NASCAR: Two race distances increasing at Pocono

For the second consecutive year, the distance of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway is being increased.

On Friday, June 20, the truck race will be 200 miles — 80 laps around the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond. Last year, the race was 70 laps and 175 miles and won by Corey Heim.

“NASCAR knows we love more laps. Anything we can do to add more laps, more action, more track activity for the fans, our partners, the sponsors, we’re all about it,” Pocono Raceway president Ben May said. “NASCAR came to us and said, ‘What do you think about going to 200 (miles for Trucks)?’ and we said, ‘Great, count us in.’ Especially on Friday, with just truck practice, qualifying and the race, you’re not getting the Cup guys out there. So anything we can do on Friday to give the fans more and more for their money, then we absolutely will.

“Give us more, we’ll take it. Give us less, then we’ll have a conversation.”

Besides the truck race, the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Pocono on Saturday, June 21, also is being increased from 90 laps and 225 miles to 100 laps and 250 miles.

There is no change to the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday, June 22. It remains 160 laps and 400 miles.

“That Xfinity race has been unbelievable for the past couple of years,” May said. “That Xfinity car races well at just about every track they go to. So if you’re telling us we can do more for our fans and we don’t change ticket prices in an instance like this, it’s a win-win.”

For the first four years of the Truck Series at Pocono (2010-13), the races were 125 miles. They were 150 miles from 2014 to 2023 before increasing to 175 miles last year.

One possible concern to adding distance to the truck race is the start time. It is scheduled for 5 p.m. and Pocono does not have lights. Sundown is set for 8:38 p.m.

However, May doesn’t think it will be an issue.

“If we can’t get this thing done in three hours, we’ve got bigger problems,” May said. “That should be plenty of time.”

The Xfinity Series has been competing annually at Pocono since 2016. It started out as 250 miles for the first four years, but has been 225 miles since 2020.

This year’s NASCAR weekend at Pocono is three weeks earlier than last year. Despite the June date, May said things are trending again in a positive direction. Infield campground sales are up 19 percent, grandstand campgrounds are up 5 percent and Sunday grandstand tickets are up 5 percent. For the first time, corporate suites have been sold out before the Daytona 500.

Each of the past two years, Sunday featured a sellout crowd.

“The response we’ve gotten has been unbelievable,” May said. “I continue to be humbled, proud, the whole shooting match when it comes to the response we’ve gotten. We think we’re putting on a great show here fan experience-wise — upgrades to Victory Lane, the paddock, the viewing platform, our fan zone, driver appearances. We think we’ve got a really neat mix and it’s resonating with our customers, guests and partners. It’s good news.”

Pocono’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend features Truck Series practice, qualifying and the race Friday, June 20. On Saturday, June 21, there will be Xfinity and Cup Series practice and qualifying and the Xfinity race at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, June 22, the Cup Series race is scheduled to get the green flag at 3:30 p.m.

NASCAR’s 2025 campaign begins this weekend with the exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sunday night at 8. The regular season opens Feb. 16 with the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m.