Pocono Raceway has always been difficult on first-time drivers. Other than Denny Hamlin last year and Jeremy Mayfield in 1998, no driver has recorded his first career victory on this track. Carl Edwards won in his first attempt here?which was his second NASCAR Nextel Cup victory after winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier in 2005?but they are the exception to the rule, and very few other active drivers have recorded a top-10 in their inaugural trip to the Pocono triangle.
It is notable, however, that all three of these milestones were recorded in the first Pocono race of the season, as June is developing a reputation for being kinder than July.
Tier One
It is impossible to overlook Denny Hamlin at Pocono. His mastery of this place last year bordered on legendary, and while perfect streaks are hard to come by, much stranger things have occurred during the history of NASCAR. If he misses, his overall flat track record suggests he is still good for a top-five finish, which more than makes him worth the while in this Tier. If you have been paying attention, you've save allocations for him for the flat courses, and now is the time to use them.
Hendrick Motorsports has been strong with every one of their drivers at Pocono, which means that both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have to be viewed as favorites to win as well. Between the two, we are going to give the slight edge to Gordon for one reason from the track and one from off it. His final result in this race last year was a DNF caused by brake failure, but he was running at the head of the pack before then and would have likely earned a top-10 if not for the failure. Off the track, his wife is about to give birth to their first daughter, and Gordon would like to have a big enough points' lead to be able to skip the Infineon Raceway event if needed to attend the delivery. This will ensure he goes flat out.
Kurt Busch will race this weekend, but he has been docked points and placed on probation for his bone-headed move in the pits at Dover International Speedway when he swerved into the side of Tony Stewart's car while a crewman was working on it. He should be relieved that he was not suspended?and one is left to wonder just who has to get killed in order to actually draw that kind of penalty from NASCAR?but he should at least be chagrined and embarrassed in the car, which might put him off his game.
Tier Two
Edwards won in his first attempt here and like Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr., he is coming off a recent victory. His win came in the NASCAR Prelude to the Dream late model dirt charity race at Eldora Speedway in a rare appearance in that type of car. That shows car control and momentum, which are two things that will help him into the top five this week.
Mears has a dark horse chance to win this week. He has not been overly impressive at Pocono in the past because of the equipment he's been in, but Hendrick has placed every one of their drivers in the top 10 at some point in their careers, and most of these have also earned top-fives. Moreover, he had a much better than anticipated run on the high banks of Dover last week, which allows him to maintain his momentum. If circumstances fall the right way, he is even capable of winning outright, which would take him from the doghouse to the penthouse in a very short time after he struggled during the first one-third of the season.
The drivers to avoid in tiers two, three and four all belong to the same owner. Chip Ganassi Racing has had a terrible time on this triangular track in the past few years, and in 2006 none of their drivers cracked the top 25. That kind of consistent misjudgment of the handling characteristics of a track means they have absolutely no notes from which to work, Reed Sorenson, David Stremme and Juan Montoya can wait for another day.
Montoya gets a yellow flag instead of a red one this week, however, because this track is often kind to road racing stars. The flat corners require a driver to slow before entering them, and Montoya might be able to crack the top 20 with a little luck.
Tier Three
This tier does not reveal too many great options, which requires you to watch Saturday's practice sessions closely. Whichever driver has the best average speeds over the long run will become your dark horse contender and the best you can do for the moment is to decide which men to give the most attention.
Experience counts at Pocono, so Bobby Labonte and Elliott Sadler should be two of these drivers watched. Petty Enterprises has been vastly improved for the past two years, and Pocono is as good a venue for them to strut as any. Ray Evernham Motorsports will eventually get their ship righted, and it could come this week as well. There are no guarantees, however, so expect Tier Three to be challenging.
J.J. Yeley had luck and speed on his side a couple of weeks ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway and that momentum should still be with him. If you want to save the veterans for later in the season, give the driver of the No. 18 a long look on Saturday, but if he does not achieve fast times in practice, avoid him nonetheless.
Tier Four
The Wood Bros. are much better than their results show, and in the last couple of races, we've been waiting for Bill Elliott to break out. Since Pocono is so kind to veterans, this could be the week for that to happen. Oh yeah, and he has five career victories to his credit already on this tricky old track, which puts him at the top of the list.
