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1985 Pocono 500

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1985 Pocono 500

The 1985 Pocono 500, the 15th running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, August 18, 1985. Branded as the 1985 Domino's Pizza 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race was won by Rick Mears, his first victory since suffering severe leg and feet injuries in a September 1984 crash.

In September 1984, Rick Mears suffered severe injuries to his feet in a crash at Sanair Super Speedway. Doctors in Canada initially wanted to amputate both feet but were convinced to transfer Mears to Indianapolis for reconstructive surgery. Mears returned to racing at the 1985 Indianapolis 500 where he finished 21st. He ran only races at ovals while continuing rehab for his injuries. At the Michigan 500 three weeks before Pocono, Mears won his first pole since returning, but fell out of the race after seven laps with transmission issues.

In the Michigan 500, Mario Andretti crashed and suffered a broken collar bone and hairline fracture of the right hip socket. He was forced to sit out the CART race at Road America on August 4, but made his return at Pocono.

During the CART race at Road America, Al Unser Jr. broke his right ankle when he crashed while leading on lap 36. Unser raced at Pocono but needed to be carried into his car by his crew chief. Tom Gloy was a standby driver if Unser needed someone else to drive.

On Tuesday, August 6, Danny Sullivan suffered minor injuries in a testing session at Pocono. In turn one, Sullivan spun 360 degrees and hit the wall, destroying the car. The car planned to be raced by his Team Penske teammate, Rick Mears, in the Pocono 500, but a backup was needed. Sullivan suffered "banged-up ankles, a sprained shoulder, and a torn back muscle."

Danny Sullivan won the 1985 Indianapolis 500 in May. Emerson Fittipaldi won the Michigan 500 in early August to score his first Indy car victory. CART entered the Pocono 500 with Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, and Al Unser in a three-way tie for the points lead.

On Thursday, August 15, Bobby Rahal was fastest in practice at 200.334 mph. Rick Mears was second at 198.702 mph. A. J. Foyt was a surprising third at 198.627 mph.

Friday's qualifying session was canceled because of rain. A 90-minute practice session was held when the track dried. Bobby Rahal was fastest at 201.450 mph. Mario Andretti was second at 201.374 mph. Rick Mears was third at 201.266 mph. Sammy Swindell, attempting to make his second Indy car start, crashed in turn three minutes before practice ended. He went to a backup car.

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