She doesn't get around the track as well as she would like to these days, but that doesn't mean Rose Mattioli's presence won't be felt by the thousands of fans traveling to her Pocono Raceway this weekend.

The retired physician is by far NASCAR's warmest hostess.

When her fans and her "boys" (the drivers) walk through the raceway's gates, it's as if they are walking into her home, which coincidentally is only about a mile from the tri-oval facility she and husband, Joe "Doc" Mattioli, built more than 40 years ago.

As she prepares for the first of her two NASCAR race weekends this summer, make no mistake: There are no plans to sell her beloved raceway, nor is it in danger of losing any races, and 500 miles isn't too long.

With those issues out of the way, here are five much more interesting facets of Mattioli's livelihood and legacy she plans to leave behind.

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We do a little bit of keeping up ... with refurbishing but what we have learned is that some times you get so big you lose that warmth and lose touch with your fans.

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Dr. ROSE MATTIOLI

1. Home office ...

When the stock-car engines fire, Mattioli still gets goose bumps on her arms. She can hear the roar from her kitchen as her home is only about a half-mile from the track's office.

"If you come down Long Pond Road we are on the left-hand side. We have a big wrought-iron fence, a tile roof and a fountain out front. It's like a home you would see out West or in California. It's not huge but it's comfortable. My husband and I are the only ones here and our terrier, Tiger. We are close to everything we want to be close to including our family.

2. No honeys ...

In the late 1960s and early '70s when Mattioli became involved with track ownership, the NASCAR garage was a boys club only, no girls allowed. The decision-makers thought it would be a distraction to have "honeys" on pit road or inside the garage.

From where Mattioli stood, this practice would be unacceptable at her raceway.

"We've come a long way, we really have. Back in 1974 when we first started having NASCAR races here Bill France was in charge of the garage area and he told me ladies don't want to be in the garage ... we don't need the honeys he said. I was lucky, I had a doctorate in my name so they let me come in and I was one of the guys.

"Still, I felt bad for the wives. Linda Petty followed her husband's career and she had to bring the children and they would sit in the back of the car, it wasn't a real comfortable place to be. That is when I got involved and started having the wives over for coffee and created a lounge in the infield for them to meet and greet and rest their feet. That is what we called it. The ladies got to know me and I wanted to let them know that they had a friend at Pocono."

3. Church on race day ...

With some help from a neighbor in Nazareth, Pa., Mattioli was able to start track-side church services; one of the first of its kind started in Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway. The year was 1971 and the movement made way for Motorsports Racing Outreach to continue the worship services at all tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

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"Before the track opened all the way Mario Andretti, who lives not far [from here], brought his missionary friend and they said, 'Rose, how would you like to have Mass?' and I said, 'Yes, but we have to do it in Victory Lane so everyone can hear.' Then in 1974, Max Helton came along and took over and did a wonderful job with MRO."

4. Family affair ...

If you're somewhere in the Mattioli family tree, chances are you have a job at the track. Mattioli never wanted to push the family business on her sons or daughter; she just got lucky they share her love of the sport.

"You know when my son Joe was younger he wanted to race but the thought of it made me nervous. But every once in a while, a friend would call and say, 'Hey, your kid is down here racing under a different name' and the next morning I would see him and sure enough. I'd ask him where he was and he would just say, 'Oh, Mom.' It helps to have maternal instincts but more than that it helps to have good friends.

"Now we have two grandsons that race and we support them. We are lucky all of my children are interesting in racing and my daughter, Michelle, is a huge help. [Son] Brandon started when he was 13 and now he is president."

Having three generations of family running the business increases the unlikelihood of the raceway being sold, Mattioli added.

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Picturesque Pocono has hosted two Cup races a year since 1982.

5. Pocono hospitality...

When Mattioli was a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, she loved treating herself to the big soft pretzels sold on the side of the road.

"I grew up eating those and the men would have these big jars of mustard they would dip the pretzels in for you. It is that kind of catering we like to pass on to our fans, the sanctioning body and to our competitors. We do a little bit of keeping up with all the other new tracks on the circuit with refurbishing but what we have learned is that some times you get so big you lose that warmth and lose touch with your fans and competitors.

"When the boys win races, I send a little note and at Christmastime we send cards. We don't send e-mails, I learned to write the little notes because those are more personal and it is what Bill France used to do."

It's a job Mattioli has dedicated her life to and built her family around.

So her answer to buyers who look to acquire her storied raceway should not be surprised to learn that there is no price tag large enough for Pocono Raceway.