Most commonly known simply as the Pennsylvania 500, the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 is the second of two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car races hosted at the famous Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania – the other race being the Pocono 500. Beginning with the 2007 date, the race was moved from its traditional spot on the schedule – usually in July – to August, thus swapping dates with the Brickyard 400.
As of 2008, Sunoco, the Pennsylvania-based official fuel supplier for NASCAR, and the Philadelphia region of the American Red Cross came to a sponsorship agreement for the race and charitable events to be held in order to benefit the American Red Cross in the South Pennsylvania-Philadelphia region. This marked the first time since 1996 that the race once again carried a title sponsor, and called something other than just the Pennsylvania 500.
It was with his victory in the 2002 Pennsylvania 500 when Bill Elliott became the race's first four-time winner, while also already holding the distinction of being the only driver to win in consecutive years, with his victories in 1985, 1988, 1989, and 2002. Reading like a NASCAR hall of fame who's who list, the of other multiple-race winners include Darrel Waltrip (1978, 1981, 1992) and Rusty Wallace (1991, 1996, 2000) with three each, and Richard Petty (1974, 1976), Tim Richmond (1983, 1986), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1993), Jeff Bodine (1990, 1994), Dale Jarrett (1995, 1997), Bobby Labonte (1999, 2001), Kurt Busch (2005, 2007), and defending Pennsylvania 500 champ Denny Hamlin (2006, 2009), all with two wins under their belt.
