The Unannounced Sponsor Pocono Cup race is a
NASCAR Cup Series stock car race
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It or ...
held at the
Pocono Raceway in
Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Long Pond is an unincorporated community in Monroe County in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania, a part of the Appalachian Mountains. Long Pond is located within the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed. Its ZIP code is 18334.
Geography
Long Po ...
. Starting in 2022, it is the only Cup Series race at the track after the other Cup Series race at Pocono, the
Pocono Organics CBD 325
The Pocono Organics CBD 325 was a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway, with the other being the Pocono 350, held th ...
, was removed from the Cup Series schedule in favor of
a race at
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
World Wide Technology Raceway (formerly Gateway International Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park) is a motorsport racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, close to the Gateway Arch. It features ...
. The race has been held sometime in mid-to-late July or early August each year except for 1971 when it was held in September, 1974 when it was held in April, and 2020 and 2021 when it was held in June a doubleheader with the other Cup Series race at Pocono.
Chase Elliott
William Clyde "Chase" Elliott II (born November 28, 1995) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. He won the 2014 NASCA ...
is the defending winner of the event.
History
The race received its date in 1974 with some last minute planning, after failing to an agreement with the
Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
Racing histor ...
in New Jersey, Bill France called up Joe Mattioli about a race being held at Pocono and the first NASCAR Cup Series race was held, the first winner was
Richard Petty. He led 152 of the 192 laps ran as the race was called for rain with 8 laps to go.
In 1982, NASCAR added a second date to the schedule at Pocono for early June, for a period of time, the two races were only separated as little as five weeks on the schedule. Before the double headers, the races were held seven weeks apart.
Starting in
2007, the race was moved from its traditional July date into August, swapping dates with the
Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400 was an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Moto ...
. This was because
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
wanted to have their broadcast start off at Indianapolis over Pocono.
In 2008,
Sunoco, the official NASCAR fuel supplier, based in Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia region of the
American Red Cross, agreed to sponsorship of the race and charity events to benefit the American Red Cross South Pennsylvania-Philadelphia region. It marked the first time since 1996 that the event carried a title sponsor. Camping World took over title sponsorship of sponsorship through its
Good Sam Club
The Good Sam Club is an international organization of recreational vehicle (RV) owners and the largest organization of RV owners in the world. It is focused upon making RVing safer and more enjoyable, also, saving money for members through club- ...
in 2011.
The race was a , 200 lap event from its inception in 1974, through the 2011 race. On August 10, 2011, it was announced that both Pocono races would be shortened to , beginning in 2012.
The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, through its marketing arm Strike Ten Entertainment, signed on as the entitlement sponsor for the 2013 and 2014 races. In 2015, Microsoft signed a one-year deal to title the event with its new Windows 10 update, and in 2016 the race returned as the Pennsylvania 400. In early-July 2017, the Marine and Watersport franchise Overton's, which is owned by
Camping World
Camping World Holdings, Inc. is an American corporation specializing in selling recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational vehicle parts, and recreational vehicle service. They also sell supplies for camping. The company has its headquarters in ...
, signed a three-year deal to sponsor Pocono's second race weekend through 2019, which included not only the Cup race being renamed the Overton's 400, but the 150-mile Camping World Truck Series race being known as the Overton's 150. However, on February 6, 2018, it was announced that Gander Outdoors (another company owned by Camping World) would sponsor the Cup Series races, the Gander Outdoors 400, as well as the Truck Series race, the Gander Outdoors 150. The Overton's sponsorship was transferred to the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series races at
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and actively hosted NASCAR racing including the NASCAR Cup Series until 2019. Until 2010, the speedway has also hosted the Indy ...
in 2018.
In mid-2019, NASCAR and Pocono Raceway announced that the track would host a doubleheader weekend on the last weekend of June. On Saturday, the Truck event that is usually held in July and the first Cup race that is usually held in early June would run on Saturday. On Sunday, the Xfinity race that is run in June and the second Cup race followed. During this period, the race was shortened from 400 to 350 miles.
The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau was the title sponsor of the race in 2021, with the name of the race being the "Explore the Pocono Mountains 350". In 2022, the race returned to being 400 miles in length and
M&M's
M&M's (stylized as m&m's) are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M ...
