sanction -- to International Speedway Corporation again raised questions about the future of Pocono Raceway, with speculation again arising about a possible sale of the 45-year-old track to ISC. No way, track founder and owner Dr. Joe Mattioli says, who then went on to explain the long-term disposition of the track. Turns out Mattioli (Doc, as he is better known to acquaintances) has placed the track in trust for his heirs, with legal conditions prohibiting sale for at least a generation of Mattiolis. "I read all the stories, but as they affect Pocono, we're all set," Mattioli said Friday. "I'm an old man, 80 years old, so naturally your affairs have to be settled a long time ago. You could kick off tomorrow. So I had to be ready tax-wise, and our estates are all in order. Nothing's forever," admitted Mattioli, still robust and straight-up at 80. "[But] I've got it tied up for two or three generations. It's in trust for my grandchildren. My kids are all around 50. Nobody can sell it until the trust is broken, which is when my grandchildren inherit it. It's whatever they want to do at that point. I have seven grandchildren, and just last week we had twin girls [great-grandchildren]. It'll be a real battle in 30, 40, 50 years. I hope you'll tell me what's going on then."
ISC now controls 12 of the 22 Nextel Cup tracks, and partly controls a 13th in Joliet, Ill. SMI has six. Dover controls Dover, plus the Nashville and St. Louis tracks, which present Busch and Truck races. Indianapolis, of course, is an entity to itself. With the acquisition of Martinsville, the only survivors are Bob Bahre's New Hampshire Speedway and Mattioli's Pocono. Bahre, 78, was injured in a car wreck last winter, and although his recovery seems certain, his son Gary likely will be entrusted with the property. Mattioli, as noted, intends to keep his track in family hands. Although both the Bahres and Mattiolis (with son Joe increasingly responsible for nuts and bolts) have close ties with NASCAR and the Frances, both tracks appear likely to remain in family hands.(Speed Channel)(6-13-2004)
- Pocono getting SAFER UPDATE in phases: been told Pocono Raceway is having SAFER installed this week. Not sure what parts of the track, but hear it'll be done by the time the Cup teams race there on June 13th.(6-1-2004)
UPDATE: At 5:00pm/et Tuesday, workers began installing the SAFER barrier system. The plan is have turn one completed for the Pocono 500 and turns two and three completed for the Pennsylvania 500 on August 1. "Guys have hit them a bunch and walked away from it," said Pocono Raceway owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli. "Everything seems like it's gonna work. We've heard no complaints about it." The system, designed by Dr. Dean Sicking of the University of Nebraska, is made up of steel tubs and pads of hard foam. They are affixed to existing concrete walls and are meant to absorb some of the energy when a car hits the wall. "It's a very simple system," Mattioli said. "I think that's what makes it good is the simplicity." The process at Pocono Raceway began about two months ago when the track was surveyed. Once the specific materials are ordered, the steel tubing is bent to fit the radius of the track's corners. The material is then shipped and installed. Extra material is provided to the track in the event it is damaged during a crash. The SAFER wall will stick out about two to three feet from the existing wall. The exact length of each wall and cost of the project was unavailable.(Citizens Voice)(6-5-2004)
- Pocono Reconstructs a Tunnel: Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA has reconstructed one tube of its vehicle tunnel [turn 2, known as the tunnel turn] t oaccommodate the largest highway legal RV's to pass through, the new height of the tube is 13 feet, 6 inches.(NASCAR Scene Magazine)(5-14-2004)
- 2004 Pocono Raceway Award Recipient: The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility [
mwrsf.unl.edu], headed by Dr. Dean L. Sicking has been named the 2004 recipient of Pocono Raceway's Bill France Award of Excellence. The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence has been presented annually to the person, corporation or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Racing. This prestigious award, first presented in 1977, is dedicated to the inspiration of Bill France Sr., founder of NASCAR.
The 2004 recipient is unique in that it is not a driver, a team owner or a sponsor. This year's recipient is a university roadside safety research team headed by a Ph.D. in civil engineering. The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln,
headed by Dr. Sicking, is responsible for the development of the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier system. The SAFER barrier system is designed to absorb some of the energy that is transferred during a crash. NASCAR recently announced that the SAFER barriers system will be installed at all recommended oval tracks by the 2005 racing season. Dr. Sicking is one of the world's leading independent researchers on barrier and crash safety. His research has led to 21 U.S. patents on roadside safety structures. Under his guidance the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility has developed into one of the premier roadside safety research laboratories in the world.
