Long Pond, Monroe County, PA -
The NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway - which was celebrating its 50th year hosting NASCAR - was a sellout!
It was the largest attendance for the track since 2010. The crowd's presence was evident all weekend and not lost on drivers.
"The fans were the real winners today because the atmosphere @PoconoRaceway was electric," tweeted Austin Dillon afterward.
The increase was attributed in large part to the track losing one race weekend and a series of fan-friendly upgrades to a track that hosted its first NASCAR race in 1974.
NASCAR tracks do not usually release attendance numbers.
Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets and 3,300 camping spots.
“We can’t fit another car, another RV, another person in here today,” May said.
Pocono tore down the old victory tower — made out of a parking garage — and added new viewing decks, food trucks, increased fan access for driver introductions, and a new victory lane. The decks were packed with fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a tremendous view of the start/finish line. The lines for driver autograph signings and Q&A sessions with drivers snaked through the garage hours before the green flag.
Pocono is one of just a few tracks not owned by NASCAR or Speedway Motorsports. May said part of the motivation for the makeover — he declined to reveal the cost — was to make sure Pocono was attractive enough to remain on the NASCAR schedule.
Pocono held two 500-mile races roughly six summer weeks apart for decades before losing a weekend in 2022.
“We think we deserve to be on the circuit, we’ve been on it for 50 years, so we’re going to continue to do more and more and better and better,” May said.
May, who has been president since 2017, said he wasn’t sure how the next phase of improvements for the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track nestled in the mountains would shake out. He said plans would likely come to light once the new TV deal is signed.
“We’re a small fish in this big pond of NASCAR and we just take a ton of pride in delivering,” May said.
The track is still owned and run by the family of founder Joseph Mattioli. His grandson, Nick Igdalsky, is the Pocono CEO.
“I’m just happy that we came out of here with a stands packed, infield packed, campground absolutely full,” Hamlin said. “This has just been a fabulous weekend at Pocono. I think Nick and his team have done a phenomenal job continuing to invest in this facility. Hopefully, we continue to come back here every single year.”