(and parent company
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021.
Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest pri ...
) sponsored the race to highlight their last year as a NASCAR sponsor, and the name of the race was the "M&M's Fan Appreciation 400".
Notable moments
![Pocono Raceway July 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Pocono_Raceway_July_2006.jpg)
* The 1973 ACME Super Saver 500 was one of four stock car races (1971–74) at Pocono under USAC sanction. The first three were won by
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV (born January 10, 1965) is an American animator, director, producer, writer, and voice actor. He is most known for creating the Nickelodeon series ''The Fairly OddParents'', ''Danny Phantom'', '' T.U.F.F. Puppy'', ...
,
Roger McCluskey
Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was from Tucson, Arizona.
He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the USAC Spr ...
, and
Richard Petty. McCluskey's 1972 win came in a
Plymouth Superbird
The Plymouth Superbird is a highly modified, short-lived version of the Plymouth Road Runner with applied graphic images as well as a distinctive horn sound both referencing the popular ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon character the Road Runner. It was ...
and came when the race was run in conjunction with
USAC's
Schaefer 500
The ABC Supply 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, located in the Pocono Mountains. The first Indy car race at Pocono was held in 1971. It was the first major event held at the track, shortly after it ...
in late July when a hurricane postponed the IndyCar race.
* The 1974 ACME Super Saver 500 was run on April 24, 1974.
Buddy Baker won the pole and led nine laps but finished 20th with a burned valve. USAC stock car series regular
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV (born January 10, 1965) is an American animator, director, producer, writer, and voice actor. He is most known for creating the Nickelodeon series ''The Fairly OddParents'', ''Danny Phantom'', '' T.U.F.F. Puppy'', ...
led 124 laps before his clutch failed with eight to go.
Ron Keselowski
Ronald William Keselowski (born September 12, 1946) is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver who raced from 1970 to 1974. He is the uncle of current and retired NASCAR Cup Series drivers Brad and Brian Keselowski along with being the brother of retir ...
won the race having led 61 laps total. Keselowski is the brother of Bob and uncle of Brad (Bob's son).
*1974: NASCAR shortened its races in the first half of 1974 due to the energy crisis; the crisis had passed and in July races, including Pocono, were put back to their full distance. Additionally, Pocono was not listed on the original 1974 NASCAR schedule; a race at
Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
Racing histor ...
was listed in several issues of
Stock Car Racing magazine
''Stock Car Racing'' (SCR) was founded in the U.S. in May 1966Larry Cothren, Automotive.com, Source Interlink Media, 200."Racing Magazines agazine-Agent.com,
Magazine-Agent.com, 2009, webpagmag-agent"Specialty Equipment Market Association - SEMA. ...
, notably the magazine's June 1974 issue. The Trenton date was subsequently switched to Pocono.
* Pocono broke 40 official lead changes in seven of the first nine NASCAR-sanctioned Pennsylvania 500s (1975–77, 1979–80, 1982–83).
*1975:
David Pearson's win came amid controversy; his
Mercury, sponsored by race sponsor
Purolator Filters
MANN+HUMMEL Purolator Filters LLC, more commonly known as Purolator, is an American manufacturer of oil and air filters, based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Since 2013, it has been a subsidiary of German filter manufacturer Mann+Hummel. Pur ...
, was leaking oil in the form of smoke throughout the race's final ten laps but NASCAR waited until two laps to go to wave a
black flag at him, by which time it was too late, since drivers are allowed to stay out for three laps before heeding a black flag. Under current NASCAR rules, if a black flag is waved within the final five laps (offside (illegal pass before crossing start-finish line on start or restart), out of bounds (below double yellow line on restrictor plate tracks or cutting a chicane), or inappropriate driving), and the driver does not respond, he will be assessed a time penalty that will be calculated into final results (often a penalty that moves the driver to the last car on the lap they were running, or a lap penalty).
*1976: The next year, 1976, Pearson led 14 times for 124 laps but blew a tire with two to go, giving Petty the win.
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937) is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks ...