Dr. Sicking and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility have come to be recognized as a global leader in the development of crashworthy safety structures. Their research has developed numerous safety features that have been adopted nationwide and several that have been adopted internationally. These safety features have saved the lives of countless motorists across the nation over the last decade.
The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence, a beautifully sculptured and highly polished piece of anthracite coal mined in
Pennsylvania, will be presented to Dr. Sicking and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility team at an award ceremony on Saturday, June 12, 2004. This ceremony is part of the festivities leading up to the June 13, 2004 POCONO 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway. Dr. Sicking and his research team join the prestigious list of Pocono Raceway's Bill France Award of Excellence winners listed below:
Pocono Racewat's Bill france Award of Excellence Winners:
1977 Bill France
1978 Winston
1979 Purolator
1980 Union Oil
1981 The Petty Family
1982 G.H. Long
1983 STP
1984 Goodyear
1985 GNRWA ( Now WOW Wives Auxiliary)
1986 MRN (Motor Racing Network)
1987 Grand National Scene (Now NASCAR Scene)
1988 Charlotte Motor Speedway
1989 Ned Jarrett
1990 T. Wayne Robertson
1991 ESPN
1992 MRO (Motor Racing Outreach)
1993 The Allison Family
1994 Rev. Hal Marchman
1995 The Wood Bros.
1996 Clay Earles/Paul Sawyer
1997 Junie Dunlavey/Bud Moore
1998 NASCAR
1999 Rick Hendrick
2000 Robert Yates
2001 Joe Gibbs
2002 Richard Childress
2003 Jack Roush
Tickets for the June 13th POCONO 500 are available by calling the Pocono Raceway ticket office at 1-800-RACEWAY or visiting
www.poconoraceway.com.(Pocono Raceway PR)(5-6-2004)
- The Pocono 400? NASCAR may be under pressure to present more "TV-friendly" races, and Pocono's 500-milers may be a target. Pocono may be under pressure to cut those 500s back to 400s.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-5-2004)
- Pocono Race Tickets for sale: Tickets for both the Pocono 500 [June 13] and Pennsylvania 500 [August 1] at the unique triangle race track, Pocono Racway, are now on sale. For more info and to purchase, go to click here - tickets.com - Pocono.(2-19-2004)
- Pocono Race Dates in 2004: The Pocono Raceway [also on their website: www.poconoraceway.com] announced its NASCAR Winston Cup race dates for 2004; June 13th and August 1st.(Express Times)(7-26-2003)
- 2 Races Likely at Pocono in 2004: NASCAR President Mike Helton said Friday that Pocono Raceway, which has hosted two Winston Cup races per season since 1982, will likely have two more next season. Though Helton said the 2004 schedule isn't complete, he said, "I don't see anything changing in Pocono. We explained we had no intentions of forcing people to move dates or give up dates, but that we were interested in talking to owners of multiple facilities about if there's a better way to use dates in other market areas," Helton said. "Pocono is distant from most of those conversations. Now if (Pocono Raceway owners) Joe and Rose (Mattioli) come to us with some sort of idea or concept, we'd listen to it."(Times Leader)(6-7-2003)
- Some Pocono 'Improvements': during Speed Channels coverage of Pocono 500 qualifying on Friday, they showed the guardrail area between turns 1 and 2 where Steve Park hit and flipped last July, it has been protected and backed up and reinforced with dirt to help soften the blow, were it to happen again. Also, it appears the work Pocono did to resolve their drainage problem (remember the water seeping up through the track last year (cancelling qualifying in June) has seemed to work as the area has gotten a lot of rain in the last month and of course today it has rained all day. So far no signs of any water seepage on the track [on Friday at least and hopefully none on Sunday](6-7-2003)
- Pocono's France award goes to Jack Roush: Winston Cup car owner Jack Roush [#'s 6,16,17,97,99] has been named the recipient of the 2003 Bill France Award of Excellence, presented annually by Pocono Raceway. The award, first presented in 1977, is named for the late NASCAR founder and is presented to a person, company or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport. The award is a sculpted and highly polished piece of anthracite mined in Pennsylvania and will be presented in a ceremony on June 7 at the speedway.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2003)
