ABC Supply 500

ABC Supply 500
Verizon IndyCar Series
Venue Pocono Raceway
First race 1971
First ICS race 2013
Distance 500 mi (800 km)
Laps 200
Previous names Schaefer 500 (19711978)
Music 500 at Pocono presented
by Musicland/Sam Goody
(1979)
True Value 500 (1980)
Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 (1981)
Domino's Pizza Pocono 500 (1982)
Domino's Pizza 500 (19831986)
Quaker State 500 (19871988)
Pocono 500 (1989)
Pocono IndyCar 400 Fueled by Sunoco (2013)
Pocono IndyCar 500 Fueled by Sunoco (2014)
Most wins (driver) A. J. Foyt (4)
Most wins (team) Team Penske (9)

The ABC Supply 500[1] 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.[2] 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.

Race history

USAC

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.

CART

Foyt racing at Pocono in 1984

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.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1984 Domino's Pizza 500.

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.

IndyCar

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.[3]

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.[4]

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.

Past winners

Season Date Driver Team Chassis Engine Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)
Report
Laps Miles (km)
USAC Championship Car
1971 July 3 United States Mark Donohue Penske Racing McLaren Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:36:22 138.649 Report
1972 July 29 United States Joe Leonard Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing Parnelli Offy 200 500 (804.672) 154.781 Report
1973 July 1 United States A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises Coyote Foyt 200 500 (804.672) 3:26:58 144.948 Report
1974 June 30 United States Johnny Rutherford Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:11:27 156.701 Report
1975 June 29 United States A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises Coyote Foyt 170* 425 (683.971) 3:01:13 140.712 Report
1976 June 27 United States Al Unser Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing Parnelli Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:28:53 143.622 Report
1977 June 26 United States Tom Sneva Penske Racing McLaren Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:17:12 152.931 Report
1978 June 25 United States Al Unser Chaparral Cars Chaparral Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:30:53 142.261 Report
1979 June 24 United States A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises Parnelli Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:42:14 134.995 Report
1980 June 22 United States Bobby Unser Penske Racing Penske Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:18:04 151.454 Report
1981–82 June 14,
1981
United States A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises March Cosworth 122* 305 (490.849) 2:13:23 137.196 Report
CART PPG Indy Car World Series
1982 August 15 United States Rick Mears Penske Racing Penske Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:25:39 145.879 Report
1983 August 14 Italy Teo Fabi Forsythe Racing March Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:42:28 134.852 Report
1984 August 19 United States Danny Sullivan Doug Shierson Racing Lola Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:38:29 137.303 Report
1985 August 18 United States Rick Mears Penske Racing March Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:17:47 151.676 Report
1986 August 17 United States Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:17:13 152.106 Report
1987 August 16 United States Rick Mears Penske Racing March Chevrolet-Ilmor 200 500 (804.672) 3:11:50 156.373 Report
1988 August 21 United States Bobby Rahal Truesports Lola Judd 200 500 (804.672) 3:44:21 133.713 Report
1989 August 20 United States Danny Sullivan Penske Racing Penske Chevrolet-Ilmor 200 500 (804.672) 2:55:43 170.720 Report
1990

2012
Not held
Verizon IndyCar Series
2013 July 7 New Zealand Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12 Honda 160 400 (643.738) 2:04:26 192.864 Report
2014 July 6 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Dallara DW12 Chevrolet 200 500 (804.672) 2:28:13 202.402 Report
2015 August 23 United States Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12 Honda 200 500 (804.672) 3:25:08 146.245 Report
2016 August 22* Australia Will Power Team Penske Dallara DW12 Chevrolet 200 500 (804.672) 2:46:29 180.198 Report

USAC Mini-Indy series

Indy Lights

Season Date Driver Chassis Engine Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)
Laps Miles (km)
1986 August 16 United States Jeff Andretti March Buick 40 100 (160.934) 0:40:52 146.812
1987 August 16 Republic of Ireland Tommy Byrne March Buick 40 100 (160.934) 0:35:34 168.7
1988 August 20 United States Michael Greenfield March Buick 40 100 (160.934) 0:45:45 131.137
1989 August 20* Republic of Ireland Tommy Byrne March Buick 28 70 (112.654) 0:34:17 122.512
1990

2012
Not held
2013 July 6 Colombia Carlos Muñoz Dallara Infiniti 40 100 (160.934) 0:32:47 182.948
2014 July 5 Colombia Gabby Chaves Dallara Infiniti 40 100 (160.934) 0:36:53 162.7

Selected race summaries

USAC Championship Trail

Gordon Johncock at Pocono

CART PPG Indy Car World Series

1988 Pocono 500 winning car driven by Bobby Rahal.

IndyCar Series

References

  1. "ABC Supply To Sponsor August INDYCAR Race at Pocono – ABC Supply 500". PoconoRaceway.com. April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  2. Estrada, Chris (July 6, 2014). "Today’s race at Pocono was fastest 500-miler in IndyCar history". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  3. ABC only wanted 400 miles of IndyCar at Pocono Keith Groller, The Morning Call, October 02, 2012
  4. Series makes changes to 2014 points system Crash.net, March 21, 2014.
  5. 1981 Pocono 500 Photo Page
  6. Bob Kourtakis (August 17, 1987). "Andrettis Glad This Race Day Is History Pocono Quaker State 500". The Morning Call. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  7. "Justin Wilson airlifted to hospital during Pocono race". ESPN. August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  8. Olson, Jeff (August 23, 2015). "IndyCar driver Justin Wilson in a coma after Pocono crash". USA Today. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  9. "IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson Has Died of a Head Injury". ABC News. August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
Preceded by
Honda Indy 200
IndyCar Series
ABC Supply 500
Succeeded by
Bommarito Automotive Group 500
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