Would a Pocono road course race be better than 2 on the Tricky Triangle?

The answer is probably yes, if NASCAR decides that more road course races are a good thing.

Of all the tracks on the current NASCAR schedule, perhaps none get their identity solely from their configuration like Pocono Raceway. Aside from its picturesque setting, Pocono is known primarily for its crew chief-maddening three-corner layout that has earned it the “Tricky Triangle” moniker.

That uniqueness, though, hasn’t always led to thrilling racing, with this past weekend’s Overton’s 400 a prime example. While there was some intrigue thanks to an early multi-car accident and the various pit road strategies at play, any late race drama came down to just one factor, which was whether Kyle Busch would suffer any misfortune on his way to his first career Pocono victory.

(Spoilers: he did not.)

So what besides inertia and tradition keeps NASCAR from running Pocono Raceway twice each summer? That’s a good question, and one even the people in charge of the track have been pondering. Naturally, those folks would like to keep two race weekends, and they’d be willing to consider a change to ensure that happens.

Namely, the second Pocono race could be run on a road course. Track CEO Nick Igdalsky said as much to the AP after the Overton’s 400.

"“If that’s the direction of the future of the sport, like what Charlotte did, then I would be open to a road course race for one of the two, especially if it secures a second date for Pocono well into the future. By no means do I want to do that. I want to keep two ovals. But if that’s the direction of the future of the sport, then we are prepared to move in that direction.”"

Igdalsky is referring to the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will make its debut during the 2018 NASCAR season and be part of the Cup Series playoffs. Instead of a second oval race, this one will be run on the so-called “ROVAL,” which makes use of a good chunk of Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval but also incorporates nine turns from its infield road course for a total length of 2.42 miles per lap.

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With its massive infield and built-in road course sections, Pocono Raceway would definitely be a candidate for the Charlotte treatment. NASCAR would have to put it through its paces in testing to see if it’s viable, but the guess is that it would be, or the track would be motivated to get it that way.

There’s little question it would be more interesting, at least in the short term. For all of its beauty and hospitality, it’s hard to think of a less compelling track right now in terms of pure racing action than the Tricky Triangle — a nearly entirely one-groove track where pit strategy trumps passes for the lead. From that perspective alone, it’s sometimes difficult to believe that NASCAR has kept two race weekends there. A Pocono road course race sounds like an experiment worth trying.

But would it be realistic? With Charlotte already in the mix as of next season, there could be a sense that four road course races are too many. The schedule argues against it too; the second Pocono race is right before Watkins Glen, and the first comes just a few weeks after Sonoma. You’d almost need to move one of them by a month to keep the road course dates from getting stacked up.

Perhaps this is a purely hypothetical discussion anyway, because NASCAR might decide it either loves things just the way they are or is already mulling over cutting Pocono back to a single stop each season. Even the idea of a road course race in Long Pond is enough to make one cock an eyebrow and ponder it, though, especially after another Sunday in July where excitement was at a premium after Lap 1.