- Mattioli looking at Fairgrounds Speedway? Joe Mattioli plans to make another attempt to gain control of Fairgrounds Speedway [in Nashville]. Mattioli, who lost his bid against Bob Harmon for the track lease a decade ago, will return to Nashville next week to ''look around, ask some questions'' and discuss the bidding process. The State Fair Board will offer a five-year lease when the second of two one-year contracts with Dennis Grau expires this fall. Grau intends to bid on the new lease. ''I've always liked the Nashville track,'' said Mattioli, a former president of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, which is owned and operated by his family. Mattioli is starting his fourth season as operator of South Boston Speedway in VA. He and two partners are exploring building a $27 million motorsports complex in West Virginia that will include weekly short-track racing.(Tennessean)(3-20-2003)
- Pocono and Taxes: The owners of a handful of ski resorts and the state's two NASCAR tracks would pay lower taxes while surrounding property owners would pay more under legislation that passed the state House of Representatives late Monday afternoon, according to critics. The bills - which the Senate passed in June - were approved by more than 50-vote margins, in spite of opposition from Tigue and fellow Democratic state Reps. Kevin Blaum of Wilkes-Barre and John Yudichak of Nanticoke. If Gov. Mark Schweiker signs them into law, they would cap the amusement taxes that host municipalities and school districts could charge to Pocono Raceway and Nazareth Speedway to 40 percent of the cost of a ticket. Currently there is no limit. Supporters of the bill, including state Reps. George Hasay, R-Shickshinny, and Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, argued that the region could lose its two big-time NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway, not to mention the business of local skier traffic if the legislation doesn't pass. The jobs and tourism money that NASCAR and skiing bring to the region "over time will be a bigger issue than the taxes in those areas," said Eachus. During the past two years, Eachus has accepted roughly $1,800 worth of free tickets to NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway, though he has said he gave the tickets to constituents whom he wouldn't name. Hasay has taken at least $500 in campaign contributions from the owners of the raceway, who have given more than $54,000 in contributions to the campaigns of state politicians ranging from state Sen. Charles Lemmond, R-Dallas, to state Rep. John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, the House Majority Leader, to state Sen. Robert Mellow, D-Peckville, the Senate Minority Leader. Mellow, who co-sponsored the amusement tax-cut amendment, couldn't be reached for comment, but Eachus and Hasay said their "yes" votes had nothing to do with the tickets and the contribution, respectively. Those tax cuts would likely mean more profit for operators, not cheaper tickets, predicted Tigue and Yudichak. The township had collected $300,000 a year from the track from taxes levied on ticket sales for its two NASCAR Winston Cup series races, the Pocono 500 and the Pennsylvania 500. That amounted to 48 percent of the taxes collected by the township, according to state Rep. Robert Godshall, R-Montgomery, who took the floor to support the measure. He estimated that Pocono Raceway would still pay $125,000 a year under the bill and would continue paying property taxes, asserting that the current system "is just plain not fair. It's making our people noncompetitive and it has to stop." Eachus and Hasay asserted that the owners of Pocono Raceway would be able to use the tax savings to invest in the track and offset bids made to NASCAR by the owners of new race tracks in New Jersey and Florida, who want to host the races now held here.(Times Leader)(9-24-2002)
- Sad News UPDATE: The WNEP TV site from Wilkes-Barre, PA reports: A driver from Massachusetts was killed during the 'Sports Car Club of America Tri-Region Nationals' [SCCA] at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, the crash happened during a road rally race. No word on the name of the driver killed.(WNEP.com), the name of the driver killed at Pocono yesterday is Robert Goldfarb. He was the president of the COMSCC, a 44 year old New England based sports car club. He was racing his Fully caged Z06 and crashed at around 155mph
UPDATE: COMSCC is Corvettes of Mass. Sports Car Club. The event was Pocono's annual SCCA National championship race (not a "rally-race"). The Z06 is a current Corvette hardtop model that competes in the T1 (Touring 1) class. .Class rules require cars to be mostly stock but with a bolt-in roll cage and appropriate driver seat and safety gear. Head and neck restraints are not yet required in this type of racing.(8-5-2002)
