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LONG POND — The founder of Pocono Raceway, the late Dr. Joseph “Doc” Mattioli, is one of five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
Mattioli, who died in January 2012 at age 86, founded the raceway in the 1960s with his wife, Dr. Rose Mattioli. It hosts two NASCAR races each summer.
Other nominees for the 2020 Landmark Award:
• Edsel Ford II, member of the board of directors of Ford Motor Co.
• Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman who established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina.
• Mike Helton, named the third president of NASCAR in 2000.
• Ralph Seagraves, who formed the groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as an executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
The Mattioli family released a statement about the nomination:
“Dr. Rose Mattioli, along with all four generations of the Mattioli and Igdalsky families, would like to thank the Hall of Fame for nominating ‘Doc.’ He was more than our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, but our inspiration to continue his legacy.
“Doc’s tenacity, fortitude and determination gave us a shining example of how to do business. His handshake was better than a contract. We have always attributed Sinatra’s song to Doc’s style — he did it ‘his’ way.
“He persevered through nearly two decades of bankruptcy and uncertainty with help of Bill France Sr., his wife Annie B., and Bill France Jr. If it had not been for their guidance and friendship, Pocono Raceway would not be here today. Doc is in our hearts and thoughts every day in all the decisions that we make. He may be gone, but he is always with us.”
Landmark Award winners remain eligible for NASCAR Hall of Fame enshrinement. Voting for the 2020 Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as well as the recipient of the Landmark Award, will be held on May 22, 2019.
The New York Times once reported that Mattioli “gave up his Philadelphia dental practice, bought a spinach farm off Interstate 80 in northeast Pennsylvania in 1960, and transformed it into Pocono Raceway, one of the primary stock-car racetracks in the country.”
Mattioli, who was born in Old Forge, and his wife were known for their philanthropy, donating millions to area organizations and institutions.
The Mattiolis provided a $100,000 gift for repairs to the Wyoming Monument which was damaged by a lightning strike in 2008. The monument, which commemorates the Battle of Wyoming of July 2, 1778, was dedicated in 1860.
With the money — added to the $23,000 that had already been raised — the monument at the site of the bloody Revolutionary War battle site will be able to stand for generations to come.
In December 2012, Mattioli was one of three men inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame.
Mattioli also took the lead in environmental fields and became one of the first track owners to install a solar energy system.