Nascar Pocono Raceway Pre-Race Thread

StandOnIt

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Goodyear Fast Facts — Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series – Race No. 17 – 160 laps / 400 miles

Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile triangle) – Long Pond, Pa.

Fast Facts for June 21-22, 2025

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Cup – 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 7 sets for the race (6 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)

Tire Codes: Left-side — D-5184; Right-side — D-5248

Tire Circumference: Left-side — 2,263 mm (89.09 in.); Right-side — 2,281 mm (89.80 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 20 psi; Left Rear — 22 psi; Right Front — 40 psi; Right Rear — 38 psi

Notes – Cup teams on different tire set-up at Pocono this year: Being on 18-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series at Pocono this weekend . . . Cup teams are on different left- and right-side tire codes than they ran at Pocono last season, with compound changes on both sides of the car to introduce more tire wear and lap-time fall-off . . . Cup teams have already run this same left-side tire code at Las Vegas, Homestead, Darlington, Texas, Kansas and Nashville this season . . . these teams first ran this right-side tire code at Indianapolis last season . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars do not run inner liners in any of their tires.

Goodyear quote – Stu Grant, Goodyear’s general manager of global race tires: “Pocono is perhaps the most unique track we have on the NASCAR circuit. With three distinct corners and straightaways, teams face a choice of setting up their cars where they feel they can make the most time. We have a new tire set-up for the Cup cars this year, one with more grip and more fall-off, which should make for a great race for the fans.”
 
Optimizing the chassis setup at this place is a tall order.

The three corners at Pocono Raceway are not the same. They are intentionally designed to be different, each modeled after a turn from a different racetrack. Turn 1 is based on Trenton Speedway, Turn 2 on Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Turn 3 on the Milwaukee Mile. This unique design gives Pocono its nickname, "The Tricky Triangle".
 
I never seen Dale’s post race interview from that race, I doubt he gave one but I always wondered what happened to his car coming out of the tunnel turn, it’s like the handling went away immediately.
 
Optimizing the chassis setup at this place is a tall order.

The three corners at Pocono Raceway are not the same. They are intentionally designed to be different, each modeled after a turn from a different racetrack. Turn 1 is based on Trenton Speedway, Turn 2 on Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Turn 3 on the Milwaukee Mile. This unique design gives Pocono its nickname, "The Tricky Triangle".
Such a great track. Have to get off of 3, get the brake package right for 1, and all driver IMO in the Tunnel. I think that most crew chiefs set up for 3, and make the driver tolerate the rest of the lap?
 
How is it attending Pocono? I always thought the triangle shape had to make it difficult to watch compared to most tracks
 
How is it attending Pocono? I always thought the triangle shape had to make it difficult to watch compared to most tracks

I've been twice, when the cars are all in turn 2 they are so far away you can barely even hear them. Great views of the front stretch but you can't see much else.
 


What an awesome race. Dale blew it in the tunnel turn, and got a dose of his own medicine. I never cared much for Mayfield but he earned that one. And it's always great to hear Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, and Glenn Jarrett.

How is it attending Pocono? I always thought the triangle shape had to make it difficult to watch compared to most tracks

I went there in 2001. Terrible place to watch a race because you can only see a quarter of the track. But I hear the camping there is pretty good, so I might go back at some point for that reason
 
How is it attending Pocono? I always thought the triangle shape had to make it difficult to watch compared to most tracks
Like a road course you are only going to see a section fully, you'll be able to see other spots but not as easy.
 
How is it attending Pocono? I always thought the triangle shape had to make it difficult to watch compared to most tracks
I had a buddy who went a couple of times in the '00s. Bring 4x or 6x binos for most of the Long Pond straightaway and tunnel turn. Sit at one end or the other, not in the middle, so you'll have a decent view of either 1 or 3. Like @kkfan91 said, accept that you won't see everything.

Gotta be better than Indy with its built-up infield. If you're not in the corners, you'll see only what's in front of you.
 
Stickers for Chasey......so ****** NASCAR. Load of ****.
 
Wallace can't start the car, Bryon wrecks, Hamlin's on the pole, 6 Yoyos in the top 10, yet Chase's make-up lap is what motivates you to post?
That was before the pole. Hamlin had an epic lap, yet my post about Chasey is what motivates you to post?
 
Stickers for Chasey......so ****** NASCAR. Load of ****.
I think it's the right call and the way it should be when they are having more than one car on the track at a time qualify on ovals.

Why should a guy be basically penalized because something happened on track out of his control when everyone else went out on stickers?
 
I think it's the right call and the way it should be when they are having more than one car on the track at a time qualify on ovals.

Why should a guy be basically penalized because something happened on track out of his control when everyone else went out on stickers?
Don't bring logic into it.
 
I think it's the right call and the way it should be when they are having more than one car on the track at a time qualify on ovals.

Why should a guy be basically penalized because something happened on track out of his control when everyone else went out on stickers?
Why should Bell get screwed on his qualifying last week just because it rained? **** happens.
 
I've been twice, when the cars are all in turn 2 they are so far away you can barely even hear them. Great views of the front stretch but you can't see much else.
I've been about 4-5 times and recommend the experience. The seats we got that we really liked were on the very top by the start/finish line. They are more expensive but worth it because not only was I surprised at how much we could see but they are also covered from the sun as they have roofing over them and have bathrooms right there behind where you are sitting. We could not see the cars coming off 3 but that was about it and this was because we chose to sit further toward turn-1 so we could see the cars fanning 5-wide and funneling down into turn-1. Visibility of the cars in the tunnel turn is always a little tough because they are so far away at that point. Daytripper is right that there are times when you cannot even hear the cars when they are not too strung out because of how far away they are. I liked this as it gave us a minute where would talk to each other and actually hear each other. Bristol almost did damage to my hearing. When I saw that Chase was running the XFINITY race we almost made the last-minute decision to go as we are about 8 hours from the track. We will go back there soon again.
 
OK. I need some education here because apparently I am not paying enough attention to what they are doing for qualifying set ups now. I see HMS had all kinds of speed in race trim but they all qualified lousy with Chase being the best at 18th? Gonna be another slog of a day trying to get track position when the only passing that happens is on restarts which is not Chase's game. He's a smooth and patient rhythm racer that needs to qualify up front more. I just don't understand what other teams are doing different with this car and what the options are for qualifying. I remember in the old days you could basically do whatever you wanted including putting a qualifying motor in and taping off the front end. What are teams doing now that I am missing and what happened to HMS yesterday? Were there other circumstances? And this is a serious question so please no BS about Chase being the issue. I am well aware that qualifying is not the strongest part of his game but he did sit on the pole for the XFINIITY race so seems to reason that if he had a piece under him he could do better than 18th. Plus all of HMS sucked so lets no go there.
 
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