The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to Pocono Raceway for its fourth straight year next weekend, Aug. 20-21.
And there now will be at least two more races to come as the sanctioning body and racetrack officials announced Wednesday morning a two-year contract extension to continue holding IndyCar races at the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle through 2018.
The exact race dates for both upcoming seasons are still to be determined.
“We are thrilled to share this great news that we will host the Verizon IndyCar Series through 2018,” Pocono Raceway president Brandon Igdalsky said in a statement. “Our track was originally designed for open-wheel cars and our fans really enjoy the action on the track.
“When you see these cars going six- and seven-wide it is incredible. We also received positive feedback from teams and drivers and worked together with IndyCar to make sure Pocono Raceway stays on the schedule.”
The IndyCar Series has raced at Pocono since 2013. Winners to date have been Scott Dixon (2013), Juan Pablo Montoya (2014) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (2015).
Pocono previously hosted the CART Series from 1980 through 1989, with the exception of 1981.
“We’re thrilled to announce today’s two-year extension with Pocono Raceway – an iconic oval track with a long history of hosting great open-wheel racing events,” said Jay Frye, Verizon IndyCar Series President of Competition and Operations. “It’s very clear that Pocono is one of the favorites amongst the drivers, teams and fans of the Verizon IndyCar Series and we look forward to competing there for the foreseeable future.”
Several other notables also chimed in on the contract extension:
Team owner Roger Penske: “Pocono has been a terrific track for IndyCar racing and I think the teams, the sponsors and the fans have really enjoyed an entertaining show there since the series returned a few years ago. Team Penske has certainly produced some special moments at Pocono and we are looking forward to creating some more memories at the track in the future.”
Graham Rahal: “This is great news. We all love coming here. This place is one of the most entertaining and interesting ovals we go to and one of the most interesting tracks we go to period. And one of the most demanding. It’s three corners that have nothing in common and it’s difficult to make it work. It’s a lot of fun.”
Charlie Kimball: “This is great news. The Verizon IndyCar Series prides itself on having the most versatile drivers because we race on so many different tracks. Pocono Raceway is unique in that it’s 2.5 miles and has three corners. It really is unique and unlike anywhere else we race. I think it’s great that we can keep Pocono Raceway on the schedule and fans can mark their calendars and book their vacations and come out to the raceway. It’s a great event and IndyCar racing here is always spectacular.”
Tony Kanaan: “I think this is great. I am a big fan of this racetrack and consistency on the schedule is extremely important so I am all for it.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay: “The on track show, the product we put on here last year was phenomenal. Lead changes throughout the race, six-wide throughout the straights, passing throughout the field, you couldn’t ask for a better product and hopefully we can do it again for the fans.”
Marco Andretti: “This is my home track so selfishly this is great news. There is a great long history of racing here at Pocono Raceway and I am excited we will continue to come back. I think our cars were made for this track. Trying to find the balance between turn one and turn three it will be a tremendous challenge.”
Scott Dixon: “That sounds fantastic. Pocono Raceway needs to be a place we visit each year and to build on the product we need to come here for a while. We need some longevity here.”
Another crash while leading at Seattle dropped Chase Sexton from the top of the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings while solid performances by Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac allow them to climb the chart and threaten to make this a two-rider battle with six rounds remaining in the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season.Cooper Webb wags his finger at Chase Sexton after winning his heat in Seattle. – Feld Motor Sports
During the race, Webb knew he had ground to make up. Riding behind both Tomac and Sexton early in the Main, he was as far back as fifth on Lap 7 at Seattle. That position would cost him the red plate and give away the advantage he began to build with his first win of the season in Tampa. Sexton is often at his best as he battles from the back and he methodically worked his way through the field. At the end of the feature, he was nearly five seconds off Tomac’s pace, but during the past 45 days, he holds the advantage. A resurgent Tomac that could erase that advantage quickly though.
Tomac struggled in Indianapolis with a neck strain. That contributed to his worst performance of 2023 and his second result outside the top five. He finished third in Detroit two weeks ago, but it was a distant third after finishing off the podium in his heat during that round. In Seattle, it appeared the same thing might happen when Tomac finished third in the prelim behind his two principal competitors Webb and Sexton. The Main was a different story.
Tomac dropped to fourth in the opening laps behind both of his rivals early in the race, but he got around Webb on Lap 2 and kept charging. When Sexton fell to the ground on Lap 11 and dropped to fourth, Tomac was in position to strike. He scored his sixth win of the season to tie James Stewart for second on the all-time wins list. He now shares the red plate with Webb as the rounds wind down.
