Tony Kanaan is looking for a big bonus as IndyCar returns to Pocono

IndyCar is set return to the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania this weekend at Pocono Raceway as the Pocono INDYCAR 400 will take place Sunday at noon. The race will be broadcast on ABC with the radio on the IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM.

For the first time since 1989 drivers will attack the 2.5 mile high speed oval that will see the cars pushing speeds well over 200 m.p.h. It is a real high speed track that is home to a couple of NASCAR races each year. The return to Pocono also allows race fans from the huge urban areas of New York and Philadelphia to make the little over an hour drive to the centrally located site.

The winners at Pocono are some of the best open-wheel drivers of all time. Names like A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford capturing wins at the track set in the beautiful Lehigh Valley.

While IndyCar drivers and fans are excited for the series return there is one person who has a chance to make history. Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 11 KV Racing Technology Cheverolet could pick up a bonus of $250,000 with a win Sunday.

There are a million reasons why Tony Kanaan needs to win the Pocono INDYCAR 400 on July 7. As the Indianapolis 500 winner Kanaan can earn a $1 million bonus if he can sweep the superspeedway races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway on October 19th and complete the Fuzzy's Triple Crown.

A potential consolation for Kanaan and others is a $250,000 bonus for winning two of the three. It is call the Fuzzy's Triple Crown bonus is the sponsor and it is a popular Vodka named after golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, the 1979 Masters champion and 1984 U.S. Open winner.

 "Obviously I'm the only one that has a chance to win the Triple Crown, so the pressure is on. But I'm excited," Kanaan said. "Pocono will be the third of four races I will run in the Sunoco "Turbo" car, and after the success we have had in the first two -- finishing on the podium at both Texas and Iowa -- I really want to keep that momentum going at Pocono and hopefully do even better.I have never raced at Pocono Raceway, but we know we had a good car at Indy and had a good test at Pocono a few days ago." 

Kanaan is a noted fast closer, which was displayed in the past two superspeedway events. At Indianapolis, he started 12th, was leading by Lap 9 and was in the top three for the final 30 laps in a race that featured a record 68 lead changes. He started 13th at Texas, was running fourth with 10 laps left and passed Ed Carpenter on Lap 222 to finish third. The three oval races renew the tradition of the Triple Crown from 1970s and '80s Indy car competition.

The previous Triple Crown included 500-mile races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Ontario Speedway, in Southern California. The tracks were changed in 1971-1980 and from 1981-1989 to Indianapolis, Pocono and Michigan International Speedway.

Only Al Unser won all three races in a single season, when the four-time Indy 500 winner drove the Jim Hall-owned First National City Travelers Checks-sponsored car in 1978.