The
Journal of the POCONO PLATEAU ©2024, All Rights Reserved
VOLUME 29, NUMBER 4
Mid July, 2024
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Blaney powers his way to NASCAR victory at Pocono Story & photos by Steve Stallone Sports Editor One thing became perfectly clear during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono: If you were running out front and in clean air, no one was going to pass you on the track. Ryan Blaney inherited the lead with 44 laps remaining and went largely unchallenged over those final 110 miles to power his way to victory in The Great Ameri-
can Getaway 400 presented by VisitPA.com. It was Blaney’s second win at Pocono and 12th overall, ending a seven-year dry spell at the track where he got his first career Cup victory all the way back in 2017. In the six races since then, he had just two top-10 finishes at the 2.5-mile Long Pond track. “We had a car that could do it and hold everybody off,” Blaney said afterward. Ty Gibbs, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski all
PMSB hears energy saving proposal by Pat Albano Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Robison opened the July 10 Pocono Mountain School Board meeting with a reminder that Clear Run Elementary and Swiftwater Elementary schools will be hosting Kindergarten orientation on August 5-8 from 9-11 a.m. Parents can check the school district website www. pmsd.org for more details. Ben Bray, an energy specialist from Cenergistic, addressed the Board about a study, “Continuing Our Partnership in Sustainability.” This five-year study
centers on energy savings and environmental impact to obtain a 47% reduction in energy usage. The main goal is to eliminate wasteful energy consumption. Other priorities include grant writing, capital planning, special projects, and construction meetings. School director Ron Byrd asked whether any grants on energy were written recently and board V.P Nathan Strunck asked about indoor air quality. Board president Marion Pyzik reminded everyone that there will be an additional school district meeting on August 14.
Drivers are bunched up going down the front straightaway during the late stages of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. enjoyed 20-lap runs in the lead, and seven-time Pocono winner Denny Hamlin ran out front for 31 laps. Truex won Stage 1 and Hamlin took Stage 2. But the key moment Sunday appeared to be when Blaney went to the pits late in Stage 2. On lap 93, two laps before the end of Stage 2, Blaney pitted and gained track position. “It was when the 12 (Blaney) jumped the stage
and we stayed out there to win the stage, that was the moment,” Hamlin said. “He was able to jump us and from that point on, not enough laps to reel him back in.” Blaney made his final pit stop on lap 118 after Todd Gilliland’s Turn 1 crash brought out the caution flag and was the second driver off pit road behind Kyle Larson. However, Larson, pole-sitter Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez were all penal-
ized for speeding on pit road and had to restart at the rear of the field. That put the number 12 Ford in front and gave Blaney a lead he would never relinquish. The reigning Cup Series champion survived several restarts, each time staying out in front in the clean air and keeping Alex Bowman, Hamlin and everyone else in his rearview mirror. See NASCAR/BLANEY, page 4