, nursing injuries sustained in a short track crash in
Elko, MN weeks earlier, battled for the lead in the first 40 laps but during a pitstop took off with unsecured left side tires; they fell off in the track's Tunnel Turn. The lead changed 47 times among eight drivers.
*1977: The 1977 running was sponsored by
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
.
Darrell Waltrip won the pole, his first on a superspeedway (photos from the race were used by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' in an October piece on Waltrip). The lead changed 46 times among seven drivers as
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons (July 12, 1941 – January 16, 2007) was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst/pit reporter on SETN, TBS, ABC, ESPN, NBC, and TNT. He became famous as the 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, ...
held off a late charge from
Richard Petty for the win.
*1978: The 1978 running saw the fewest cautions (1) in track history.
Darrell Waltrip edged
David Pearson for the win.
*1979: The 1979 running saw the most lead changes (56) in track history as rain postponed the race from Sunday to Monday.
Dale Earnhardt suffered serious injuries on Lap 93 when his Chevrolet shot into the boilerplate wall in Turn Two.
Darrell Waltrip, driving an Al Rudd Chevrolet after he crashed in Saturday practice and the DiGard team couldn't use a backup car, pitted under a late yellow for tires, dropping him from third to seventh; the race never restarted and Waltrip's pitstop cost him 19 points; he would lose the 1979 season championship by 11 points.
*1980:
Neil Bonnett escaped with the win on the final lap as
Buddy Baker forearmed alongside up high but
Cale Yarborough pushed Bonnett into the lead and Baker and Cale banged together. The lead changed 50 times among ten drivers. Meanwhile,
Richard Petty crashed on lap 56 when the right front wheel snapped;
Chuck Bown
Richard Charles "Chuck" Bown Jr. (born February 22, 1954) is a former NASCAR champion. His last ride came in 1999. He lives with his wife in Asheboro, North Carolina. He is the brother of former fellow NASCAR competitor Jim Bown.
1970s
Bown ma ...
spun behind him and
Darrell Waltrip T-boned Petty. Petty broke his neck but because he didn't want to be sidelined he hid his injury for months until an x-ray taken of him 4 weeks later found that the injury deteriorated over time. This resulted in officials making drivers be cleared by doctors after any kind of wreck no matter how hard the impacts are.
*1982:
Dale Earnhardt's chest injury in 1979 was followed by a leg injury in a tumble in Turn One with
Tim Richmond
Timothy Lee Richmond (June 7, 1955 – August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. Richmond was one of the first drivers to change from ...
; the crash pierced the
boilerplate retaining wall, requiring 40 laps under caution to repair. The race was a ferocious affair as the lead changed 46 times and on several laps changed three times in one lap.
Richard Petty ran low on gas in the final laps and
Darrell Waltrip ran out on the final lap, securing the win for
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937) is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks ...
.
*1986: Richmond won the Pennsylvania 500 in 1983 and 1986; in 1986 he was involved in a crash in Turn Two with
Richard Petty; he drove backwards to pit road and lost a lap, then got it back when Earnhardt crashed twice in a span of ten laps; he got four tires with five to go, then passed six cars before winning in a wild three-abreast finish with
Ricky Rudd
Richard Lee Rudd (born September 12, 1956), nicknamed "The Rooster", is an American former racing driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and former NASCAR Busch Series driver Jason Rudd. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins. He was name ...
and
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Edwin Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is a retired American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers (with Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine), and sister Denise. Bodine lives in West Melbourne, Florid ...
.
Neil Bonnett suffered an arm injury on the restart after Richmond's wreck;
Morgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd (born October 12, 1941) is an American retired professional stock car racing driver and current team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 89 Chevrolet Camaro for Shepherd Racing Ven ...
spun in the Tunnel Turn and several cars plowed into the scene; Bonnett slid into the inside guardrail, flopped onto his side, and landed on four wheels.
