Pocono IndyCar 400
 |
|
| Venue | Pocono Raceway |
|---|---|
| First race | 1971 |
| First ICS race | 2013 |
| Distance | 500 mi (800 km) |
| Laps | 200 |
| Previous names |
Schaefer 500 (1971–1978) Music 500 at Pocono presented by Musicland/Sam Goody (1979) True Value 500 (1980) Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 (1981) Domino's Pizza Pocono 500 (1982) Domino's Pizza 500 (1983–1986) Quaker State 500 (1987–1988) Pocono 500 (1989) Pocono IndyCar 400 Fueled by Sunoco (2013) Pocono IndyCar 500 Fueled by Sunoco (2014) |
| Most wins (driver) | A. J. Foyt (4) |
| Most wins (team) | Team Penske (9) |
The ABC Supply 500 is an Indy car race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was sanctioned by USAC from 1971–1981, and then by CART from 1982–1989, 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.
After a 23-year hiatus, the event was successfully revived by the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2013. Following management changes at the facility, and after comprehensive safety improvements were completed at the track, the race was scheduled for Independence Day weekend. For 2013, the race was scheduled for 400 miles, and was part of the "Triple Crown". For 2014, the race returned to its traditional 500-mile distance.
The 2014 race, won by Juan Pablo Montoya, stands as the fastest 500-mile race in Indy car history. At an average speed of 202.402 mph (325.734 km/h), it was the first 500-mile race to be completed in under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The Pocono 500 began in 1971, as part of the USAC National Championship Trail. It was part of USAC's "triple crown", consisting of the Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500. The race was popular, and the unique track layout was said to have been designed specifically with Champ/Indy cars in mind.
USAC sanctioned the event through 1981.
After organizational changes following the first USAC/CART "split," the Pocono 500 switched to the CART series beginning in 1982. The race moved from June to August after the track added a second NASCAR Winston Cup Series race to their schedule. Moving to August allowed the race to be distanced from Indy, and was set two to three weeks after the Michigan 500, giving teams more preparation time between 500-mile races.
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