Pocono Raceway - Track Configuration

Track Configuration

Pocono Raceway has a unique design. Each turn is modeled after turns at 3 different tracks. Turn One (14 degree banking) was modeled after the now defunct Trenton Speedway, Turn Two (also known as "The Tunnel Turn") is like Indianapolis Motor Speedway (9 degree banking), and Turn 3 (6 degree banking) is similar to The Milwaukee Mile. It could be said to be a tri-oval, but the turns are much more severe than those of a more typical tri-oval such as Daytona and the track is really nearly a triangle. They have been likened somewhat to the hairpin-style turns of road courses. An additional complication is that the three turns are not identical, nor are any of the three straights identical in length. The banking of each turn is considerably less than on many other long ovals. Although the track is long (2.5 miles), the sharp nature of the turns and low banking tends to make the overall speeds much lower than at other tracks of similar lengths, thus restrictor plates are not needed here. For its unique characteristics, Pocono is sometimes referred to as a roval. Others refer to Pocono as a modified road course due to the use of shifting gears to handle the range between the slowest curve and the fastest straightaway.

The odd design makes the setup of the car and the crew's ability to make chassis adjustments even more crucial here than at many other tracks. Often it is the difference between a winning performance and a poor performance. Drivers tend to either love the track or hate it, largely depending on how well it suits their driving style and their crew's abilities.

In 1991 some drivers (notably Mark Martin) began shifting gears down the mammoth frontstretch to try and better navigate the corners. By 1993 the entire field was using a special transmission (known as a Jerico) to shift gears without using the clutch. Though shifting was criticized by some drivers (Rusty Wallace stated it took away from ability to pass cars while Terry Labonte pointedly called it "a pain in the butt") and some called for the Jerico to be banned on ovals, the practice continued until 2005 when a new gear rule eliminated the effectiveness of shifting. In 2011 the gear rule was changed again, allowing shifting to return to the track.