*1989: The track's
boilerplate wall was pierced three times in 1989 - in June
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Edwin Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is a retired American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers (with Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine), and sister Denise. Bodine lives in West Melbourne, Florid ...
broke his leg (and didn't find this out until days later) in Turn One; in July
Jimmy Horton
James Horton III (born July 3, 1956) is a racecar driver currently racing a dirt modified for the Halmar Racing Team weekly at the Orange County Fair Speedway and other major events across the northeast. He raced in 48 NASCAR Winston Cup races in ...
pierced the wall in Turn Two; during the lengthy yellow for repairs a
jack rabbit
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...
got onto the speedway near the start-finish line; it escaped initial attempt at capture by the track safety crew but was caught unharmed minutes later and released into the nearby forest. Later in the race in One
Greg Sacks
Greg Sacks (born November 3, 1952) is an American former stock car racing driver. He is married and has three children. He lives in Ormond Beach, Florida. He and his sons are partners in Grand Touring Vodka.
Sacks has spent most of his career as ...
and
Lake Speed
Lake Chambers Speed (born on January 17, 1948) is an American retired stock car racing driver. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, scoring one career win in 402 starts.
Background
Lake was named after the best friend of his fa ...
hammered the wall in One and Sacks took a wild tumble reminiscent of Earnhardt's 1982 flip. The boilerplate was replaced by concrete in 1990.
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Edwin Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is a retired American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers (with Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine), and sister Denise. Bodine lives in West Melbourne, Florid ...
and
Rusty Wallace
Russell William "Rusty" Wallace Jr. (born August 14, 1956) is an American former NASCAR racing driver. He has won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Over the course of his successful care ...
battled on and off throughout the 500, but
Bill Elliott ran both down in the final 20 laps; Bodine spun out of second with 15 to go, then with seven to go Wallace skidded through the Tunnel Turn and Elliott took the win, tying him with Richmond for most wins at Pocono.
*1990: Bodine won the Pennsylvania 500 twice, in 1990 driving for
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. (June 28, 1931 – December 20, 2019), better known as Junior Johnson, was an American NASCAR driver of the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became ...
and in 1994 driving the car formerly owned by
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki (December 14, 1954 – April 1, 1993), nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American auto racing driver and team owner. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional ...
. His 1990 win came in a spirited contest; the lead changed four times on Lap 117 between Bodine and
Davey Allison
David Carl Allison (February 25, 1961 – July 13, 1993) was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was th ...
and three times on Lap 180 between Bodine, Allison, and
Rusty Wallace
Russell William "Rusty" Wallace Jr. (born August 14, 1956) is an American former NASCAR racing driver. He has won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Over the course of his successful care ...
.
*1992:
Darrell Waltrip picked up his penultimate victory after a race marred by a frightening crash involving
Davey Allison
David Carl Allison (February 25, 1961 – July 13, 1993) was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was th ...
when Allison and Waltrip's cars contacted, sending Allison skidding into the grass and later flipping repeatedly before resting on the car roof. As a result of the accident, this led to Allison losing the points lead for the first time that season; as
Bill Elliott moved into the points lead after this race.
*1993:
Dale Earnhardt won after a spirited affair; on several laps the lead changed twice to three times in a single lap between him,
Ernie Irvan
Virgil Earnest "Ernie" Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is best remembered for his comeback after a serious head ...
,
Kyle Petty
Kyle Eugene Petty (born June 2, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver, and current racing commentator. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of racer Adam Petty, who was killed in a crash d ...
,
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champi ...
, and a surprising
Brett Bodine
Brett Elias Bodine III (born January 11, 1959) is an American former stock car racing driver, former driver of the pace car in Cup Series events, and current NASCAR employee. Brett is the younger brother of 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine a ...
. Following the race he was given a
Robert Yates Racing
Yates Racing was an American stock car racing team that competed in NASCAR through the 2009 season, after which it merged into Richard Petty Motorsports. Previously known as Robert Yates Racing, the team was owned by Doug Yates, who has offici ...
No. 28 flag and flew it while slowly driving clockwise around the track, a tribute to
Davey Allison
David Carl Allison (February 25, 1961 – July 13, 1993) was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was th ...
who had died in a helicopter accident days earlier, and
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki (December 14, 1954 – April 1, 1993), nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American auto racing driver and team owner. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional ...
, who had died in a plane crash in April.
*1995:
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champi ...
scored his first win for
Robert Yates in the 1995 race; he won it again in 1997. The 1995 running was the most competitive (37 lead changes among 13 drivers) since 1983 and once again the lead changed twice a lap on several laps.
