Pocono Speedway

[macmotor]

I am heading to Pocono this June and was planning on purchasing seats in the Grandstands. From what I hear the seats are not that great. Would I be better off camping in the infield and watching the race from there or camp somewhere else and sit in the grandstands on Sunday? I dont have an RV to stand on and will be sleeping in a tent if I camp. Thx

[Nascarcamping]

Macmotor, cant help you, but hopefully someone else can, I got 9 spots but you need a rig to get in.

Heck, maybe rent a class c from cruise america!

[nispipe]

Hi,

I just bought a new travel trailer. I have sat in seats at Pocono with my kids and got tired of that after a few years. What is the best way to get a good spot :?:

nispipe

[hipower]

We haven't been to Pocono for several years for various reasons. First I'll give you the info you need to know since you're going and then I'll tell you why we stopped going.

Without a reserved infield spot:
If you go in on Friday before 9:00 PM you will pay for all day Friday which would include the ARCA race and Cup qualifying. After 9:00 PM the rate is 1/2 as much (was $50.00 per person and $50.00 for the motorhome last time we were there).

Problem we encountered the last two times we went going in after 9:00 PM on Friday, there were few spots left and there were no spots where we could park two or three units together. There were many tents pitched where they are not supposed to be permitted since they aren't self contained. Found out that mostly they were track volunteer workers and they were there free anyway.

A significant number of the units parked in the general admission infield when we arrive on Friday pack up late Saturday and move to the turn one end of the infield when they open it up at two or three on Sunday morning. That is where the serious partiers seem to end up. We have seen cars burned and campers explode over in that section. Fun for some, but we are getting a little old for that serious partying, it's too hard to watch the racing when you're real hungover or still drunk. Your results may vary.

Pocono has an area they used to call autograph alley, I think it is called something else now, doesn't make any difference, but if you want to go in there it was an additional $30.00 per person. It gets you up close to the garage and gets you a chance to get some autographs if any of the drivers come over to the fence to sign, and some usually do. This also allows you to walk through the pedestrian tunnel under the front stretch and access the vendors behind the grandstand. Otherwise you can't get outside the infield to access these vendors. We have a difficult time justifying the $30.00 each to go outside the infield to spend our money with these merchants. There have been some vendors set up in the infield but generally they are the supermarket types rather than the driver team types.

Overall we have found watching the races at Pocono to be as good from the roof of the motorhome as from the grandstands. We liked being in the tunnel turn area which allows a view from turn one to turn three. Probably as much as you could see from most grandstand seats. The sight lines from the grandstands are poor due to infield buildings and the slope of the grandstands isn't really good enough to see over the people in front of you when they are standing. Which seem like most of the race. The cars are difficult to see on the frontstretch due to the lack of slope to the stands also.

I guess this is a long ramble to get to this, we like the racing at Pocono, it is the closest track to our home, but we felt that we could spend our time and money going somewhere that the facility was better for the effort. Now we go to Daytona in Feb.(Lake Lloyd Premium for 10 days), Lowe's in May (Rock City Campground), Dover in June (Dover Mall lot) and Lowe's again in October. In between we take in a few USAR Hooters Cup events and any other NASCAR events that opportunity and inclination bring our way. Don't stay home based on our experience but go expecting a lot of good with a little not so good.

[Nascarcamping]

Hi Power, thanks for this, I picked up 9 spots on the tunnel turn brand new spots, so if anyone wants any we got them!

I agree with a lot you said, This is not a " Chamber of Commerce" track, to me it makes no sense in some of the stuff that they do.

Why would they not allow you out to go spend your money with the local community is beyond me.

[hipower]

I've never understood their logic either and didn't have any luck dealing with their track person. I think at the time his name was Daugherty??.

There were times we would have liked to go out somewhere for dinner or entertainment but they wouldn't allow it. Who knows what there thinking was.

I often thought that I would take the time to try to directly contact Doc Mattolli, but never did. Just one of the consumers who chose quietly to take my money elsewhere.

With the new spots that you got it sounds as if there may be some improvements being done.