Thirty six NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers got their first chance to turn laps on the newly resurfaced 2.5 mile Pocono Raceway Wednesday and all gave the new surface a passing grade. The challenging track featuring three different turns and three straightaways at varying distances around its 2.5 miles – received a new coat of asphalt for the first time since 1995 during a paving project that began last September and ended this spring.
“They did a great job; (the) track was really nice and smooth (with) good grip,” said four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner at Pocono. “We have had some repaves where it is a handful and pretty slick. That was not the case at all today.”
DAY ONE TEST SPEEDS>>>
Michael Waltrip Racing driver Mark Martin put down the fastest lap of the session, which started in the afternoon. Martin’s speed of 175.380 mph bettered the top practice speed from last August’s race at Pocono – 170.026 mph by Ryan Newman. In all, 33 drivers eclipsed Newman’s 2011 number. Paul Menard put down 61 laps, most among all drivers. MORE>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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