Sexton has the speed, but he lacks the seasoning of Webb and Tomac. He’s pressing hard on every lap and that has bitten him several times this year. Sexton’s mistakes are costing him with a 10th-place finish at Indy, the loss of seven points at Detroit and a fifth in Seattle as the riders he’s battling stood on the podium. No one seriously questions Sexton’s talent or speed, but ultimately the results are what counts.
Justin Barcia is hitting his stride. He advances two positions this week after scoring his fourth consecutive top-five and second podium in that span of races. Barcia finished between sixth and eighth in five consecutive rounds from Anaheim 2 through Arlington, but he’s mostly avoided controversy and that puts him fourth in this week’s SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Seattle.
Jason Anderson had a solid performance in Seattle, but with a fifth-place finish in his heat and fourth in the Main he just keeps losing a little ground to the leaders. The biggest impact to his standing in the NBC Power Rankings is a 10th-place finish in Indianapolis that will take a while to age out of the 45-day formula. He’s tied for fourth in the championship points with Ken Roczen, who sits sixth in the rankings below. It’s important to be the rider “best in class” with Webb, Tomac and Sexton stealing the show.
The 250 West riders were back in action in Seattle and that gave Jett Lawrence the opportunity to break out of a tie with his brother Hunter Lawrence on the all-time wins list. It also provided Jett the opportunity to take back the top spot in the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Seattle.
Jett Lawrence regained the top spot overall in the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings with a near-perfect race in Seattle. – Feld Motor Sports
Jett has stood on the podium in every race this year with the exception of the second Triple Crown race at Anaheim 2 and that level of perfection gives him bragging rights. Rest assured that while the two brothers have a bond that is unapparelled in motorsports, there is no one they would rather beat. Neither has been particularly successful in Triple Crown rounds this year, however, and Jett could lose his advantage in two weeks in Glendale, Arizona under that format.
A rivalry is developing between Lawrence and Cameron McAdoo. Tired of losing to the affable Australian, McAdoo pushed the envelope last week in Seattle. He crowded Lawrence in the whoops during their heat race and sent both to the ground. That frustration could bubble over with four rounds remaining. One thing is certain, when these two riders are in proximity on the track, the cameras will be aimed in their direction.
A little means a lot this season. Finishing second to Lawrence in four of five rounds, RJ Hampshire would be losing ground to the leader no matter what, but an 11th-place finish in the overall at Anaheim 2 places him eighth on the chart below behind two of the 250 West riders and five 250 East competitors.
In the mains, Levi Kitchen has been all over the board with a win, one more top-five, two results on the high side of the single digits and a crash-induced 21st at San Diego. He’s really shown his speed in the heats, however, with a perfect record of top-fives and a win.
Mitchell Oldenburg makes the top five list among West riders with a perfect record of top-10 finishes. He’s heading in the wrong direction, however, falling from ninth overall to 11th after finishing outside the top five in both his heat and the Main last week.
250 Rankings
This
Week
Rider
Power
Avg.
Last
Week
Diff,
1.
Jett Lawrence – W
90.75
2
1
2.
Hunter Lawrence – E
90.43
1
-1
3.
Nate Thrasher – E
84.00
3
0
4.
Cameron McAdoo – W
80.50
4
0
5.
Haiden Deegan – E
78.21
5
0
6.
Jeremy Martin – E
78.00
6
0
7.
Jordon Smith – E
76.77
7
0
8.
RJ Hampshire – W
76.75
10
2
9.
Levi Kitchen – W
76.67
8
-1
10.
Max Anstie – E
74.43
11
1
11.
Mitchell Oldenburg – W
73.67
9
-2
12.
Max Vohland – W
72.55
13
1
13.
Tom Vialle – E
72.07
12
-1
14.
Pierce Brown – W
68.64
19
5
15.
Enzo Lopes – W
67.83
17
2
16.
Chris Blose – E
67.43
15
-1
17.
Chance Hymas – E
67.10
16
-1
18.
Michael Mosiman – E
65.80
18
0
19.
Stilez Robertson – W
64.45
14
-5
20.
Phil Nicoletti – W
59.25
20
0
* The NBC Power Rankings assign 100 points to a Main event winner and 90 points for each Heat and Triple Crown win, (Triple Crown wins are included with heat wins below the rider’s name). The points decrement by a percentage equal to the number of riders in the field until the last place rider in each event receives five points. The Power Ranking is the average of these percentage points over the past 45 days for the 450 class and last 90 days for 250s (because of the split nature of their season).