*2000:
Jeremy Mayfield
Jeremy Allen Mayfield (born May 27, 1969) is an American stock car racing driver. He drove cars for the Sadler brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas. In 2009, he drove for ...
who won in June at Pocono, was well on his way to a season sweep of Pocono in 2000. He and teammate
Rusty Wallace
Russell William "Rusty" Wallace Jr. (born August 14, 1956) is an American former NASCAR racing driver. He has won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Over the course of his successful care ...
were battling for the lead in the final laps, when on the final lap, Mayfield blew a tire entering the Tunnel Turn, allowing Wallace to squirt by and score the upset.
*2002:
Bill Elliott became Pocono's first five-time winner. This race is also memorable for a wreck on the first lap, when
Steve Park and
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, team owner, author, and an analyst for '' NASCAR on NBC''. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving ...
were sent into an old highway guardrail barrier on the straightaway, causing Park to flip violently. The race was shortened by 25 laps due to darkness caused by the repairs from the Park accident and a lengthy rain delay.
*2006: In his Rookie of the Year campaign,
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
completed a season sweep of Pocono. Meanwhile, Hamlin's teammate, Tony Stewart was the center of controversy after an on-track altercation with
Clint Bowyer
Clinton Edward Bowyer (born May 30, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and commentator for ''NASCAR on Fox''.
He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2005 to 2020, driving for Richard Childress Racing for eight yea ...
, where Stewart flipped Bowyer the finger and then intentionally crashed Bowyer, collecting
Carl Edwards
Carl Michael Edwards II (born August 15, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Prior to that, he drove the No. ...
. Stewart was held multiple laps down and penalized 25 points.
*2007:
Kurt Busch dominated the 2007 race, leading a race record 175 laps. It was the final Pocono race before the debut of NASCAR's
Car of Tomorrow
The Car of Tomorrow (abbreviated as CoT) was the common name used for the chassis of the NASCAR Cup Series (2007 –2012) and Xfinity Series (since 2011 full-time) race cars. The car was part of a five-year project to create a safer vehicle ...
. In this race it is remembered for the fact that
Robby Gordon
Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. He is active in top-tier off road motorsports such as BITD, N ...
was disqualified by NASCAR for his actions the previous day at the NBS race at Montreal. Robby Gordon Motorsports' backup driver,
P. J. Jones
Parnell Velko "P. J." Jones (born April 23, 1969) is an American professional racing driver. He has contested in multiple disciplines, including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA GT Championship, the American Le Mans Series, USAC, the Chili Bowl, and the S ...
took his place in the No. 7 chevy.
*2009:
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
won the 2009 running after rain postponed the race from Sunday to Monday. Pocono had debuted NASCAR's double-file restart rule in June; in August it helped Hamlin gain positions with the leaders sometimes racing four abreast.
*2010:
Greg Biffle took two tires on the race's final pit stop to grab the lead; his victory snapped a 64-race winless streak. It also came in the first Cup race following a plane crash that left team owner
Jack Roush
Jack Roush (born Jackson Earnest Roush on April 19, 1942) is the founder, CEO, and co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, a NASCAR team headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, and is chairman of Roush Enterprises.
Roush Enterprises is the ...
hospitalized.
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler (born April 30, 1975) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 dr ...
, a day removed from winning
the Camping World Trucks Series debut at Pocono, was involved in a violent melee also involving
Kurt Busch; Sadler was spun out and punched the inside guardrail so savagely it ripped the engine out of his car and threw it several hundred feet (the crash was only caught on camera partially as ESPN cameras were trained on Busch). Minutes after the accident it was declared NASCAR's hardest wreck in history. The race itself began with a 100-lap period under green during which
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
put half the field a lap down, but a caution at Lap 124 set up a wild second half with several bouts of four-abreast racing up front. It marked the first Cup win of 2010 for Ford, and the first since
Jamie McMurray
James Christopher McMurray (born June 3, 1976), nicknamed Jamie Mac, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and currently an analyst for '' Fox NASCAR''. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 to 2018 ...
won at Talladega for Roush on November 1, 2009, in the 26 car.
