The Pocono 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, located in the Pocono Mountains. The first Indy car race at Pocono was held in 1971. It was the first major event held at the track, shortly after its completion. The race was sanctioned by USAC from 1971 to 1981, and then by CART from 1982 to 1989, and was known as the Pocono 500. The race was removed from the CART calendar following the 1989 running, due to poor track conditions, as well as poor revenue for the promoter.
Foyt racing at Pocono in 1984
Mark Donohue won the inaugural Pocono 500 in 1971.
Johnny Rutherford won the Indy 500 and Pocono 500 in 1974 driving the McLaren M16C.
Al Unser won the Pocono 500 in 1976 and 1978.
Pocono Raceway, also known as The Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is the site of three NASCAR national series races and an ARCA Menards Series event in July: a NASCAR Cup Series race with support events by the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. From 1971 to 1989, and from 2013 to 2019, the track also hosted an Indy Car race, last sanctioned by the IndyCar Series. Additionally, from 1982 to 2021, it hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races, with the traditional first date being removed in 2022.
An aerial view of Pocono Raceway taken from a passing jetliner in late March 2014
Al Unser Jr. (No. 7) and Chet Fillip (No. 38) racing at Pocono in 1984
An SCCA T-2 Camaro goes clockwise on the Pocono Raceway's front stretch, 1999
John Andretti at Pocono Raceway, 1998