page_title: Pocono 350
section_title: Notable moments
hierarchical_section_title: Pocono 350 / Notable moments
caption_attribution_description: Pennsyvania 500
context_page_description: The Pocono 350 is the second of two NASCAR Cup Series stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the other being the Pocono Organics 325 the day before. Starting in 2007, the race was moved from its traditional July date into August, swapping dates with the Brickyard 400. Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the event.
  In 2008, Sunoco, the official NASCAR fuel supplier, based in Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia region of the American Red Cross, agreed to sponsorship of the race and charity events to benefit the American Red Cross South Pennsylvania-Philadelphia region. It marked the first time since 1996 that the event carried a title sponsor. Camping World took over title sponsorship of sponsorship through its Good Sam Club in 2011. The race was a 500-mile, 200 lap event from its inception in 1974, through the 2011 race. On August 10, 2011, it was announced that both Pocono races would be shortened to 400 miles, beginning in 2012. The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, through its marketing arm Strike Ten Entertainment, signed an entitlement sponsor for the 2013 and 2014 editions.
context_section_description: The 1973 ACME Super Saver 500 was one of four stock car races (1971–74) at Pocono under USAC sanction.  The first three were won by Butch Hartman, Roger McCluskey, and Richard Petty.  McCluskey's 1972 win came in a Plymouth Superbird and came when the race was run in conjunction with USAC's Schaefer 500 in late July when a hurricane postponed the IndyCar race.
  The 1974 ACME Super Saver 500 was run on April 24, 1974.  Buddy Baker won the pole and led nine laps but finished 20th with a burned valve.  USAC stock car series regular Butch Hartman led 124 laps before his clutch failed with eight to go.  Ron Keselowski won the race having led 61 laps total.  Keselowski is the brother of Bob and uncle of Brad (Bob's son).
  1974: NASCAR shortened its races in the first half of 1974 due to the energy crisis; the crisis had passed and in July races, including Pocono, were put back to their full distance. Additionally, Pocono was not listed on the original 1974 NASCAR schedule; a 300-mile (480 km) race at Trenton Speedway was listed in several issues of Stock Car Racing magazine, notably the magazine's June 1974 issue.  The Trenton date was subsequently switched to Pocono.
  Pocono broke 40 official lead changes in seven of the first nine NASCAR-sanctioned Pennsylvania 500s (1975–77, 1979–80, 1982–83).
  1975: David Pearson's win came amid controversy; his Mercury, sponsored by race sponsor Purolator filters, was leaking oil in the form of smoke throughout the race's final ten laps but NASCAR waited until two laps to go to wave a black flag at him, by which time it was too late, since drivers are allowed to stay out for three laps before heeding a black flag.   Under current NASCAR rules, if a black flag is waved within the final five laps (offside (illegal pass before crossing start-finish line on start or restart), out of bounds (below double yellow line on restrictor plate tracks or cutting a chicane), or inappropriate driving), and the driver does not respond, he will be assessed a time penalty that will be calculated into final results (often a penalty that moves the driver to the last car on the lap they were running, or a lap penalty).
  1976: The next year, 1976, Pearson led 14 times for 124 laps but blew a tire with two to go, giving Petty the win.  Bobby Allison, nursing injuries sustained in a short track crash in Elko, MN weeks earlier, battled for the lead in the first 40 laps but during a pitstop took off with unsecured left side tires; they fell off in the track's Tunnel Turn.  The lead changed 47 times among eight drivers.
  1977: The 1977 running was sponsored by Coca-Cola.  Darrell Waltrip won the pole, his first on a superspeedway (photos from the race were used by Sports Illustrated in an October piece on Waltrip).  The lead changed 46 times among seven drivers as Benny Parsons held off a late charge from Richard Petty for the win.
  1978: The 1978 running saw the fewest cautions (1) in track history.  Darrell Waltrip edged David Pearson for the win.
  1979: The 1979 running saw the most lead changes (56) in track history as rain postponed the race from Sunday to Monday. Dale Earnhardt suffered serious injuries on Lap 93 when his Chevrolet shot into the boilerplate wall in Turn Two. Darrell Waltrip, driving an Al Rudd Chevrolet after he crashed in Saturday practice and the DiGard team couldn't use a backup car, pitted under a late yellow for tires, dropping him from third to seventh; the race never restarted and Waltrip's pitstop cost him 19 points; he would lose the 1979 season championship by 11 points.  (Currently, if a caution period exists with two laps remaining, the race a two-lap sprint;  if during the first two-lap sprint a caution period occurs during the first lap, there will be a second attempt;  if it occurs during the first lap again, a third attempt will be made.  At any time during the third attempt there is a caution, the race is over.)
  1980: Neil Bonnett escaped with the win on the final lap as Buddy Baker forearmed alongside up high but Cale Yarborough pushed Bonnett into the lead and Baker and Cale banged 
caption: 2006 Pennsylvania 500
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