*2011:
Brad Keselowski
Bradley Aaron Keselowski (; born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, a team he also ...
, after being in a horrible testing crash at
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...
earlier in the week, breaking his left foot and hurting his right foot and back as a result, held off
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
over the final 19 laps to win his second race of 2011. The race was almost called after 124 laps due to rain but was restarted. On the final lap
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
and
Kurt Busch made contact on the backstretch when Johnson drove into him. The two exchanged heat in an argument on pit road after the race. The race would wind up being the last 500-mile-long NASCAR race at the track, as announced a few days after that in 2012 both races at the track would be changed from 500 to 400-mile events.
*2012: Tragedy marred the first August Pocono race, shortened by rain; a heavy thunderstorm ended the race well short of the distance and
lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...
struck the northern parking lot; one spectator was killed and nearly a dozen others injured. Rain had delayed the start some two hours, and
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
fought with pole-sitter
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver.
He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech ...
for the lead.
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
would lead the most laps but would wreck with
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX)
Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
on Lap 91, giving
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...
the victory, as well as his sixth victory at Pocono, the most at the track.
*2013: The new Generation 6 car saw a very competitive race with 27 lead changes among 14 drivers.
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
won the pole, and dominated the first quarter of the race, but he ended up slipping to the back of the pack and a 13th-place finish after cutting a right front tire and hitting the outside wall on lap 78. Johnson was not alone, as
David Stremme
David Andrew Stremme (born June 19, 1977) is an American professional stock car racing driver.
Early career
Stremme was born in South Bend, Indiana. His racing roots can be traced back to Midwestern short track racing, where he followed in the f ...
and
David Gilliland
David Leonard Gilliland (born April 1, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. Since 2017, he has operated David Gilliland Racing, a team that races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ...
also had right front tire troubles.
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kenneth Kahne (; born April 10, 1980) is an American dirt track racing driver and former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, driving the No. 95 Dumont Jets/ Procore Technolo ...
dominated the second half of the race, leading 66 laps, and had built up a 7.5 second lead on teammate
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...
when a debris caution came out on lap 149, erasing Kahne's lead. Gordon managed to take the lead from Kahne on the next restart and led until
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX)
Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
spun to bring out another caution. On the resulting restart, Kahne retook the lead from Gordon and held off Gordon for the last two laps to win his second race of the season.
*2014: A 13 car wreck broke out on lap 117 when
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
spun in the entrance to the Long Pond Straightaway and cars behind him tried to check up. June race winner
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, team owner, author, and an analyst for '' NASCAR on NBC''. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving ...
took the lead with 14 laps to go and managed to build a 3.5 second lead over
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champion, ...
before a caution came out after
Kurt Busch cut a tire. Despite the caution, he narrowly held off Harvick over a four-lap shootout to complete the first Pocono sweep since Hamlin's 2006 sweep. It was Earnhardt Jr.'s first sweep of a track in Cup competition since sweeping both Talladega races in 2002.
* 2015: A red flag happened early in the race when
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kenneth Kahne (; born April 10, 1980) is an American dirt track racing driver and former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, driving the No. 95 Dumont Jets/ Procore Technolo ...
slammed the inside wall lining pit road on lap 6. After a caution-riddled first half, the last 68 laps were run caution-free, leading drivers to play the fuel mileage game. With three laps to go, race leader
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990), is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Ser ...
ran out of gas while trying to stretch his tank, giving the lead to
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
, who himself ran out of fuel just after taking the white flag.
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX)
Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
, running 15 seconds behind Busch at the white flag, sped past the limping Busch to score his first Pocono win and second win of the season, thwarting Busch's attempts at being the first driver since
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
in 2007 to win four straight Cup races.
