The Associated Press perceived a lot of whining about extended periods of boredom at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend, with NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers grousing over their inability to pass other cars during the Brickyard 400 and raising the silly notion of putting in a second banked lane.
But there’s little chance of a snooze fest this weekend, with two NASCAR races and an ARCA event scheduled at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., a venue that offers plenty of passing opportunities for impatient drivers. The Trackside crews from CV Products will be on hand at these three races — and three more — this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering trailer loads of race equipment for drivers and others who hold coveted pit passes.
Here’s what the racing card holds for this weekend:
GoBowling.com 400
Jimmy Johnson is a 3-to-1 favorite for this event — most likely because he’s already won three Pocono races in his career, and a sweep this year at the 2.5-mile track would come as no surprise. After all, he swept the season at Pocono back in 2004. Then add in this factoid: Johnson also had the best car at Indianapolis last weekend, leading 73 of 160 laps.
- Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- When: Sunday, Aug. 4
- Racetrack: Pocono Raceway
- Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
- Watch the race on TV: 1 p.m. (ET) on ESPN
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes
5th Annual U.S. Cellular 250
In the light of the fact that Brad Keselowski’s will be racing at Iowa Speedway this weekend, the Speedway is contributing $8,000 to the reining NASCAR champion’s Checkered Flag Foundation. Joining Keselowski as a somewhat infrequent driver in a Nationwide Series race will be Richard Harriman, who competed in four Nationwide Series races in 2009, along with Brett Butler, Danny Efland and J.J. Yeley.
- Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series
- When: Saturday, Aug. 3
- Racetrack: Iowa Speedway
- Watch the race on TV: 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2
- Location: Newton, Iowa
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes
Pocono Mountains 125
Fans of the truck series will have the opportunity to meet their favorite Camping World Trucking Series drivers at an autograph session scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. (ET) on Friday behind Turn 3 at the Tricky Triangle. And if you can’t make the trip to the track, the race will be broadcast live starting at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday on SPEED. The race can also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as SiriusXM, Channel 90.
- Series: NASCAR Camping World Trucking Series
- When: Saturday, Aug. 3
- Racetrack: Pocono Raceway
- Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
- Watch the race on TV: 12:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
ModSpace 125
Pocono Raceway isn’t nicknamed the Tricky Triangle for any arbitrary reason. It’s more like a road course with nothing available to racers but left turns — each dialed in with a different degree of banking. Race coverage on the SPEED channel begins at 3 p.m. (ET) and a live stream of audio can be heard on the ARCA Racing Network.
- Series: ARCA Racing Series
- When: Friday, Aug. 2
- Racetrack: Pocono Raceway
- Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
- Watch the race on television: 3 p.m. (ET) on SPEED
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes
Pork Be Inspired 150
This is the second of two combo races between K&N East and West on the .875-mile paved oval at the Iowa Speedway. Of the starting field of 36 cars, the first 28 will qualify through two-lap time trials. The other eight spots will be awarded through a provisional process. And a midway break at Lap 75 breaks this 131.25-mile race into two segments. The race can be watched on television a full 23 days after it takes place, at 1 p.m. (ET) Aug. 25 on FOXSports1.
- Series: NASCAR K&N East
- When: Friday, Aug. 2
- Racetrack: Iowa Speedway
- Location: Newton, Iowa
- Watch the race (recorded) on TV: Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. (ET) on FOXSports1
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
Scorcher 150
The green flag drops at 7 p.m. (ET) for the start of this Pro All Stars Series (PASS) race, with Pro Late Models completing 50 laps, followed by Bandoleros at 20 laps, UCARS at 25 laps, Super Late Models at 150 laps, Street Stocks at 30 laps and Limited Late Models at 65 laps. All of this is preceded by practice sessions, qualifying laps, a fun-filled pit party and pre-race ceremonies.
- Series: Pro All Stars Series
- When: Saturday, Aug. 3
- Racetrack: Southern National Motorsports Park
- Location: Lucama, North Carolina
- Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes
