LONG POND, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Tricky Triangle is coming to life this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series takes a pit stop in the Poconos.
In its 52nd year in the NASCAR Cup Series Circuit, family-owned Pocono Raceway is gearing up for race weekend.
Stretching out two and a half miles long, a tricky question is plastered on the last turn before the start/finish line.
"Everybody always says, ‘Where’s turn four?’ so that’s kind of become our catch phrase, ‘What turn four?’ Because we don’t have one, and that’s what kind of makes it tricky because the drivers have to drive this totally different than they do anywhere else," explained AJ Stack, Director of Consumer Strategy at Pocono Raceway.
With three series of races beginning Friday, Stack walks 28/22 News around the track Tuesday, explaining how the atmosphere won’t stay quiet for long, as they’ve already sold out of campsites that open Thursday.
"We have actually 3,400 campsites, and you figure at least four people in each campsite, so we have thousands of campers out there, it’s pretty crazy," said Stack.
That only puts a dent in the crowd of more than 60,000 fans. Drawing in people from all 50 states. But those crowds won’t just fill the seats at the Tricky Triangle.
How to watch Pocono Raceway NASCAR racesLast week, 28/22 News checked in with Peaceful Woodlands Campground just down the road from the track. Its owner, Denise DePaul, says they look forward to race weekend every year.
"They’re so excited about the race, they’re so laid back and having fun. Just enjoying their time, and they’re a friendly group of people, and they come from as far as Louisiana, as far as Canada," said DePaul.
She says they’re grateful for the annual boom in business, with thousands supporting not just hers, but other small businesses in the Poconos.
"All of our cabins are just rented right away because the people just want to come back to that, and a lot of the RV sites were basically pretty booked by January," explained DePaul.
Race weekend kicks off at 5:00 p.m. Friday with the MillerTech Battery 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Pocono Raceway officials say this is the fifth consecutive year they’ve sold out of campsites for race weekend.