LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com at Pocono Raceway on July 14, 2024 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com at Pocono Raceway on July 14, 2024 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

NASCAR open to racing at Franklin Field in Philadelphia

In a surprising development, NASCAR is considering a race in Philadelphia, about two hours away from Pocono.

“Pocono has delivered for us in terms of fans, but when you look at opportunities, one of the places we looked was Franklin Field,” O’Donnell said. “It was one of the only places we could’ve put a race track inside. Those are the type of things that, within a city, we’re gonna look at.

“The days of just building a rural track are over, but if we can build a track with some real estate development around it and partner with some people, we’re gonna look at major cities and bring the product to the fan base within the city as well.”

Pocono Record