Bill Fleischman: Safety issues at Pocono Raceway

POCONO RACEWAY has taken some verbal hits recently from Sprint Cup drivers Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. The three are concerned about safety issues along the backstretch of the 2.5-mile mountain speedway.

On the last lap of last month's Cup race at Pocono, Kasey Kahne was blocked by teammate A.J. Allmendinger. Kahne's out-of-control Ford swerved across the track and almost flew over the 39-inch retaining wall.

During a roundtable discussion that appeared in the July 5 issue of Sports Illustrated, referring to Kahne's accident Biffle said, "They're going to kill somebody there. He was this close [fingers 6 inches apart] to mowing those trees down."

Asked about Biffle's comments on a conference call last week, Gordon said, "I don't believe that what keeps cars from going outside the race track [should be] a row of trees."

Before last Sunday's Brickyard 400, Harvick said, "It's the only track we go to with a dirt bank and an ARMCO barrier on the inside and no catch fences along some of the walls. It's definitely the worst race track that we go to as far as SAFER barriers and catch fences and all the things that should be there."

With Pocono hosting Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, I asked track president Brandon Igdalsky for his reaction to the criticism.

"There are safety things we are looking into," Igdalsky said. "We announced in June that the ARMCO along the infield [between Turns 1-2 and 2-3] is being replaced at the end of the season.

"What happened to Kasey was a freak thing. That's the first time it's ever happened. Do we need a catch fence out there? I feel we do. [But] it's not something we can put up between races. It can't happen that fast."

In all my years of covering races at Pocono since the early 1970s, I'd never seen anything like Kahne's accident. Those of us who have been on the Pocono racin' beat for years have seen animals on the track. One year, a brainless fan even ran on the track during a caution period.

At least once a year I pester Igdalsky or his grandfather, Pocono board chairman and CEO Dr. Joseph Mattioli, about shortening the Cup races to either 400 miles or 500 kilometers (310.685 miles). How 'bout 600K (372.822 miles)? I'm convinced that shorter races at Pocono would be more interesting. Alas, my opinion was subjected to another rejection from Mount Mattioli.

"I don't see it happening any time soon," said Igdalsky, a Council Rock High graduate. "If enough fans, NASCAR and TV say to us, 'Shorten the races,' it's definitely something we would look at. But every time we go to the fans it's 80-20 or 70-30 they don't want us to touch it.

"This is the top level of racing. It's not supposed to be easy."

The NASCAR rumor mill is churning after chairman and CEO Brian France said last week that the 2011 Cup series schedule will have a different look.

Speculation has Kansas obtaining a second race as California probably will lose one of its races. Here's a real schedule changer: Homestead, in South Florida, would move to the season's second race, following the Daytona 500, after years as the season finale. Las Vegas would then host the year's final race.

Bruton Smith has wanted a second race at his Las Vegas track for years. He may move a race from either New Hampshire or Atlanta to Vegas.

Brandon Igdalsky said Pocono will have its two Cup races again next year.

Pocono Raceway is holding a press conference tomorrow as its 25-acre solar installation goes live. The largest renewable energy stadium project in the world will provide electricity for the race track and 1,000 local homes.

Team owner Jack Roush is in serious but stable condition in an Oshkosh, Wis., hospital after the business jet he was piloting crashed Tuesday while landing at a regional airport. Roush, 68, was on his way to an air show in Oshkosh.

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