Could fans see a car come off the ground Sunday? That was the question Friday as teams took to the 2.5 mile Pocono Raceway in preparation for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series Axalta We Paint Winners 400 (1:00 p.m. ET Fox Sports 1). Since the previous race last August, the track has made improvements to the tunnel entering the infield at turn 2. That, in combination with the aging surface of the track, may have resulted in several bumps in corner known as the “Tunnel Turn”. Those irregularities in the surface showed up during Friday’s single practice session.
Several drivers complained about the surface after the 85-minute session. There was even one report of a car going airborne at the high-speed turn, one of three at the Pennsylvania track. One driver, Brad Keselowski, said that part of the track is “un-drivable.” NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon who is making his final appearance here as a full time competitor the area isn’t slicker, it’s just rough.
“Last week at Dover I thought the bump going into Turn 3 was rougher there too,” Gordon said. 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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