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MITCHELL TO TAKE ON UNIQUE POCONO TRACK |
Waynesburg, PA (June 8) ... When Automobile Racing Club of
America (ARCA)
RE/MAX series driver Richard Mitchell tackles the 2.5 mile
Pocono Raceway on
Saturday, June 16 for the Pocono ARCA 200, he will, technically
speaking, be
making his first-ever superspeedway appearance behind the wheel
of his Coach
USA/ Forest River Motorhomes Pontiac.
But, as Mitchell points out, Pocono has all the characteristics
of a classic
short track, with a little road racing flavor thrown in for good
measure. “Pocono is the most unique track we race on, due to its
design
features,” Mitchell said. “It is a true tri-oval with three
distinctly
different turns and a nearly three-quarter mile long front
straightaway.”
According to Mitchell, Pocono’s odd design causes some inherent
problems in
setting up the car to make it handle properly around the entire
course. “Because all of the turns are banked at different
degrees, the
chassis and suspension of the car must be set up as a
compromise,” Mitchell
stated. “Unlike most race tracks where all four turns are the
same, none of
the corners at Pocono are similar. What that means is that the
car never
really feels comfortable anywhere on the race track.”
Pocono’s 3,740 ft front straight - longest on any American oval
- also causes
problems. “My Mac Hill Motorsports crew is installing a special
three-speed
transmission with an overdrive feature,” added Mitchell. “I
will have to
shift gears going down the straight to make sure I don’t destroy
the engine
by over-revving it. Shifting gears also will make restarts more
difficult.
Normally I just put the car in gear and go race.”
The Pocono event will mark Mitchell's third ARCA RE/MAX
appearance this year.
The Pocono ARCA 200 will be telecast on a same-day, tape-delay
basis,
beginning at 4:00 PM EDT on Fox Sports Net.
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