Pocono Notes & Facts - Thursday - track history: · There have been 73 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway, one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.
· Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.
· The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974 - won by Richard Petty, Dodge, 115.593 mph, 08/04/1974.
· 2012 marked the first season the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.
Mark Martin returns to Roush...as a coach: Roush Fenway Racing announces that legendary NASCAR driver Mark Martin is returning to the race team where he excelled behind the wheel for almost 20 years - this time as the team's driver development coach. Martin was the first driver hired by team owner Jack Roush when he founded his NASCAR operation in 1988. The two went on to become one of the most successful duos in sports history, accumulating 83 NASCAR wins, four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship runner-up finishes, and building Roush Fenway into the winningest team in NASCAR history.
"I'm excited to return to Roush Fenway Racing, as it feels like I'm going home to where I belong," said Martin. "I was fortunate to help build this team from the beginning and it's very humbling to be a part of Jack's team again. When Jack first hired me in 1988 we didn't talk about salary or benefits or perks, we talked about testing, tires and putting the right personnel into place to win on the track. That commitment is what stood out to me then and it's still what stands out to me today."
Martin piloted Roush Fenway's flagship #6 Ford from 1988 until 2006. During that time he accumulated 35 NSCS victories. At the end of his tenure at Roush Fenway he held a record five prestigious IROC (International Race of Champions) Championships and a then record 47 NASCAR Nationwide Series wins. For his career Martin posted 96 career NASCAR victories
Toyota working on new Camry for 2015: Toyota will have a new face for 2015 - and we're not just talking about Carl Edwards. Long before the 2015 production Camry's coming out party at the New York Auto Show in April, Toyota Racing Development was hard at work to development a vehicle for competition in NASCAR's Sprint Cup division. In concert with Calty, Toyota's car design studio, the project has been in progress since fall of 2013. Toyota presented its' "first look" to NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. earlier this month - which was returned for further development.
"We had a preliminary submission, but we have more work to do," [David Wilson, president and GM of Toyota Racing Development] said. "We've been working with NASCAR on the car. They give you the opportunity to see where you are and of course our objective is to get the most performance out of it as possible. We have to pass their submission criteria, so we're going to have another go at it and hope to have that put to bed in the middle August. Then we'll unveil it to the public and get ready for 2015."
Changes to the 2015 include a new front fascia, tail and character lines
Four drivers can clinch chase spot at Pocono: Four more drivers cleared the two toughest hurdles for entry into the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, joining #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #2-Brad Keselowski, both of whom locked up a spot on the Chase Grid at New Hampshire. At Indianapolis, #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #99-Carl Edwards and #22-Joey Logano all either scored a second win (Gordon) or clinched a top 30 points spot (Johnson, Edwards and Logano). Now, those six drivers need only to attempt to qualify for the remaining six races to "officially" earn a spot in the Chase. As a reminder, any driver with multiple wins guarantees himself a spot in the top 15 winners (or top 16, if the points leader after race No. 26 has a win). Any driver who left Indy with a 289 point lead on 31st place clinched a top 30 points spot. Now, the series heads to Pocono Raceway, where four more drivers have a chance to clinch a spot in the Chase. This weekend, the magic number is 241 - any driver 241 points ahead of 31st place clinches a top 30 spot. If a driver does that, and has multiple wins, he clinches a spot. Those who can do it this weekend: #4-Kevin Harvick, #11-Denny Hamlin, #18-Kyle Busch and #43-Aric Almirola. Harvick's two wins mean he needs only to clinch a top 30 spot - a near certainty, as he needs to score only eight points at Pocono to do so (and that's if 31st place David Gilliland wins and leads the most laps). Busch has clinched a top 30 spot, but needs another win to clinch. Hamlin has yet to clinch a top 30 spot. He would clinch with a win and some help. Almirola would need to win this weekend to clinch, and get a good bit of help to also lock up a top 30 spot
Farm Rich to sponsor Ragan at Atlanta: Farm Rich will go NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing once again, returning to David Ragan's No. 34 Ford in the company's and the driver's home state. The frozen snacks and appetizers brand will be the primary sponsor of David Ragan's Ford Fusion at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug. 31 for the Atlanta 500. Kroger is teaming up with Farm Rich for the Atlanta race week, hosting Ragan for autograph appearances and other in-store promotions in the Atlanta area in the weeks leading up to the race. The Kroger logo will appear on the #34's rear quarter panel. Farm Rich is also partnering with Atlanta Motor Speedway for the "Ultimate Fan Giveaway," which will give one lucky fan a four-pack set of VIP tickets to "Club One" at the speedway for the Sunday night race on Labor Day weekend
Pocono Goodyear Tire Notes: This is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series teams have run at Pocono since 2012 . . . the only change is that the recommended air pressure for the left-side tires has been raised by a pound for each series since their last races at the track . . . for 2014, Pocono is the only track on which either of these tire codes are scheduled to be run . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners on all four tire positions at Pocono. . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire
Pocono race officials announced: Country recording artists Eric Lee Beddingfield and Lucy Angel will perform during the GoBowling.com 400 race weekend at Pocono Raceway. NASCAR legend Richard Petty, on behalf of GoBowling.com, will serve as Grand Marshal for the GoBowling.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on August 3, members of Pocono Raceway's Kids Club will give the honorary command for the Pocono Mountains 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on August 2 and a ModSpace representative will serve as the Grand Marshal for the ModSpace 125 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards race on August 1. Eric Lee Beddingfield will perform the National Anthem at Sunday's 400-mile NASCAR race. Beddingfield was named "Artist to Watch" by Billboard Magazine and "Independent Artist of the Year" in 2012 by Music Row Magazine. His current single "I Just Wanna Play" is available for download on iTunes. Petty will give the command to fire engines prior to the GoBowling.com 400, exactly one day before the 40th anniversary of the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Pocono Raceway, a race won by "The King" on August 4, 1974