UPDATE 2: Massachusetts native Robert Goldfarb was killed Sunday during a Sports Car Club of America race at Pocono Raceway. Goldfarb, 45, was competing in the Pocono Sports Car Grand Prix when his Touring One-class Chevrolet Corvette went out of control and hit a concrete structure. The accident occurred on the second lap of the race, which began at 11:30am. The race is run on a 10-turn course that uses parts of the 2.5-mile triangular oval and parts of roads that intersect the infield. Goldfarb's car hit a flagstand near turn six of the course, where drivers make a left into the infield after negotiating the tunnel turn portion of the larger triangle. Terry Hanushek, a Mullica Hill, N.J., native who was chief steward for the race, said Goldfarb's car was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour when it spun about 90 degrees and left the track sideways. The car slid through a grassy area without traction - much like Steve Park's car did in an early race crash in last Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 - before hitting the flagstand. Two workers on the stand were able to leap out of the path of the car. They were not injured. Goldfarb died of head injuries, according to an SCCA press release. The Monroe County coroner was unavailable for comment Monday. Hanushek said he believes Goldfarb died instantly. An ambulance was on the scene of the accident less than a minute after it occurred, and paramedics began resuscitation efforts. When a LifeFlight helicopter arrived at the scene, a doctor pronounced Goldfarb dead at the scene. Goldfarb, a native of Duxbury, Mass., was an experienced race driver. Goldfarb is survived by his wife, Lisa. See full story at the Citizens Voice:(8-6-2002)
- NASCAR wants changes at Pocono: NASCAR officials, alarmed by Steve Park 's crash at Pocono last weekend, want Pocono to pave some of the grassy area off turns 1 and 2 and raise the height of the infield guardrail. Series officials also are making those requests for other tracks. Talladega, Daytona, California and Michigan are tracks that paved over portions of grass off turn 2 after accidents over the years. After making contact with Rusty Wallace 's car on the first lap at Pocono, Park's car shot across the track, collected Dale Earnhardt Jr. and skimmed over the grass. Park did not lose any speed before crashing into the guardrail. Had there been asphalt there, it would have helped slow his car before impact.(Roanoke Times)(8-4-2002)
- The Pennsylvania 400? Geoffrey Bodine, a three-time winner at Pocono, joined the chorus of those calling for the races here to be whacked from 500 to 400 miles. "We've always talked about the fact that they should be shorter, but I guess we're talking to deaf ears because nobody is listening," he said. "Nobody understands our reasoning behind that, but this is a hard track on your car. It's hard on a race fan just to sit there for that long but, believe me, inside that car it will wear you down. It's a lot of work out here so, yeah, we're all in favor of shortening this race up. If you look back through the years, you'd see a lot of different finishes if it was 100 miles shorter." John Darby, NASCAR's Winston Cup series director, said there has been no discussion of shortening the Pocono races.(Richmond Times Dispatch), Jimmy Spencer and Rusty Wallace have also been quoted as saying with the ne-engine rule the races at Pocono should be cut back to 400.(7-28-2002)
- Pocono Promotion Winner: Thomas Teague, of Verona, Allegheney County, is the recipient of the Cash 5 NASCAR Weekend at Pocono Promotion grand prize - $20,000 - from the Pennsylvania Lottery. The winner was one of five finalists selected from entries received. The winner was determined in a special pre-race drawing conducted by the Pennsylvania Lottery at Pocono Raceway. Thomas Teague and the other four finalists won trips to the Pennsylvania 500 Winston Cup race weekend at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Monroe County, July 25-28, 2002. In addition, each of the five finalists received a $5,000 check. The lucky Grand Prize winner also will receive an additional $15,000, less 27 percent federal withholding taxes. All five finalists and a guest received a raceway and accommodations package for two that included raceway tickets, superbox seating and pit passes for three days of NASCAR events held at Pocono; track and pit row tours; three-day, four-night hotel accommodations; transportation between the track and hotel; meals and beverages. Pennsylvania Lottery players entered this second CASH 5 NASCAR Weekends at Pocono drawing by completing and mailing in entry coupons generated when a $5 block of CASH 5 tickets for the next available drawing was purchased.(Business Wire)(7-28-2002)
- 2003 Pocono Dates: the www.poconoraceway.com says that 2003 race tickets will be available for sale starting this Sunday, July 28th. Hearing the 2003 dates will be the same weekends as 2002, June 8th and July 27th.(7-23-2002)
