Rate the Pocono Race

[muggle not]

Rate the Pocono race on a scale of 1 to 10....10 being high.

I will give it an 8. Would have been a 9 if Nascar had not run excessive caution laps during the last two yellows. It took some of the excitement out of the race.

I like the 400 miler better than the 500 and the new pavement made it much better racing. It now has potential to being one of the better tracks, IMHO.

[00steven]

8

I thought it was one of the best races this year.

[call_me_andrew]

6-7 I'm sure the surface will get better with age.

[Alexamateo]

I agree with your assessment muggle, especially when Jr. pitted. He neede those other guys to run out of gas. Overall I enjoyed the race and congratulations to Joey Logano.

[Lee Roy]

I'd give it a 7. I was going to go to the race, but my wife's surprise surgery altered my plans. Maybe I can go to the next Pocono race on August the 5th but I wouldn't bet on that, August the 6th is our 29th wedding anniversary.

Have yet to go to Pocono. It looks like a great track. I really like the re-pave. Would love to sit near the 1st corner and see the cars at over 200 mph.

Still would like for the race to be 500 miles.

[Jonesi]

8.

[Mark in Oshawa]

A 7 just based on the race, and a bonus point to the Mattiolis and NASCAR for finally bowing to pressure to drop 100 miles. This was the right length, and it had its share of drama.....and while poor ole Jr.'s fuel strategy wasn't allowed to play out (drive like a demon while Martin and Logano et al conserved) due to the debris caution; it is what it is. Good race...and I have always enjoyed the strategy of Pocono. Seeing all that smooth asphalt and the new walls makes the place look like a million dollars....or is that a billion?? lol

[edv]

8.

Although I was not impressed with the length of the yellow flag caution periods...especially on such a long track.

Perhaps NASCAR should make a distinction between 'debris' cautions and other types of cautions...say keeping the pits closed during debris cautions and going racing immediately after a single caution lap (usually the debris is cleared within seconds while the caution lasts 5 minutes).

I, for one, do not enjoy watching as Tony Stewart flicks his ignition off and on for five minutes.

This is an area which I think has potential for rules modifications.

[muggle not]

I'd give it a 7. I was going to go to the race, but my wife's surprise surgery altered my plans. Maybe I can go to the next Pocono race on August the 5th but I wouldn't bet on that, August the 6th is our 29th wedding anniversary.

Have yet to go to Pocono. It looks like a great track. I really like the re-pave. Would love to sit near the 1st corner and see the cars at over 200 mph.

Still would like for the race to be 500 miles.

Sorry to hear about the surgery. Hope it wasn't anything "real" serious.

I really believe the racing is going to be very good on the new surface.

[slorydn1]

ALthough I'm glad the race was shortened to 400 miles instead of 500 (something I was against originally against from a tradition standpoint but it did make for a shorter race), I found it to be quite boring.

I was really expecting more action on the new surface. instead the race just did its usual deal where it gets all strung out, then the flurry of speeding penalties (including back to backs by the 48,which should have been an INSTANT clue that something was wrong). I almost turned it off when the almost seemingly pre-planned debris caution came out right on the edge of being able to make it (or not) on fuel.

At least they are all now pretty much back to shifting again, which was one of the things that made Pocono unique.

I guess even with all that, I would have found the race more interesting if TNT got a real announcer in the booth and sent Adam Alexander back down to pit road where he belongs. He tries real hard, but I just find his voice grating for some reason.

Taking the TV crew out of the mix I guess I could give the race itself a 5. Not the worst race ever by any means, but nothing to jump and down about.