Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (AP photo)
LONG POND, Pa. — Denny Hamlin slid out of his winning Toyota and was instantly booed by a packed Pocono crowd unhappy with how the driver shoved Kyle Larson’s car into the wall over the final laps.
The boos were so loud because the crowd was so large — Pocono sold out the NASCAR race and boasted its largest crowd since 2010.
The increase was attributed in large part to the track losing one race weekend and a series of fan-friendly upgrades to a track that hosted its first NASCAR race in 1974.
NASCAR tracks do not usually release attendance numbers.
Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets and 3,300 camping spots.
“We can’t fit another car, another RV, another person in here today,” May said.
Pocono tore down the old victory tower — made out of a parking garage — and added new viewing decks, food trucks, increased fan access for driver introductions and a new victory lane. The decks were packed with fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a tremendous view of the start/finish line. The lines for driver autograph signings and Q&A sessions with drivers snaked through the garage hours before the green flag.
Pocono is one of just a few tracks not owned by NASCAR or Speedway Motorsports. May said part of the motivation for the makeover — he declined to reveal the cost — was to make sure Pocono was attractive enough to remain on the NASCAR schedule.
Pocono held two 500-mile races roughly six summer weeks apart for decades before losing a weekend in 2022.
“We think we deserve to be on the circuit, we’ve been on it for 50 years, so we’re going to continue to do more and more and better and better,” May said.
May, who has been president since 2017, said he wasn’t sure how the next phase of improvements for the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track nestled in the mountains would shake out. He said plans would likely come to light once the new TV deal is signed.
“We’re a small fish in this big pond of NASCAR and we just take a ton of pride in delivering,” May said.
The track is still owned and run by the family of founder Joseph Mattioli. His grandson, Nick Igdalsky, is the Pocono CEO.
“I’m just happy that we came out of here with a stands packed, infield packed, campground absolutely full,” Hamlin said. “This has just been a fabulous weekend at Pocono. I think Nick and his team have done a phenomenal job continuing to invest in this facility. Hopefully, we continue to come back here every single year.”