- Friday Tickets Holders get a break: Pocono Raceway officials said that fans with ticket stubs from yesterday have two options. They can get a $10 discount for today's action - two Winston Cup practice sessions, beginning at 9:15 a. m. and the Pocono ARCA 200, which begins at 1 p.m. Or they can use the ticket for admission to the pole qualifying session on July 26 as Pocono prepares to host its second Winston Cup race of the season on July 28.(Philadelphia Inquier)(6-8-2002)
- Coolers at Pocono: haven't seen anything on this, but heard that Pocono Raceway is allowing 12" x 12" coolers (no glass) and no need for plastic bages ie: you can take in a camera bag.(6-5-2002)
- Pocono and the Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery will return to Pocono Raceway in 2002 as a sponsor for its two NASCAR® Winston Cup Series races, the Pocono 500 and the Pennsylvania 500. And, again this year, the Lottery will select a total of five lucky finalists and their guests to attend each race weekend (a total of 10 finalists and 10 guests in all) and to have a chance to win up to $20,000. See more on the Racing Contest page.(4-18-2002)
- Pocono, funding and better access: A plan to improve highway access to Pocono International Raceway won more federal money this year than a widely supported project to restore passenger rail service to the Poconos did in the last three. At $3 million, the raceway project is the most expensive Pennsylvania highway work specifically mentioned in the 2002 transportation appropriations bill, which Congress approved in December. The same bill set aside $1 million for the rail project. The racetrack’s proposed ramps from Interstate 80 at Stoney Hollow Road would be used two weekends a year, when up to 150,000 people converge on the privately owned track at Long Pond for NASCAR races. Racetrack owner Joseph Mattioli said he asked Monroe County’s two congressmen “if they would help us down in Washington” getting federal money toward the $12 million highway ramps.(more at The Morning Call)(2-4-2002)
- Irvan and Mattioli's to be honored: Ernie Irvan and Pocono Raceway owners Dr. Joe and Dr. Rose Mattioli are being honored as inductees into the Stock Car Hall of Fame. The 13th Annual Induction Ceremony will take place on February 11, 2002 at the Daytona Beach Hilton. Former inductees include Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Benny Parsons, Buddy Baker, Harry Gant, and Bill France, Jr. Benny Parsons is scheduled to introduce Irvan during the ceremony that will include a cocktail hour and a dinner. Admission to the event, which is open to the public, is $85 (cocktail hour and dinner). Proceeds benefit three local charities in the Daytona Beach area - The Sheriff's Youth Ranch, 100 Deputies for 100 Kids, and the Association for Retarded Citizens. Tickets can be purchased by calling (386) 788-7837 or (386) 299-0771.(Irvan.com)(1-31-2002)
- Pocono and Pep Boys: Pep Boys, the nation's leading full-service automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, announced that it had agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Pennsylvania 500, one of the upcoming races in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, to be held July 29 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA(Yahoo Biz)(6-22-2001)
- Pocono to Sell? UPDATE 2 Nope: The Mattiollis, who own Pocono Raceway, once again may be fielding offers for their track, which sits 90 minutes from Manhattan. Bruton Smith and Bill France have both made offers over the years, and each time the Mattiollis have rejected the overtures. Now it appears that France, who is also trying to put together a deal for a speedway at the Meadowlands, across the Hudson River from New York City, is again trying to persuade the Mattiollis to sell to him(Winston Salem Journal)(6-2-2001)
UPDATE: Dr. Joseph Mattioli was loyal to Bill France Sr. when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series was a financial bust, and he's remained loyal to the family that started NASCAR now that each race at his Pocono Raceway creates millions of dollars in profits. All along, Mattioli and his wife, Rose, have been one of the holdouts in the bidding wars between France's International Speedway Corp. and Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. to gobble up every raceway on the Winston Cup circuit. After 37 years of struggles, hard work and success, the Mattiolis apparently are close to cashing in. Sources inside the ISC family said the Pocono Raceway may soon become part of the sport's biggest corporation. The deal is worth about $110 million.(Savannah Morning News)