* 2016: The 2016 running was postponed to Monday after rain soaked the track,
Chris Buescher
Christopher William Buescher (born October 29, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 17 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing. He is the 2012 ARCA Racing Series and 2015 ...
grabbed his first win after the race was called due to fog in the area, A red flag happened late in the race with 22 laps to go. The race saw a spirited duel for the lead between
Kyle Larson
Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champi ...
and
Austin Dillon
Austin Reed Dillon (born April 27, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver and reality TV show actor. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racin ...
where Dillon led Lap 78 by a wheel; Larson got back around him in One, then on Lap 80 Dillon stormed underneath Larson in the short stretch; in Turn Three the two collided and
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990), is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Ser ...
shot three abreast in to the lead. Logano was later involved in a crash when
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
passed him and
Chase Elliott
William Clyde "Chase" Elliott II (born November 28, 1995) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. He won the 2014 NASCA ...
got underneath him in the Tunnel Turn and both crashed.
* 2018:
Darrell Wallace Jr.'s brakes failed, causing him to slide through the turn 1 grass, impacting the wall at a high speed. On the restart,
Erik Jones
Erik Benjamin Jones (born May 30, 1996) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Petty GMS. His nicknames are EJ, his initials, and That J ...
tried making it 3 abreast, only for
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
to swing round the outside. He would go on to win the race.
* 2019: Denny Hamlin tied Bill Elliott for second on the wins list among drivers at Pocono, winning for the fifth time. Jeff Gordon is the all-time winner at Pocono with six wins. However, two of Gordon's wins and one of Elliott's wins were truncated due to either darkness or rain. That means Gordon and Elliott both won four times at Pocono in which the race went the distance. Hamlin became the all-time winner in Pocono Raceway history when it comes to winning races that have gone the distance, with all five of his wins in events that went the distance or into overtime.
* 2020: Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick swapped their finishing orders from the first Cup race in the doubleheader. After two red flags due to weather, several cautions for crashes, and impending darkness (Pocono doesn't have lights), Denny Hamlin tied Jeff Gordon for most all-time wins at Pocono with his sixth triumph. Pocono Raceway refers the race as the first "nighttime finish in the track's history." Race finished five minutes past sunset at 8:43 PM EST, with the sunset at 8:38 PM EST. This also marked the latest time of day a Cup race concluded in the track's history. Despite the delays and darkness, all 140 laps/350 miles were completed.
*2021: In an unpredictable race that had been led up to by Saturday's Cup race,
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
prevailed to become the winningest active driver with his 59th-career win. In the early part of the race, Busch's transmission kept slipping out of gear, and after a pit stop after Stage 2 he would have to ride the rest of the race in fourth gear. Coming down to fuel mileage, Keselowski led until he came down with 8 laps to go.
William Byron inherited the lead thinking they had enough, but he didn't save enough and ran out coming to two laps to go. Denny Hamlin looked like he was going to get his seventh triumph at Pocono until he ran out coming to the white, giving Busch the lead. Busch, who pitted one lap later than the rest, was able to make it on gas with only fourth gear, and a burnt clutch for his fourth win at Pocono a comfortable seven seconds over Kyle Larson.
*2022: For the first time since 1981, this will be the only Cup race at Pocono in a season. They lost their June race (first race) to Gateway. After the conclusion of the race, race winner
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
and 2nd-place finisher
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
were disqualified following a failed post-race inspection. This resulted in 3rd place driver
Chase Elliott
William Clyde "Chase" Elliott II (born November 28, 1995) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. He won the 2014 NASCA ...
being declared the winner despite not leading a single lap during the event. It marked the first time since the DQ rule that was instituted in 2019 was used to determine a Cup Series winner. Xfinity and Truck events had ended like this numerous times. It was the first time since 1960 that the winner of a Cup race was disqualified, and the highest finishing car that passed was declared the winner.
Past winners
Notes
*1974, 1986, 1991, 2012, and 2016: Race shortened due to rain.
*1979, 2009, and 2016: Race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.
*2002: Race suspended twice (once due to track repair and once due to rain) and shortened due to darkness and incoming rain.
*2005, 2018, and 2019: Race extended due to
NASCAR Overtime.
*2022: Chase Elliott declared winner after 1st and 2nd place finishers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified for illegal modifications to the front fascia.
Multiple winners (drivers)
Multiple winners (teams)
Manufacturer wins
References
External links
*
{{NASCAR Cup Series races, state=collapsed
1974 establishments in Pennsylvania
NASCAR Cup Series races
Recurring sporting events established in 1974
Annual sporting events in the United States
M&M's