Brian Vickers finished fourth in both events last year, and while he was in much better equipment in the No. 25, his Toyota has taken on a different look in the past few weeks. Pocono has different demands on the engine than the unrestricted, intermediate speedways or the high banks, but his speed on both types of tracks in the last two weeks suggests that the manufacturer and teams are starting to work well together to find the right combination.
It is notable, however, that all three of these milestones were recorded in the first Pocono race of the season, as June is developing a reputation for being kinder than July.
Tier One
It is impossible to overlook Denny Hamlin at Pocono. His mastery of this place last year bordered on legendary, and while perfect streaks are hard to come by, much stranger things have occurred during the history of NASCAR. If he misses, his overall flat track record suggests he is still good for a top-five finish, which more than makes him worth the while in this Tier. If you have been paying attention, you've save allocations for him for the flat courses, and now is the time to use them.
Hendrick Motorsports has been strong with every one of their drivers at Pocono, which means that both Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have to be viewed as favorites to win as well. Between the two, we are going to give the slight edge to Gordon for one reason from the track and one from off it. His final result in this race last year was a DNF caused by brake failure, but he was running at the head of the pack before then and would have likely earned a top-10 if not for the failure. Off the track, his wife is about to give birth to their first daughter, and Gordon would like to have a big enough points' lead to be able to skip the Infineon Raceway event if needed to attend the delivery. This will ensure he goes flat out.
Kurt Busch will race this weekend, but he has been docked points and placed on probation for his bone-headed move in the pits at Dover International Speedway when he swerved into the side of Tony Stewart's car while a crewman was working on it. He should be relieved that he was not suspended?and one is left to wonder just who has to get killed in order to actually draw that kind of penalty from NASCAR?but he should at least be chagrined and embarrassed in the car, which might put him off his game.
Tier Two
Edwards won in his first attempt here and like Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr., he is coming off a recent victory. His win came in the NASCAR Prelude to the Dream late model dirt charity race at Eldora Speedway in a rare appearance in that type of car. That shows car control and momentum, which are two things that will help him into the top five this week.
Mears has a dark horse chance to win this week. He has not been overly impressive at Pocono in the past because of the equipment he's been in, but Hendrick has placed every one of their drivers in the top 10 at some point in their careers, and most of these have also earned top-fives. Moreover, he had a much better than anticipated run on the high banks of Dover last week, which allows him to maintain his momentum. If circumstances fall the right way, he is even capable of winning outright, which would take him from the doghouse to the penthouse in a very short time after he struggled during the first one-third of the season.
The drivers to avoid in tiers two, three and four all belong to the same owner. Chip Ganassi Racing has had a terrible time on this triangular track in the past few years, and in 2006 none of their drivers cracked the top 25. That kind of consistent misjudgment of the handling characteristics of a track means they have absolutely no notes from which to work, Reed Sorenson, David Stremme and Juan Montoya can wait for another day.
Montoya gets a yellow flag instead of a red one this week, however, because this track is often kind to road racing stars. The flat corners require a driver to slow before entering them, and Montoya might be able to crack the top 20 with a little luck.
Tier Three
This tier does not reveal too many great options, which requires you to watch Saturday's practice sessions closely. Whichever driver has the best average speeds over the long run will become your dark horse contender and the best you can do for the moment is to decide which men to give the most attention.
Experience counts at Pocono, so Bobby Labonte and Elliott Sadler should be two of these drivers watched. Petty Enterprises has been vastly improved for the past two years, and Pocono is as good a venue for them to strut as any. Ray Evernham Motorsports will eventually get their ship righted, and it could come this week as well. There are no guarantees, however, so expect Tier Three to be challenging.
J.J. Yeley had luck and speed on his side a couple of weeks ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway and that momentum should still be with him. If you want to save the veterans for later in the season, give the driver of the No. 18 a long look on Saturday, but if he does not achieve fast times in practice, avoid him nonetheless.
Tier Four
The Wood Bros. are much better than their results show, and in the last couple of races, we've been waiting for Bill Elliott to break out. Since Pocono is so kind to veterans, this could be the week for that to happen. Oh yeah, and he has five career victories to his credit already on this tricky old track, which puts him at the top of the list.
Brian Vickers finished fourth in both events last year, and while he was in much better equipment in the No. 25, his Toyota has taken on a different look in the past few weeks. Pocono has different demands on the engine than the unrestricted, intermediate speedways or the high banks, but his speed on both types of tracks in the last two weeks suggests that the manufacturer and teams are starting to work well together to find the right combination.
