This is a NASCAR Heat 5 Cup setup for Pocono Raceway that runs in the mid 53s. Every value below is read from the garage screen on this page, so you can copy it line by line.
One honest note first. On the test screen it did a best of 53.453 seconds against a goal of 53.040, so it did not beat the goal. An older version of this page promised low 53s. The screen says mid 53s, and the screen wins. Treat it as a stable base to find the last four tenths from.
The setup at a glance
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left front camber | +3.2 deg |
| Right front camber | -2.7 deg |
| Front swaybar | 1.500 in |
| Wheel lock | 12 deg |
| Wedge | 49.4% |
| Rear end ratio | 3.40 |
| Grille tape | 45% |
| Brake bias | 70% |
Those eight numbers do most of the work. The full sheet is below.
Full setup sheet
Tyres
| Tyre | Pressure |
|---|---|
| Left front | 20.50 psi |
| Right front | 40.25 psi |
| Left rear | 20.00 psi |
| Right rear | 39.75 psi |
Springs
| Spring | Rate |
|---|---|
| Front left | 1,150 lbs/in |
| Front right | 1,200 lbs/in |
| Rear left | 450 lbs/in |
| Rear right | 600 lbs/in |
Shocks
| Shock | Bump | Rebound |
|---|---|---|
| Front left | 5 clicks | 3 clicks |
| Front right | 3 clicks | 6 clicks |
| Rear left | 3 clicks | 5 clicks |
| Rear right | 5 clicks | 3 clicks |
Weight and ride height
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left weight | 54.2% |
| Front weight | 49.6% |
| Wedge | 49.4% |
| Front ride height | 4.000 in |
| Rear ride height | 4.000 in |
Misc
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Left front camber | +3.2 deg |
| Right front camber | -2.7 deg |
| Front swaybar | 1.500 in |
| Left track bar | 10.00 in |
| Right track bar | 11.00 in |
| Brake bias | 70% |
| Grille tape | 45% |
| Wheel lock | 12 deg |
| Steering offset | 0.125 |
Gears
| Gear | Ratio |
|---|---|
| 1st | 3.00 |
| 2nd | 1.80 |
| 3rd | 1.25 |
| Rear end ratio | 3.40 |
4th gear is covered on the screen and I will not guess it. Leave it at the value the game gives you.
Why the camber is mild
The right front runs -2.7 and the left front +3.2. Compare that with -4.5 and +5.5 at my Martinsville Cup setup.
Pocono is flat for a 2.5 mile track. Turn 2 has 8 degrees of banking and Turn 3 only 6. The corners are long and fast, but the car is not loaded into the track the way it is on a steep bank, and too much camber would cost grip in a straight line. On a track with a long front straight, that matters.
Why the swaybar and the lock are set this way
A front swaybar of 1.500 is in the middle of the range. Pocono has three different corners, and a setup that is extreme in one direction will be wrong in at least one of them.
12 degrees of wheel lock is on the high side. Pocono's corners are long, and the car has to turn a long way through them. It is the same lock as my Indy Cup setup, on a flat track with long corners too.
Why the rear end ratio is 3.40
Pocono is a 2.5 mile track with long straights, so the car needs top speed. 3.40 is a tall rear end, the same as Iowa and much taller than the 5.67 at Martinsville. Gears of 3.00, 1.80 and 1.25 cover the launch and the pit exit. On the lap you are in top gear almost everywhere.
Brake bias is 70%. Turn 1 comes at the end of the front straight, and front bias keeps the rear calm as you brake into it.
The track
Pocono Raceway is a 2.5 mile triangle in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, called "The Tricky Triangle". Each corner is modelled on a different track. From the track's Wikipedia page:
| Corner | Banking | Modelled on |
|---|---|---|
| Turn 1 | 14 degrees | Trenton Speedway |
| Turn 2 | 8 degrees | Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| Turn 3 | 6 degrees | The Milwaukee Mile |
That is the whole challenge of Pocono. Three corners, three different speeds, three different bankings, and one setup for all of them.
For scale, the Cup lap record on Wikipedia is 51.298 seconds, Kyle Busch in 2017.
The test result
How I would drive it
- Brake for Turn 1 in a straight line, and do not carry so much speed in that you miss the exit.
- Turn 2 has only 8 degrees of banking. Smooth hands, no big steering inputs.
- Turn 3 leads onto the front straight. Get to the throttle early and use all the road on the exit.
- Slipstream is worth a lot on the long straights, so in a race stay in the draft.
How to tune it for your driving
Change one thing at a time and run five laps before you judge it. The directions below are standard stock car logic, so check each one on track.
| Problem | First change |
|---|---|
| Car will not turn in Turn 3 | Lower the wedge a little |
| Rear steps out into Turn 1 | Raise the brake bias a little |
| Rear steps out on exit | Raise the wedge a little, or stiffen the front swaybar one step |
| Engine hits the limiter on the straights | Lower the rear end ratio a little |
| Front end washes out late in a run | Take 1 psi out of the right front |
With the servers closed since 1 August 2025, this setup is for career mode, quick races and split-screen. Set the AI first with my NASCAR Heat 5 AI settings, then judge the setup against them.
More NASCAR Heat 5 setups
- All 20 tracks are in my NASCAR Heat 5 Cup setups database.
- Other big, flat tracks: Indy Cup setup.
- Short track contrast: Martinsville Cup setup and Bristol Cup setup.
- Wheel not right yet? Start with my NASCAR Heat 5 FFB settings.
FAQ
What is the best camber for Pocono in NASCAR Heat 5?
+3.2 degrees on the left front and -2.7 degrees on the right front in the Cup car.
What lap time should I expect with this setup?
Mid 53s. On the test screen it did a best of 53.453. The goal was 53.040.
What rear end ratio works at Pocono?
3.40, with gears of 3.00, 1.80 and 1.25 for 1st to 3rd. The straights are long, so the car needs top speed.
What tyre pressures should I run at Pocono?
40.25 psi right front, 39.75 right rear, 20.50 left front and 20.00 left rear.
Why is Pocono called the Tricky Triangle?
It has three corners, each modelled on a different track and banked differently: 14, 8 and 6 degrees. One setup has to work in all three.