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It’s time for the last Superspeedway race of the year, as the IndyCars return to one of the most difficult tracks of their season to do the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
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It’s called “the Tricky Triangle” because the 2.5-mile track is a triangle in configuration but none of the corners is like any other, making it VERY difficult to set up for. Turn 1 is 14 degrees in banking modeled after the old Trenton Speedway in New Jersey. Turn 2 is 9 degrees in banking and is much like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Turn 3 is only 6 degrees in banking and is similar to the Milwaukee Mile. You can set a car up for maximum speed for one turn but be hopeless in the other two. Engineers lose sleep, hair and sanity trying to get Pocono right. Drivers just go as fast as their courage will take them.
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Race fans who attend will see exhibitions of classic cars and a quarter-midget event but for IndyCar fans there is only one event, and it is THE EVENT - the 500-miler IndyCar race on Sunday. The fly in the ointment is RAIN, and it looks like rain will be there on Saturday, for most of the day, with the worst of it when the IndyCars were supposed to be qualifying and practicing. Qualifying may be put off and the field gridded by points, instead. We will see. Sunday doesn’t look much better, but the rain may abate by race time. Again, we will see.
If the race comes off on schedule it is going to be something to see. Pocono has produced GREAT racing in the past few years, with starts and restarts that are often 7, 8, or even 10 cars wide at times. Remarkable!
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Saturday is supposed to have 1 practice in the morning, qualifying in the early afternoon and a final practice following qualifying. Qualifying is supposed to be broadcast on NBC-SN at 1:30pm EASTERN time. Tune in and see what did and did NOT happen, due to weather, and what will happen, going forward.
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Let’s GO!
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