No “Normal” at Pocono

By Jason Jarrett

Pocono has been one of my favorite tracks since I went there for the first time back in 2001. The place is just different! The surface is different, the racing is different, the fans are different, and the weather is different. A lot of times I feel like I beat to the tune of a different drummer and I guess liking Pocono proves that I do. One of the main reasons that I enjoy Pocono has nothing to do with racing there. I think that the Mattioli’s treat the racers and the fans with respect. The garage has a viewing area for the fans to look on at the action going on with their favorite driver and the racers have a nice garage area to work in. In my experience racing there I love the layout of the track and the fact that you really have to pay attention to small details to be able to run well at Pocono Raceway. I like the tracks with different characteristics: rough surfaces, different shaped corners, and different banking in each corner. The track just gives a nice break from "typical" but that is what I like.

I know I have been guilty of saying that experience wins the race at Pocono but I guess in the last couple of trips there I have been proven wrong. Denny Hamlin is the latest rookie to win there in the Nextel Cup Series and Chase Miller, a rookie in the ARCA/ReMax Series won the Saturday event at the Pocono Raceway. Carl Edwards also won there in his first or second trip there. I think a lot of this is the fact that everyone has really good equipment and people around them. Plus, these guys do not seem to be intimidated by any track anymore or they don’t listen to the guys that try to tell them the horror stories about certain tracks.

On Sunday, or maybe it was Monday, I heard Denny Hamlin refer to one of his online racing buddies. That might have been the first time that my eyes actually opened and made me think more about if the online racing really does help these guys prepare. We have all heard some reference made about video games and online racing now for a few years but I never put much stock into it until this past weekend. I heard some good explanations on XM Radio yesterday as to why this may help. Clare B. Lang interviewed the person that Denny mentioned in his post race interview and he said that the games probably help visually. Although you don’t get the "seat of your pants" feel you can gain a lot from this because the games are realistic enough to help with knowing lifting and breaking points, along with bumps and patches that are on the track. I am starting to believe more in this stuff.

It has been a little tougher to watch the actual race since going over and spotting for dad. I think pretty much everyone could see that Hamlin had a dominant car but it was impressive to see him come back after having a flat tire and spinning. That was cool no matter who you pull for. There did not seem to be any worrying by Hamlin as he marched back to the front. Another reason that I like seeing Hamlin win his first Nextel Cup points event is that he has a stock car back ground. He raced on local short tracks in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series in the Late Model Stock division. I don’t want to take anything away from the guys that come from other forms of racing but I just want to give that type of racing credit when I can.

Pocono will always be on the top of my list but as you can see maybe not for the same reasons as you might think. So, we will see what Pocono holds in store for us next month as we go back for the second race. I am sure the weather will be a little different. The place always seems to keep us all guessing.

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