UPDATE 2: Dr. Joe Mattioli, owner of Pocono Raceway, strongly denied reports that he would sell his track to International Speedway Corporation, and he said he would have two Winston Cup races again in 2002. Mattioli responded to reports which said Pocono would be sold to ISC and that one of his dates would be moved elsewhere. The same reports said that dates would either a) be added at Kentucky and California, or b) be moved to those two tracks from elsewhere. "I've refuted it and refuted it," Mattioli said of the recurring reports. "I went public in 1965 and it took me 35 years to buy it back, and I'm not about to sell it. If I did sell it, the France family [which controls ISC] would get first dibs. That's been said to Old Man France [the late Bill France Sr.], said to Billy and Jimmy, said to Brian and Lisa. I don't know how the hell else to say it. That's it."(SpeedVision)(6-15-2001)
- Pocono to Honor Adam? UPDATE yes: hearing Pocono Raceway will be dedicating the Winston Cup garage area to Adam Petty on the Friday before the June 17th Cup race and will be known as the Adam Petty Garage(6-8-2001)
UPDATE: Pocono will name its state-of-the-art garage area after Adam Petty. "I went over to see Kyle in his motor home, about a month after it happened," Dr. Joseph Mattioli of Pocono Raceway said. "I told him we would like to name the garage area after his son. I said, 'Now you talk to your wife and your father and your mother and whatever you guys want to do. If you don't want to do it, we won't do it. They called back later and said they would be thrilled to have it. It's now the Adam Petty garage. We don't make a big to-do about it. We don't put press releases out on it. It's just something we wanted to do."(Citizens Voice)(6-14-2001)
- Pocono Lawsuit: Pocono International Raceway, a NASCAR-sanctioned raceway that hosts popular Winston Cup events, is located in Long Pond, Monroe County, PA. It now is known as Pocono Raceway. Pocono Mountain Speedway also is a NASCAR-sanctioned racetrack, though not for Winston Cup events. Instead, it mainly hosts modified stock car races. It is located on Route 924, St. John's, Luzerne County, about 26 miles away from the Pocono Raceway. It was known as the Evergreen Speedway until a year ago when its name was changed. Pocono Raceway has a patent on its name and claims in the lawsuit that the Luzerne County track infringed on the patent when it changed its name to Pocono Mountain Speedway. The Long Pond track wants U.S. Judge Edwin Kosik to stop the Luzerne County track from using the new name.(Scranton Times Tribune)(6-9-2001)
- Pocono to Honor Adam? hearing Pocono Raceway will be dedicating the Winston Cup garage area to Adam Petty on the Friday before the June 17th Cup race and will be known as the Adam Petty Garage(6-8-2001)
- Pocono to Sell? The Mattiollis, who own Pocono Raceway, once again may be fielding offers for their track, which sits 90 minutes from Manhattan. Bruton Smith and Bill France have both made offers over the years, and each time the Mattiollis have rejected the overtures. Now it appears that France, who is also trying to put together a deal for a speedway at the Meadowlands, across the Hudson River from New York City, is again trying to persuade the Mattiollis to sell to him(Winston Salem Journal)(6-2-2001)
- Pocono Stock: It was decided in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas that shares in Pocono Raceway belonging to a group of maverick owners are worth $1,378,432. The shareholders brought the case to court after being offered $308,000 two years ago. The dispute started after raceway owner Joseph R. Mattioli performed a reverse stock split, which offered one share for every 50 outstanding. Because some shareholders possessed less than 50 shares, exact values had to be determined. President Judge Ronald E. Vican determined the total value of the raceway to be $75 million at $15,664 per share. However, it is reported that Mattioli recently turned down an offer of $125 million for the raceway, which has shown tremendous growth over the past few years. After tax profits of the raceway grew from $2.2 million in 1995 to $5.4 million in 2000(Pocono Record)(2-18-2001)
- Pocono News: Drs. Joseph and Rose Mattioli, owners of Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, recently pledged to donate $1.5 million to the Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg. The donation is part of the medical center's Superior Healthcare Close to Home: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow capital campaign. It is the largest gift ever bestowed on the center in its 86-year history and the largest ever in Monroe County(PA). The Emergency Services department will be renamed the Mattioli Emergency Center to commemorate the gift.(Times Leader)(1-22-2001)
