Went to the June 2017 race. Traffic was backed up ...

Went to the June 2017 race. Traffic was backed up when we were coming to the track, but it was never stand-still. The majority of the drive there was in light traffic. You only hit the traffic when you're about 5-10 minutes from the track. This was the same story when we left the track. We waited an hour to leave so that traffic would clear. That didn't do anything. I recommend just going without waiting for traffic to clear. (NOTE: Route 115 and I-80 were merged into 2 lanes. This helped move the traffic.)

Security is a HUGE plus. Instead of checking you and scanning your ticket at the gates, they check you right when you enter the track. So there's no rush to get to your section's gate. (NOTE: If you are thinking about bringing a seatback, make sure that it is NOT METAL. According to security, it can be used as a weapon.)

The fan zone was one of the highlights. Pocono takes advantage of its huge size by providing an exceptional fan zone. To those who skip that area and head straight to the grandstands, DON'T. You don't want to miss out on Pocono's fan zone. My one complaint is that if you ordered scanners online, it is confusing on where you are supposed to go to get them. You cannot just go up to a normal scanner area and show them the confirmation paper. There's more steps. (It saves money to buy online, I should add.)

Every section in the grandstands has something unique about them. The Petty tower lets you see turn 3, the France Tower allows you to see the start finish line, and the Donohue tower lets you see Turn 1, and the restarts. You can see pit road from all sections. You can't see the back straightaway very well, but I found that if you were able to see it, you never really look back there anyway. So sitting up high really only gives you the benefit of seeing the turns and front straightaway better.

The racing is never the best at Pocono. If you are taking someone who is not a NASCAR fan, make sure they have scanners or fan-visions. Pocono is not a good track for non-fans. If you are a NASCAR fan, Pocono is a great track despite the lackluster racing.

VERDICT: Pocono is a great track for NASCAR fans, but not for people who don't follow NASCAR. Overall though, Pocono is a track that every NASCAR fan needs to go to before they die.