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Pocono UCAP - The Longest Day!
Pocono 500, June 21 1998 Pocono Raceway
I started going to Pocono in 1974. I went every year (twice when they got a second date) up until 1989 when my daugher was born. By then I had 4 tickets in row HHH (top row before the roofed over section) in the corner. We could stand and stretch without blocking anyones view. By then the prices were $65.00 each and I could no longer put aside the money for 8 tickets each spring, plus the race was now televised. Went back to one race in 1992 but we were much lower down and the field of view at Pocono is awful, second only to Indianapolis. On top of that, traffic was horrendous, 4 hours to get out after the race.
This year with the availability of busing I was convinced by a friend to give it another try. I left my house at 4:15 am, met my friend and my brother-in-law and left their house at 5:00 am. We made it to the bus pick-up point by 6:30 am and were on our way to the track by 7:00. A one hour ride to the track took 4.5 hours because a serious accident closed one of the two roads into Pocono until 12:30 pm. Never-the-less I was in my seat by 11:45. At 1 pm the announcement was made that they were waiting TNN's approval(?) to give the command to start engines. Most of you know the race details, jumped starts, accidents, rain on two occasions, etc. In the end the race was great, especially the fans reaction for Darrill Waltrip when he took, and held the lead on several occasions.
We were back on the bus less than 15 minutes after the race ended where we sat because they wouldn't let the busses out until all the Team Transporters were loaded, and the crews, drivers, haulers and their families had left. We sat there for over two hours and were finally released about 8:30. I got home at 11:30, 19 hours and 30 minutes after I left home. I live 145 miles from the track!
I have two tickets for sale to the July race. They are in section ST, row NN, seats 15, 16. I will mail them to whomever for face value of $65.00 each. I will never go to Pocono Speedway again! The field of view is okay, you can't see most of the short chute but everything else is visible as long as the fans sit down. In the future, I will tape Pocono while I'm out fishing and watch it later that night.
Things I noticed! A Fans Against Gordon sign hanging in the area where the $100,000.00 RV's are Parked. Lost of cheers for RW as his car was pushed next to JG's on the grid. Standing ovations several times for DW as he took the lead and held off Nascars best for many laps (used to hate him, oh well I don't anymore). Cheers for RW when his engine blew up, many of the same who cheered when he first came out (strange!). Cars are a lot quieter than they used to be. DW sitting on the wall in the rain talking to his crew, while JG was standing with his crew. One of JG's crew was holding an umbrella over JG's head. Eventually one of DW's crew noticed and went for an umbrella but DW shrugged himoff after 2 minutes or so. TV does not begin to do the paint schemes justice, in fact many of the cars looked like they had new colors, so vast was the difference. WC stock cars are very bright, with vivid colors that really catch your eye, and the TV camera cannot replicate their vibrance. I hate sitting in traffic. Race promoters don't give a damn about the fans, only their money!
-- Rich Koehler
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