- Pocono Sponsor News: TBS Superstation announced that America Online will be the Presenting sponsor of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Pennsylvania 500 telecast on Sunday, July 23. The race will be called the Pennsylvania 500 Presented by America Online. In addition to Sunday's Winston Cup race, the Superstation has exclusive television rights to telecast the Pepsi ARCA 200. The Superstation's live ARCA race coverage begins Saturday, July 22, at 1:05pm/et. Immediately following the Pepsi ARCA 200, the Superstation's NASCAR Happy Hour coverage will air. Also, a 48-foot-long, America Online-branded tractor-trailer will be on site during the Pennsylvania race weekend. The fully equipped truck will have 10 AOL demo stations, giving event-goers an opportunity to surf the Internet and communicate with other race fans around the world. Those who wish to take a "hands-free" approach can watch an AOL Internet tour in a 10-person theater and pick up a copy of the latest AOL software. AOL will also server as the sponsor for the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc./Galaxy Motorsports #75 Ford's paint scheme(TBS PR)(7-20-2000)
- Pocono gets a 'presenter': TBS Superstation announced that America Online(AOL) will be the Presenting sponsor of the Winston Cup Pennsylvania 500 telecast on Sunday, July 23. Exclusive, live race coverage of Pennsylvania 500 Presented by America Online will be TBS(Yahoo Biz)(6-22-2000)
- Pocono Rain Info: It was the first time that a NASCAR event at Pocono has been postponed by rain and moved to Monday since the Coca-Cola 500 in July 1979(and only the second time ever). Cale Yarborough wound up winning the race ahead of Richard Petty and Buddy Baker. Three drivers who will compete in today's Pocono 500 also competed in that race. Ricky Rudd finished fifth, while a pair of rookies -- Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt -- finished 23rd and 29th respectively. There have been three instances at Pocono where races were shortened by rain. The first NASCAR race there in August 1974 was shortened to 480 miles (192 of 200 laps). Only 375 miles (150 of 200 laps) were completed in the July 1986 event. In July 1991, the race was shortened to 447 miles(179 of 200 laps)(Times-Tribune)(6-19-2000)
- Pocono Traffic Help: The state has approved an $11 million allocation for a temporary interchange off Interstate 80 near Pocono Raceway to help alleviate traffic problems on race days, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, the track's founder and board chairman, said yesterday(Philadelphia Daily News)(6-15-2000)
- Pocono not selling: Dr. Joseph Mattioli, owner of Pocono Raceway and one of the few remaining independent operators of a Winston Cup track, said he does not feel threatened by increasing centralization of track ownership. International Speedway Corporation recently acquired Richmond International Raceway, giving it control of 10 tracks. Speedway Motorsports owns six others. Mattioli says who continues to insist he has no intention of selling out(Gaston Gazette)(1-9-2000)
- Pocono, Shorter Races? Benny Parsons looked into the camera on ESPN2's RPM 2Night and pleaded, "Doc and Rose, please, 400 miles." Parsons, the racer turned TV commentator, was urging Dr. Joe Mattioli and his wife, Dr. Rose, to trim Pocono Raceway's 500-mile Winston Cup races to 400 miles. Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 ran an interminable 4 hours, 16 minutes. Might Doc Mattioli listen to Parsons? "Nooooooo," came the booming voice from the mountains over the phone. "That race was an exception. Our feeling is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. When Charlotte shortens their 600-mile race to 500, then maybe we'll talk." See full story at: Push for shorter races is like pulling teeth by Bill Fleischman of the Philadelphia Daily News via That's Racin'(8-1-1999)
- Pocono Not Selling: a few days old but....Pocono Raceway owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli on Thursday categorically denied he was considering selling his 2.5-mile track to racing magnate Bruton Smith. Mattioli attempted to end renewed speculation that Smith would purchase the track in Long Pond, Pa., and move one of its two NASCAR Winston Cup dates to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc., also owns. See Pocono race not moving to LVMS by Brian Hilderbrand(Las Vegas Sun)(7-28-1999)
- Pocono Story and News: in an story about the Pocono International Raceway, owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli makes no indications that he is planning on selling now or in the near future. In fact the story says "For the record, Mattioli doesn't have the inclination to sell and will never sell the course, which has turned into a little motorsports gold mine". See full story at: 'Mavericks' are a breath of fresh air by Godwin Kelly(7-19-1999)
- Pocono story: and editorial in The Leader by Robert J. Mellow, Democratic Leader, Pennsylvania Senate - "I am disappointed, and angered, by a recent Sports Illustrated editorial that portrayed Pocono International Raceway, located in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, as a gloom-and-doom facility. Either the SI ghost writer -- the editorial is unsigned -- knows nothing about auto racing or became high on the fresh air that our mountains have to offer." See the rest of the story at: Sen. Mellow races to defend Poconos, raceway from insults of SI writer(Times-Leader)(7-12-1999)
