The ABC Supply 500 is an Indy car race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was sanctioned by USAC from 1971–1981, and then by CART from 1982–1989, and was known as the Pocono 500. The race was removed from the CART calendar following the 1989 running, due to poor track conditions, as well as poor revenue for the promoter.
After a 23-year hiatus, the event was successfully revived by the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2013. Following management changes at the facility, and after comprehensive safety improvements were completed at the track, the race was scheduled for Independence Day weekend. For 2013, the race was scheduled for 400 miles, and was part of the "Triple Crown". For 2014, the race returned to its traditional 500-mile distance.
The 2014 race, won by Juan Pablo Montoya, stands as the fastest 500-mile race in Indy car history. At an average speed of 202.402 mph (325.734 km/h), it was the first 500-mile race to be completed in under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The Pocono 500 began in 1971, as part of the USAC National Championship Trail. It was part of USAC's "triple crown", consisting of the Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500. The race was popular, and the unique track layout was said to have been designed specifically with Champ/Indy cars in mind.
USAC sanctioned the event through 1981.
After organizational changes following the first USAC/CART "split," the Pocono 500 switched to the CART series beginning in 1982. The race moved from June to August after the track added a second NASCAR Winston Cup Series race to their schedule. Moving to August allowed the race to be distanced from Indy, and was set two to three weeks after the Michigan 500, giving teams more preparation time between 500-mile races.
The increasingly rough condition of the course made the race demanding, and sometimes led to high attrition and surprise winners.
Following the 1989 event, the track was officially deemed too rough and unsuitable for Indy cars. The circuit still had metal boilerplate retaining walls, lacked catch fencing around the entire perimeter, lacked proper runoff areas, and was criticized for its roughness. The Pocono 500 was removed from the schedule indefinitely, as neither track management nor series officials were interested in reviving the event.
Though the track safety conditions were the stated reason, track management also believed the event to be a money-loser for the facility. Furthermore, according to CART medical director Dr. Steve Olvey, during the 1980s the track's medical facilities were grossly inadequate, with track owner Dr. Joe Mattioli himself listed as the "track doctor," despite his profession being dentistry.
During both 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, heavy crashes on the Long Pond Straight sent circuit management to call for significant safety improvements to the track. SAFER barriers were added to inside walls, catch fencing was installed around the entire perimeter, paved runoff areas were built around the majority of the infield. The safety upgrades, as well as changes announced by the third-generation Igdalsky family (including repaving the circuit with new concrete pit stalls), led to discussions with IndyCar officials regarding the revival of the Pocono IndyCar race.
Speculation ran rampant in 2012 after the cancellation of the Indy Qingdao 600 that Pocono could have been used as a last-minute substitute. However, nothing materialized. On October 1, 2012, the track officially announced they would host the Pocono IndyCar 400 for the IndyCar Series on July 4 weekend starting in 2013. The change in race distance was requested by broadcaster ABC.
For 2014, the race returned to its traditional 500 mile distance. The three 500 mile "triple crown" race (Indy 500, MAVTV 500, and Pocono) would also award drivers double points towards the championship.
For 2015, the race secured the title sponsorship of ABC Supply Co., and was moved to its once familiar calendar slot in late-August.
In the 2015 race, driver Justin Wilson was struck in the head by a piece of debris which had flown off of Sage Karam's crashed car. Wilson was airlifted to hospital but died the next day from his injuries.
In the summer of 2016, the track signed a contract extension through 2018.
1975 & 1981: Race shortened due to rain.
2016: Race postponed due to rain.
1979: Ronn Gregg
1980: Josele Garza
1989: Race postponed due to rain.
1971: Mark Donohue wins the inaugural USAC Pocono 500. NASCAR Grand National regulars Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough finish 28th and 32nd respectively.
1972: The second annual Pocono 500 is scheduled for late June/early July, however, Hurricane Agnes sweeps through the eastern United States, and forces postponement. The race is rescheduled for July 29, as part of a USAC Indycar/USAC Stock Car 500-mile doubleheader weekend. Joe Leonard won the Schaefer 500 while Roger McCluskey drove a Plymouth Superbird to win the Pennsylvania 500 stock car race.
1973: A. J. Foyt passes Roger McCluskey on the final lap to take the victory. McCluskey gambled with a half-lap lead and ran out of fuel on the Long Pond straight; while Foyt did a splash-and-go with four laps remaining.
