2009 Pocono 500
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Pocono 500 was the fourteenth points race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season for 2009
, and was run on Sunday, June 7 of that year at the 2.5 miles (4 km) Pocono Raceway
outside the hamlet of Long Pond, Pennsylvania
. The race marked the first of six races in the "Summer Season" schedule for TNT
, with pre-race coverage starting at 12:30 pm EDT and radio coverage over MRN
(over-the-air) and Sirius XM Radio (satellite) beginning at 1 pm US EDT.
Failed to make race due to qualifying canceled due to rain: Derrike Cope
(#75), Tony Raines
(#37), Mike Wallace
(#64, was a late entry missing the deadline.)
was sent to the back of the field as a result of bringing out his back-up car. However, he overcame that and used the old fuel mileage strategy trick (as many races in Long Pond usually do) to become the first owner/driver since Ricky Rudd
won in September of 1998
at Martinsville Speedway
. Geoff Bodine
was the last owner driver to win at Pocono Raceway. Kevin Harvick made his 300th start in this race, finishing in 24th position.
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 61st season of professional stock car racing in the United States, which began at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a race for the top six teams of the four brands in the 2008...
, and was run on Sunday, June 7 of that year at the 2.5 miles (4 km) Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
outside the hamlet of Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Long Pond is an unincorporated community in Monroe County in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania, a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The zip code is 18334....
. The race marked the first of six races in the "Summer Season" schedule for TNT
NASCAR on TNT
NASCAR on TNT is the tagname for any NASCAR series race that has been broadcast on Turner Network Television by Turner Sports.-Prior to 2001:...
, with pre-race coverage starting at 12:30 pm EDT and radio coverage over MRN
Motor Racing Network
The Motor Racing Network is the principal radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR, promoting themselves as "The Voice of NASCAR." It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR at tracks owned by International Speedway Corporation as well as Dover International...
(over-the-air) and Sirius XM Radio (satellite) beginning at 1 pm US EDT.
Pre-Race News
- The big news this week is the return of the double-file restart with this race. Previously, the restart had been a permanent part of the two non-points races on the circuit, the Budweiser ShootoutBudweiser ShootoutBudweiser Shootout at Daytona, generally referred to as the Bud Shootout, is an annual invitation-only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series exhibition event held at Daytona International Speedway in February, the weekend before the Daytona 500. It is the first competitive event of the season and serves as a...
and the Sprint All-Star Race. Following a town hall meeting on May 26 at NASCAR's research and development center in suburban Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, where ideas were exchanged, the racing series made the double-file restart permanent as to Thursday (June 4). The rule will be extended later to the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series later in the year. The race leader will select in their choice of lane, with all odd-numbered placed drivers behind him, and the even-numbered cars in the opposite lane. The "Lucky Dog" rule will be unchanged, but will now be enforced in all laps. - Carl LongCarl LongJames Carlyle Long is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver and mechanic who is currently returning from suspension after a violation on his car during the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Prior to his suspension, he was a crew member on the #34 Front Row Motorsports Cup team...
's suspension and fine were upheld from the Sprint ShowdownNASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXVThe NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race XXV was the 25th Anniversary running of NASCAR's special non-points race involving winners of the 2008 and 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races through the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com as well as Sprint All-Star Race XV-XXIV winners,...
, meaning Long will miss twelve races, lose both 200 owner and driver points and his crew chief will be fined a record US $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
200,000. Long's engine was discovered to be 1 inches (2.5 cm) over the required size.
Qualifying
Because of an all-day rain on June 5, qualification was canceled. As a result, the field was set by the rule book.Failed to make race due to qualifying canceled due to rain: Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
(#75), Tony Raines
Tony Raines
Floyd Anthony Raines is an American race car driver. He is a former National Touring Series champion in the now defunct American Speed Association and 1999 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
(#37), Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (NASCAR)
Mike Wallace is a NASCAR race car driver born in Fenton, Missouri. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace, older brother to Kenny Wallace, and uncle to Steve Wallace...
(#64, was a late entry missing the deadline.)
Recap
After wrecking his primary car in the first practice Saturday, Tony StewartTony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
was sent to the back of the field as a result of bringing out his back-up car. However, he overcame that and used the old fuel mileage strategy trick (as many races in Long Pond usually do) to become the first owner/driver since Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
won in September of 1998
1998 in NASCAR
See Also: 1998 in NASCAR Busch Series-1998 Team Chart:-Bud Shootout Qualifier:The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole...
at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
. Geoff Bodine
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is an American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers . Bodine currently lives in Cornelius, North Carolina....
was the last owner driver to win at Pocono Raceway. Kevin Harvick made his 300th start in this race, finishing in 24th position.