My Years At The Pocono Raceway Years
1958 To 1998
Here is a parts of story that Jack Koblas and Audrey Parente published in September of 1994. This will give you some insight on my part in building this track...
"Driver Dick Fleck was instrumental in the building of Pocono International Raceway"
Over a ham sandwich and a glass of beer in the spring of 1958, a popular race driver with an engineering background sat down with Dave Montgomery, president of Racing Inc; and vice president Dick Price. The race driver was Dick Fleck. From the historicrepast came a decision to build pocono International Raceway.
Montgomery appointed Fleck as superintendent and race director of the proposed multi-faceted complex, which would boast a 2.5-mile superspeedway, a 3/4-mile oval and road courses. The raceway would be constructed in the Pennsylvania mountains. The three-cornered track, which Fleck helped to design, was unique to NASCAR Winston Cup Racing. Each of the straightaways had a different length and radius.
The first race on the 3/4-mile oval was scheduled for October 25, 1967; but after three weekends of trying - week ends with fog, rain, and finally snow--They decided to have the Inaugural race in 1968.
The ran a full schedule of 16 to 20 races on the 3/4 mile-track in 1968 and 1969.
In addition to the Supermodifieds, Fleck and his partners also featured Midgets, Sprints, Modifieds and Late Models.
They ran the very first IMSA race, a Formula Ford event, on the 3/4-mile track. IMSA founder John Bishop and Bill France Sr. (who supported Bishop) were there and worked very closely with them as race director on that race.
The 2.5- mile track was completed in 1971. The firs race, A USAC race for Indy Cars, was run July 3.
GROUND BREAKING 1965--ME IN STAND BEHIND ROGER WARD WITH SHOVEL--FOUNDER DAVE MONTGOMERY ON LEFT SIDE OF PICTURE
1966 POCONO STARTS CONSTRUCTION
MORE CONSTRUCTION ON TWO AND HALF MILE TRACK
MORE CONSTRUCTION ON TWO AND HALF MILE TRACK
MORE TRACK CONSTRUCTION 1969
MYSELF 1969 WITH 2 BABY FOXES FOUND WHILE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
MYSELF ON RIGHT SIDE - MARIO ANDRETTI SECOND FROM THE RIGHT AT POCONO CONSTRUCTION 1970
FIRST DRIVER MEETING 0F THE FIRST RACE ON THREE QUARTER MILE TRACK--5-4-68--MYSELF ON LEFT AS RACE DIRECTOR
MYSELF AS RACE DIRECTOR AT POCONO 1969
MYSELF AS SUPERINTENDENT AT POCONO AND CLARENCE CAGLE SUPERINTENDENT AT INDY--1970
MYSELF IN PACE CAR WITH DICK KING--HEAD OF USAC--TALKING ABOUT THE LAST PROBLEMS BEFORE THE FIRST RACE ON THE 2 1/2 - MILE TRACK THE SCHAEFER 500 --7/3/71
MYSELF IN PACE CAR 1971
THE STARTING LINE UP FOR THE SCHAEFER 500--POCONOS FIRST 500 RACE--7/3/71
FIRST ROW
| MARK DONOHUE | BOBBY UNSER | AL UNSER |
SECOND ROW
| JOE LEONARD | MARIO ANDRETTI | GORDON JOHNCOCK |
THIRD ROW
| PETER REVSON | A.J. FOYT JR. | GEORGE SNIDER |
FOURTH ROW
| CALE YARBOROUGH | DICK SIMON | JOHNNY RUTHERFORD |
FIFTH ROW
| GARY BETTENHAUSEN | LIOYD RUBY | DONNIE ALLISON |
SIXTH ROW
| BILL VUKOVICH | DENNY ZIMMERMAN | ROGER McCLUSKEY |
SEVENTH ROW
| WALLEY DALLENBACH | JIMMY CARUTHERS | BUD TINGELSTAD |
EIGHTH ROW
| STEVE KRISILOFF | BENTLY WARREN | JIM MALLORY |
NINTH ROW
| ART POLLARD | BILL SIMPSON | BILL PUTERBAUGH |
TENTH ROW
| GREG WELD | SAM SESSIONS | JOHN MAHLER |
ELVENTH ROW
| BOB HARKEY | JIM McELREATH | JIM HURTUBISE |
POCONO FIRST POST CARD--1971