Pennsylvania 500 Background

The Pennsylvania 500 is a stock car race. It is the second one (the other race is called the Pocono 500), held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is included in the NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Nextel Cup schedule. These two races are somewhat unique, as they dont have any sponsors.

The first Pennsylvania 500 race was held in 1974. The overall distance equals 500 miles (or 805 km). The racers have to go 200 laps.

The Pennsylvania 500, like probably all other races, not once changed its name. The first years of its existence it was known as the Purolator 500. In 1977 the Coca-Cola Company became the races sponsor, and thus its name was the Coca-Cola 500. From 1981 till 1982 it was called the Mountain Dew 500. The following year it was renamed into the Like Cola 500, then in 1985 – the Summer 500, and in 1988 – the AC Spark Plug 500. The last two names were the Miller Genuine Draft 500 (from 1991 to 1995), and the Miller 500 (in 1996).

The Pocono Raceway (originally called the Pocono International Raceway) is a speedway, which is situated in the Pocono Mountains. The speedway seats more that seventy-six thousand spectators. The track length is 2 and a half miles (or 4 km). The racers sometimes confess that 500 miles is a very long distance, and that it should be reduced to 400 miles. The Pocono Raceway is an excellent speedway, thus a lot of people support the idea to hold other races here (like, the Bush Series or the Craftsman Truck Series). This is due to the fact that this is one of a few superspeedways having oval tracks of a unique design. The owner of the Pocono Raceway is the Mattoli family.

The first winner of the Pennsylvania 500 was David Pearson (in 1974). He was known as the Silver Fox. He won 3 Grand National Championships (in 1966, 1969, and 1968). In 1960 he was called the Rookie of the Year, and in 1998 he was named one of the NASCARs Fifty Greatest Drivers. In 1990 he was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and in 1993 – in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

The 2006 winner was Denny Hamlin (Dennis Denny Hamlin, Jr. The same year he was named the Raybestos Rookie of the Year, because he also won the Pocono 500 race. Currently, he is a number three in the Nextel Cup. Denny Hamlin is a young racer, as his professional career started only in 2005.

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