Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway opened in 1971 and hosted its first Cup Series race in 1974. The 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, is unlike any other oval in Cup racing, with three distinct turns built around the geometry of an actual triangle rather than a traditional oval. Turn 1 is banked 14 degrees and modeled after Trenton Speedway, Turn 2 has 8 degrees of banking and was modeled after Indianapolis, and Turn 3 has just 6 degrees of banking and was modeled after the Milwaukee Mile. Drivers have to manage what amounts to three different corners on a single lap, and crew chiefs must build a setup that compromises across three different geometries. Pocono hosts one Cup race per year and historically hosted two until 2022, when the schedule consolidated to a single mid-summer event.