1976: Al Unser, Sr. drove to victory, the first for the turbochargered Cosworth engine.
1978: Al Unser, Sr. won USAC's Triple Crown of 500-mile races (Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500).
1981: In the height of the USAC/CART split, A. J. Foyt wins the USAC Van Scoy Diamond Mines 500. This is the final Indy car race USAC sanctioned at Pocono and Foyt's final Indy car win. Many CART regulars boycotted the race, therefore, USAC opened the field to both Gold Crown cars and Silver Crown cars. A rag-tag field of Indy cars and converted dirt-track cars ran a two-class race. Rain halted the race shortly after the halfway point, and ended the race early.
1983: Rookies Teo Fabi and Al Unser, Jr. combined to lead 143 of the 200 laps, and emerged as the only two contenders late in the race. During his final pit stop on lap 178, Unser, Jr. nearly stalled, and handling problems slowed his pace. Fabi, who raised eyebrows by winning the pole at Indy, cruised to victory.
1984: An exciting three-car battle to the finish between Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, and Danny Sullivan. With the three cars running nose-to-tail on lap 194, Rahal passed Mears going into turn one to take the lead. Down the Long Pond straight, Sullivan slips by Mears as well, and set his sights on Rahal. In turn two, Sullivan passes Rahal with ease, and pulls out to a sizable lead. Heavy traffic on the final lap allowed Mears to close up, but Sullivan held off the challenge at the checked flag to win. Rahal finished third, blowing his engine as he crossed the finish line.
1985: Rick Mears completes a comeback from his devastating leg injuries suffered at Sanair in 1984 by winning the Pocono 500 in a part-time entry for Penske Racing.
1986: Mario Andretti and Bobby Rahal battled for the lead in the late stages of the race. On lap 174, Rahal suddenly pulled to the inside with an engine fire, leaving Andretti all alone in the lead. Andretti cruised over the final 26 laps, beating second place Kevin Cogan by over a lap.
1987: Mario Andretti led 22 laps, but gets too low in turn one on lap 89, and crashed hard into the outside wall. He suffers a separated shoulder. The rough apron of turn one was stained by lime, which caused Andretti's car to lose traction Rick Mears wins, and Geoff Brabham finished second, the best finish yet for the new Brabham-Honda/Judd engine.
1988: The race was slowed 11 times for 65 laps, including six wrecks. Rookie John Andretti suffered a serious wreck with 18 laps to go near the pit exit. Most of the contenders dropped out, leaving Bobby Rahal in the lead for the final 28 laps. Rahal scored Judd's first and only Indy car victory, and it was Rahal's last win with Truesports.
1989: Emerson Fittipaldi sets a new all-time track record during qualifying, with a pole speed of 211.715 mph. Danny Sullivan holds off his Penske teammate Rick Mears to win the final CART series race at Pocono. Track owner Joe Mattioli vowed that single-seater racing would never return to his circuit, a vow that ended after his death in 2012.
2013: The Igdalsky family, third-generation family members who took over the circuit after Joe Mattioli's death, visit an IZOD IndyCar Series race in 2012, and by the end of the season announced a revival of the race, with a distance scheduled as 400 miles. Pennsylvania native Chip Ganassi's team, Chip Ganassi Racing, sweeps the podium with Scott Dixon winning, Charlie Kimball second, and Dario Franchitti third. The average speed of 192.864 mph is a Pocono Raceway record, slowed by only two brief caution periods.
2014: Juan Pablo Montoya won the fastest 500 mile race in Indy car history. At an average speed of 202.402 mph, it was the first 500 mile race to average over 200 mph, and was slowed by only one caution for six laps. Montoya's victory capped off his return to the American open wheel circuit after spending the previous 13 season in Formula One and NASCAR.
2015: Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the race. On lap 179, Sage Karam spun and a piece of debris from his car struck Justin Wilson on the head, knocking Wilson unconscious and sending him into the wall. Wilson was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
2016: Rain postponed the race from Sunday until Monday. Pole sitter Mikhail Aleshin led 87 laps. With 35 laps to go Will Power took the lead, and shortly after, a late caution came out for debris. The green flag came out with 22 laps to go, with Power and Aleshin battling nose-to-tail to the finish. Ryan Hunter-Reay started last due to a practice crash, but managed to lead 31 laps. With Power and Aleshin finishing 1-2, Hunter-Reay, who pitted for tires under the yellow, dramatically charged through the field to finish third.
