Mash The Gas: Pocono Preview

Dale Earnhardt Jr. crosses the finish line to win the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 8, 2014. [Credit: NASCAR Via Getty Images]

by Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann

There’s not too much different this week on the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour as on the heels of Indianapolis and the Brickyard 400, the drivers head to the Pocono International Raceway, a track with similar characteristics for the GoBowling.com 400.

Like Indy, Pocono features long straights which connect its unique “triangle” shape with three distinct turns.

Typically those drivers who do well at Indy also enjoy success at Pocono as once again what’s under the hood (read: horsepower) is key. Also, pit strategy should come into play again this week with many teams opting for a “road course” type fuel strategy which should make the race intriguing.

Here are some drivers to watch this week…

Jeff Gordon

(Dan Margetta): Not only does Jeff Gordon have six wins at Pocono, but he’s coming off an amazing Indy performance where he won his record-setting fifth Brickyard 400. Right now, Jeff Gordon is both the elder statesman and the best performing driver at Hendrick Motorsports and the resurgence should continue this week at Pocono. While the team is not bringing the same car that won Indy, the chassis they will race has competed three times this season including scoring the victory earlier at Kansas. Jeff Gordon is as focused as he has ever been and with the Chase right around the corner he has to be considered a threat to win each and every week. He is listed at 7-1 odds this week by the Las Vegas betting contingent.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

(John Wiedemann): While Dale Earnhardt Jr wasn’t particularly impressive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he did improve enough during the race to land a top ten finish. Earnhardt was the winner in the June race at Pocono and ran in the top ten all day long on his way to the victory. Can he repeat the feat and sweep Pocono? Check out the video to hear what he has to say about it.

Kurt Busch

DM: At 15-1 odds this week for Pocono, Kurt Busch and the #41 team have to be looking for a better result than last week at Indy. Busch was fast during the practices but then got caught a lap down by pit strategy in the race and never recovered. The results should be better this week at Pocono as this team has been one of the best flat track teams so far this year, having finished a strong third the last time the series raced here. Busch has won before at Pocono and if this team plans to make some noise in the Chase, they need to start to string together consistent strong finishes in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.

Jimmie Johnson

JW: All that talk from me about Jimmie Johnson dominating Indy and he ended up a sixth place non-factor in the race. It just goes to show how things can change quickly in this series. Actually, after two 42nd place finishes in a row, a sixth place run could seem like a win. Not to this team though, they want to win and they want to dominate. The question is, are they waiting for the Chase to start or are they in a slump. My prediction is that they are in test mode right now. If they hit on something, they will dominate. If they don’t, they will try other things, test a bit and probably end up with a sixth place run.

Denny Hamlin

DM: A 10-1 shot entering Pocono this weekend, Denny Hamlin at one time was a sure bet for the win on the flat tracks on the circuit. He’s still one of the better drivers on the flat surface, having finished 4th at Pocono earlier and 3rd last week at Indy. This team was smacked hard by NASCAR after Indy though when they were docked 75 points and had major fines levied for issues in post race technical inspection. Toughest of all however, is the loss of Crew Chief Darien Grubb for six weeks. One thing to consider, just about every time Denny Hamlin is faced with a ton of adversity, this team usually responds well. He won Martinsville a few years back right after having surgery. I think this team will be out to prove something the NASCAR world this week at one of Hamlin’s favorite tracks. The #11 team may be on a mission at Pocono Sunday and there won’t be a lack of determination to get the job done.

Kasey Kahne

JW: Last week at Indy must have been a huge let down for Kasey Kahne. Have a great race spoiled by getting beat by your teammate on the final restart. In truth, that type of solid run is what this team needs. Still on the outside looking in, this team is much closer to a Chase berth following the Brickyard. Taking that momentum into Pocono, where they are the defending race winners, is crucial for the #5 team to climb the standings. Avoiding the bad luck that found Kahne in the end of the June race at Pocono is key, maybe Kahne should just avoid Kyle Busch at all costs.

Tony Stewart

DM: Tony Stewart is listed at 15-1 odds to win this week and he has seemed to be getting closer to finally closing out a win. This week he brings an old chassis originally raced in 2012 before being overhauled during the off-season last year. It last raced here at Pocono in June and Stewart led many laps before being derailed by a pit road penalty. Stewart is one of the drivers without a victory so far this season and time is running out for those guys relying on points, especially those in Stewart’s shoes where points are not a given as a sure way in. I think the sprint car win in Michigan a few weeks back did wonders for his confidence and Tony Stewart is ready to return to victory lane in Cup competition nearly a year after his injury. Pocono could see the return of Tony Stewart this weekend.

Kyle Larson

JW: Kyle Larson makes a return trip to Pocono for his second career NASCAR race at the triangle track. Larson finished with a top five and led seven laps in his first try. This time around he just might win the race. Coming off a solid run at the Brickyard where he finished seventh, Larson might just be ready to capture what we have been waiting for all season, that first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Currently in the Chase mix right now, a win would most certainly lock him in to the Chase in his rookie season. Now is the time, as Larson makes a second trip to most tracks, that we could see this kid shine. Veterans better look out, Larson is coming.

Paul Menard

DM: At 75-1 odds, Paul Menard is my long shot pick this weekend. No team was more upset than Menard’s leaving Indy where a run in with Juan Pablo Montoya knocked them out of a Chase position. The crew was livid after the event and if they can turn that emotion into determination this week at Pocono, where Menard is a pretty good flat track driver, they can be right back in the Chase mix. Menard’s Childress Chevy should have plenty of horsepower to get the job done and Montoya is not entered, so another tangle will not happen. The #27 team has worked extremely hard all season to be in Chase contention and this weekend is a big test to see how they respond to the Indy adversity. If they are truly on their game, they should run well this weekend at Pocono.

Martin Truex, Jr.

JW: Considering his results this season, Martin Truex, Jr. is a long shot to have a good finish, much less a victory at Pocono. But, Truex’s best finishes this season with the Furniture Row team have been at Dover and Pocono. With two top five and six top ten finishes in seventeen races and staying on the lead lap at the end for the last sixteen of those events, Pocono this weekend could turn the season around for Truex. Truex feels that the best car he has had all season was the car he ran in the June Pocono race. We’ll see if that feeling can return this weekend.

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