LONG POND, PA (May 30, 2012) – Pocono Raceway today announced new, fan-driven additions to the June 8-10 Pocono 400 race weekend schedule. These events include a NASCAR Driver Autograph Session with Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Regan Smith and Kurt Busch, and Question and Answer Sessions with drivers Carl Edwards and Martin Truex, Jr.
The NASCAR Driver Autograph Session is open to the first 200 fans, due to time constraints, and will take place inside Pocono Raceway’s Club Pocono (a.k.a. $100 Club), located in the Paddock Area on Saturday, June 9, from 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to get their hand stamped to attend this event featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Ku. Busch, Hamlin, Newman and Smith. Entry into the Pit/Paddock area requires a Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Pass, available for purchase for $50, and valid for the entire weekend with accompanying Grandstand ticket for each respective day fans intend to use the pass. (Note: Times and lineup subject to change without notice. Neither NASCAR, Inc., nor any of its affiliates are sponsors of this event.)
The NASCAR Driver Question and Answers Sessions with Edwards and Truex Jr., which also require a Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Pass, will take place on the Thunderstage, located between Club Pocono (a.k.a. $100 Club) and the Cafeteria in our Paddock area. Edwards’ Q & A Session will be led by Miss Sprint Cup and will take place on Saturday, June 9, at 10:00 a.m. Truex Jr.’s Q & A Session will be led by our President/CEO, Brandon Igdalsky, on Sunday, June 10, at 10:15 a.m. Additionally, live bands will play during pre-race times on Saturday and Sunday at our Thunderstage. (Note: Times and lineup subject to change without notice. Neither NASCAR, Inc., nor any of its affiliates are sponsors of this event.)
Infield patrons will have access to the SPEED Stage, the truTV Lizard Lick Towing Concert Series Stage, and our newly-created Barley Creek Wiffle Ball Field. The SPEED stage will broadcast live, all weekend long, including their Trackside Live and RaceDay programs. Fans holding a Pre-Race Pit/Paddock pass can access the SPEED Stage on Sunday morning. The truTV Lizard Lick Towing Concert Series will host back-to-back bands on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 6:30 pm each night. The Barley Creek Wiffle Ball field will be open daily at 11 a.m., starting on Thursday, June 7, for fans to enjoy playing wiffle ball and select craft beers (for those 21 years of age or older) from the Tannersville, PA-based brewery.
Pocono Raceway’s Fan Fair area, located behind the Grandstands, is free for fans and will open daily at 8 a.m. Events include Kids’ Day on Saturday, June 9 (in our Chalet Village), the brand-new Kid’s Zone (located adjacent to the driver souvenir haulers) and our second-annual Fan Fare Scavenger Hunt. The Scavenger Hunt will be held on Sunday, June 10, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Flag Pole, located outside Fan Fair. It will be open to the first 50 teams of two individuals (100 people total), and will be solely-based on Twitter, meaning all participants much have access to a mobile device synced to their respective Twitter accounts the day of the TweetHunt. Displays attending the Pocono 400 race weekend include: Sprint, Chevrolet, Pepsi, New Holland, National Guard, Farmers Insurance, Banana Boat, truTV’s Lizard Lick Towing, UAW, Johnsonville with Budweiser, Fan Vision, StockCar Racing Experience, Popular Mechanics, the NASCAR Foundation, select driver souvenir haulers and much more.
Pocono Raceway also recently announced the first-ever Skate Race at Pocono Raceway Presented by Sector 9. This money-paying event will take place on Saturday, June 9, at approximately 4 p.m. and will include SPEED & TNT’s Ralph Sheheen, Miss Sprint Cup, a Sector 9 Team Rider and fans. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/poconoskaterace.
Fans can also see some of the favorite drivers by purchasing a Tricky Triangle Club pass on Sunday, June 10, which will give access to 15-minute Q & A Sessions featuring Jeff Burton, Kasey Kahne, Miss Sprint Cup, Newman and a celebrity (TBA), a Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Pass, lunch, pre-race food and beverages and more. Additionally, new driver-specific ticket packages for fans of Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Kahne are now available for purchase. Tricky Triangle Club passes, which must be accompanied by a Sunday Grandstand ticket, and driver-specific ticket packages can be purchased by visiting www.poconoraceway.com or by calling 1-800-RACEWAY (722-3929).
Over the many years attending Pocono Speedway I was very happy to see NCWTS come to Pocono And this year will Make it 3 for 3 for NCWTS,as well as ARCA.Has there been any thought to eventually bringing the Nationwide Series to the Speedway?Since Nazareth UNFORTUNATLY was shut down ,the closet to the area for Nationwide is Dover and THE GLEN??These series i have mentioned have much more drama and ,I beleive more URGENT racing,not just clicking off laps(I HOPE cutting 500miles down to 400 miles will do something to bring the same sense of urgencyto the race.
ALSO when will the POWERS that be wake up and decide to add seating all along the straight between turns 2 and 3?
In closing ,500 down to 400 is a start but many beleive the track needs alot more changes (LIGHTS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT RACING).part of the reasons we basically come up on Saturday is that its sometimes way to HUMID and hot to sit for 4-5 hours watching what many feel is a race that becomes boring and the cars get WAY TO SPREAD OUT .BANKING THE TURNS MORE ,ESPECIALLY trun 3 would have made Pocono almost the TALLADEGA of the NORTH..Newly paved??? ya all had your chance there.
Lately I have been following F1 and IZOD INDYCAR RACING alot more .since the SPRINT CUP SERIEs is becoming way to” script following like ” and sooooooooooooo predictable anymore.Yeah Nascar needs to do something and I talk to a lot of fans who are starting to feel the same about the sport we love and want to see grow.BUT NASCAR IS BECOMING TO CONSERVATIVE and this is why i am going to hopefully start some sort of push and try to bring INDYCAR back to POCONO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRING INDYCAR BACK TO POCONO.BRING INDYCAR BACK TO POCONO!!!!!!!!!! ITS TIME !!!1!!!