We draw fans from all over the world at Pocono Raceway because of our geographic location and proximity to New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. International racing fans tend to call Pocono Raceway their ‘home’ NASCAR track. We have been fortunate enough to hosts guests from at least 30 different counties. In 2018 Trent and his family from Australia joined us for the Gander Outdoors 400 weekend. Trent had been featured previously on our International Fan Blog prior to his trip and was gracious enough to share his experiences after his trip with us as well.
International Blog Featuring Trent Part 1 (Pre-Event): Read Here
Part 2: (Post-Event)
Name: Trent Boyd
Country: Australia
Who traveled with you?
My wife Amanda & two daughters Madison & Katelyn
How long did you plan your trip to Pocono Raceway?
Our entire 6-week holiday to North America. We had been planning for 18 months.
Where did you stay when you got to town?
We hired an RV out of Roxbury, NJ and drove up from there. Despite some poor directions from Siri avoiding toll roads, we took the scenic route. It was beautiful crossing the Delaware at Belvidere.
What was your first impression of Pocono Raceway?
Our first impression was everyone was super helpful. It was easy to get there with all the signs that posted directions along the way and helpful staff at RV check-in. Everyone gave us great details and helpful tips for the weekend.
What were you most excited for prior to the event?
We couldn’t wait to mix with the locals and NASCAR fans at the track. I just knew that our RV neighbours would be sure to hang out for a beer, but the welcome we got was so much more than that, and we’ve come away as great mates who keep in touch now.
What is one thing you saw or experienced that you did not expect?
Once we were in, almost everything is FREE!! The fan fair is actually all about the fans, our girls had so much at the playing games and activities and walked away with bags of goodies and treats. We were lucky enough to get Pre-Race Track Access for the driver introductions and concert thanks to the Pocono staff, and again, it was free. The Fanfest was amazing too! Great music, entertainment and awesome fireworks – All Free!!
What was the most memorable part of your experience at Pocono Raceway?
My most memorable moment was meeting Kevin T, JJ and Kevin from the Pocono Raceway podcast, I listened and interacted to them a lot so it was cool to meet them. Oh, and we met Kyle Busch after his win, and Joe Gibbs. The support we got from fellow spectators whilst waiting was phenomenal, people heard our “Aussie” accents and assisted us to get to the front row for a photo and autograph. The Pocono fans are so knowledgeable of NASCAR and we appreciated their awareness that we wouldn’t be attending another NASCAR event soon, so everyone ensured we got to see everything we could by giving us advice.
Do you have any advice for other international fans traveling to Pocono Raceway?
Our advice, HIRE an RV and CAMP INFIELD AT POCONO!! Meet your RV neighbours as soon as you get there and take plenty of food and beverages!! Everyone we met around our campsite couldn’t do more to help us, we are so grateful for the warm welcome and I’m sure it’s the American way, but y’all made us feel so comfortable. We are now friends with folks from all over PA and Long Island, NY. (Make sure you become FB friends with them before you leave). Be sure to also visit the information desk at Fan Fair for any tips or suggestions on where to be and when. The staff is really helpful and certainly gave us some good pointers.
Did you do any other trips while visiting the USA?
We’d already visited LA, San Diego, Vegas, Winnipeg (Canada), Minneapolis, DC and New York before Pocono. Being at the end of our trip we flew back to LA and spent the week at Disneyland. This was a trip of a lifetime and we’re still pinching ourselves for the hospitality we received from all over the US, and we are already planning our next trip back!
Please share anything else about your trip that stood out to you?
Pocono was by far my best part of the trip. I can’t wait to come back!!
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