- Pocono/Texas? Hearing that Pocono Raceway rejected a $50 million dollar offer from Texas Motor Speedway to buy a Winston Cup date from the track(6-9-1999) - never heard anything more on this(7-5-1999)
- Pocono Ratings: TNN Motorsports coverage of the NASCAR Winston Cup Pocono 500, telecast live on Sunday, June 20, scored a 4.9 rating, representing more than 3.6 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research. The rating set a record for the annual race, making it the highest-rated, most-watched Pocono 500 in the six years TNN has telecast the event. The live telecast from the Pocono Raceway, Pocono, PA, was watched by more than 5.6 million viewers. This year's race coverage on TNN delivered a 23 percent increase in ratings over last year's race, which achieved a 4.0 rating, representing more than 2.9 million households. Plus TNN's website, country.com, generated record Internet traffic from its live real-time webcast of the Pocono 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race. The site recorded 736,805 page views -- breaking the previous record of 680,000 set during the Pepsi 400 Winston Cup race at Daytona Beach, FL, on October 17, 1998(TNN Site)(6-24-1999)
- Pocono Lottery: Pocono Raceway has entered into one of the nation's first partnerships between a state lottery and a NASCAR race track. Five second-chance finalists have a chance to win a replica of the Pocono 500 Pontiac pace car Sunday. All five have received $5000 each and three-day VIP credentials to the race including seats in a mini-skybox and pit passes. The five finalists came from a second-chance drawing of non-winning tickets from the state's Instant Lottery. While it is too late to get into the game for Sunday's Pocono 500, the whole thing is being repeated for next month's Pennsylvania 500(GoRacing)(6-20-1999)
- Apparently there is talk that they may be tearing down the garages at Pocono. If this is true, it will happen the week after the July race. SCCA Tri-Region (sponsor of this past weekend's race) was told the garages would be gone by their National event Aug 8 and 9. Don't know what they plan to do after tearing down.(StockCarFans newsletter - Cyndy)(6-30-98)
- Saw a line up sheet from NASCAR's June Pocono race: The back side said that there would be 15,000 new seats (Terrace) extending from the stands as they are now to Turn 3, due to be complete by next year. Apparently this is true, based on the fact it was handed out at Sunday's race and Pocono is telling ticket holders that these seats will be available for purchase in September. Apparently they are also adding 1,000 Terrace Club seats too. Don't know about a grandstand between 2 & 3, I suspect this is supposed to be the new seats going to turn 3 from the original ones there already!(StockCarFans newsletter - Cyndy)(6-30-98)
- Rumors have ISC - International Speedway Corp / Bill France buying the Pocono International Raceway in the very near future.(WC Today Radio)(6-19-98)
- A Wilkes-Barre PA TV station, WBRE 28 reported that Pocono raceway is NOT for sale, and WILL stay in the family. This was reported on 2-25-98 at 11:00pm by Sid Michaels, their sportscaster, who went on to say he had personally spoken with Dr. Mattioli (Pocono owner). He also reported that NBC was looking into televising NASCAR, since it lost the NFL contract to CBS.(2-26-98)
- From the Speedway Scene, a New England based weekly racing paper: Rumor is that there is an offer on the table for Pocono Raceway for $150 million. The two top contenders Bruton Smith, and Bill France. The author said that was a guess and no source has been confirmed as to who wants to buy it. The article also went on to say that Bill France told Pocono to start shaping up and that they were behind the other tracks(2-20-98)
- More Pocono news: The owner of the track, Dr. Mattioli's has put the track's ownership in a trust for his grandchildren and he (Dr. Mattioli) cannot sell it himself.(3-7-97)
- Per NASCAR Fans Newsletter: Bruton Smith may buy Pocono and move the one of the dates to the Texas track(hmm..Texas in July - hot,hot,hot). The other date could go to Las Vegas with Pocono not having any dates?Yikes??(3-5-97) More: A good source of mine "called the track and after much transferring around spoke to a PR person who said Pocono is definitely not for sale. What's that worth is of course questionable. I also called the Pocono Mountains. Chamber of Commerce and had a long chat. The guy had heard no such rumor and was shocked.", looks like I got things stirred up there.(3-6-97)
