Return trip to Pocono brings out best in Chasers (NASCAR.com)
July 30, 2009
Preview Show Marc Fein and Mike Bell recap Indy, the Chase standings, and look ahead to the tricky triangle of Pocono. •
Fantasy Preview Mike Bell breaks down his fantasy favorites for the race at Pocono. •
Garage Expert Larry McReynolds explains the importance of saving fuel and some of the tricks that drivers use to lengthen their fuel window. •
Track Facts Nikki Alexander brings you all the facts you need to know about the Tricky Triangle in Long Pond, Pa. •
Beyond Pit Road Carl Edwards talks with Matt Yocum about his acting experience on the TBS comedy series The Bill Engvall Show. •
Travel Log It's the second trip to Pocono, and following the trend set forth in Travel Log when the schedule returned to Daytona early in July, the focus will stay … •
Breaking down the Top 12
While most will remember the Brickyard 400 as the race Jimmie Johnson won for a third time, the biggest story in breaking down the top 12 competitors is the absence of Kyle Busch from this list. Busch had troubles all day and finished 38th, dropping from 10th to 14th in points. Here are this week's dapper dozen.
1. Tony Stewart, 3,054 points—In years past, an Indianapolis letdown would have meant a Stewart meltdown. But Stewart was overly pleased with finishing third, his ninth top-five finish in the past 11 races. No doubt that beating everyone's expectations as an owner-driver (including his own) plays a big part in that.
2. Jimmie Johnson, 2,862—Fans can say Johnson got very lucky to win at Indy again, but that's not fair analysis. Johnson consistently puts himself in positions to win and takes advantage when opportunities arise. Just think, he's one title away from tying teammate Jeff Gordon—and becoming the first driver in history to win four consecutive Cup Series titles.
3. Jeff Gordon, 2,847—Not even a pre-race interview with Kelly Ripa could help Gordon win a fifth Brickyard. Gordon did finish ninth for his sixth top-10 in the past seven races, but still hasn't won since Texas.
4. Kurt Busch, 2,608—Busch had to pit under green for a vibration and lost a lap. And with the long green-flag runs, the Lucky Dog free pass eluded Busch and he finished 27th. At least he did better than brother Kyle.
5. Carl Edwards, 2,556—Edwards finished 15th, his fourth finish outside the top 10 in the past five races. But no one can write him off, considering how Roush drivers performed in last year's Chase. If they're saving anything, look out. Edwards could get his first win this weekend at Pocono, where he led a race-high 103 laps in June, finishing second.
6. Denny Hamlin, 2,518—A broken drive shaft early in the race doomed Hamlin, who lost 16 laps because of repairs and finished 34th. His past Pocono success should have him geared for a quick turnaround.
7. Ryan Newman, 2,506—Newman was one of too many drivers complaining how difficult it was to pass, as he finished 14th. Still, he's inching ever closer to his first Chase berth since 2005, when he finished sixth.
8. Kasey Kahne, 2,482—After Darlington, Kahne was 16th in points, 66 markers behind 12th place. After his seventh-place finish at Indy, he's eighth in points and 53 ahead of 12th. Even if Richard Petty wanted more from his teams this past weekend, he has to be pleased about Kahne's position.
9. Mark Martin, 2,471—Martin's idea of driving like he's 13th in points is working well. He was so close to winning another marquee event but accentuated his positives rather than the woe-is-me negatives after Sunday's runner-up finish. He climbed from 11th to ninth in points.
10. Juan Montoya, 2,461—Montoya's penalty for speeding on pit road cost him a race he would have easily won otherwise. Even with his disappointing 11th-place finish, he has finished no worse than 12th since Pocono.
11. Greg Biffle, 2,445—Biffle's fourth-place finish halted a four-race backslide that started at Infineon. Biffle rued the fact that he lost a position to Stewart at the end to save fuel, but that's far better than running out of gas and finishing anywhere outside the top five.
12. Matt Kenseth, 2,429—Kenseth was glad to finish 10th, considering it was his second-best finish in the past seven races. Now that his sponsorship issues have been solved for next season, maybe Kenseth can focus on improving during these last six pre-Chase races. If he doesn't get into gear, Kyle Busch or someone else will pass him.
Top five and five to watch
Here's a look at the top five in points and five drivers to watch in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500. All statistical references are for Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway unless otherwise indicated. Driver rating is based on the past nine races at the track.
• Top five …
1. Tony Stewart, 104.6 Driver Rating—Four of the drivers in the top five in Cup Series points are in the top five in Pocono driver rating. Stewart is third on the driver-rating list, and he won from the pole here in June after rain washed out qualifying, stretching his fuel nearly beyond belief. He's finished in the top 10 in seven of the past eight races and will be a threat if he grabs another strong starting spot.
2. Jimmie Johnson, 102.5—Johnson is building momentum for a push toward a record fourth consecutive title, and Pocono should be good for him. Only once in 15 starts has Johnson finished worse than 15th. Top-10 finishes in the past four races and a combined 124 laps led in his past three all but assure that.
3. Jeff Gordon, 96.0—Gordon doesn't have the momentum that teammate Johnson has, but he is contented by his consistency. The first race at Pocono in June started a run of six top-10 finishes in the past seven races. Gordon still is looking for wins though; he could use his first at Pocono since 2007 this Sunday.
4. Kurt Busch, 105.0—Busch crew chief Pat Tryson says the No. 2 team will be in a conservative mode this weekend, as it's just trying to assure its spot in the Chase. You understand that mentality after looking at Busch's results from the past two races at Pocono (38th and 37th). Still, Busch could make some noise, considering he has won there twice and finished second four times in 17 starts.
5. Carl Edwards, 100.4—Edwards is bringing back the same car he finished second with in June, when he led a race-high 103 laps. He has led laps in six of nine career Pocono races and has two wins, including last August's race. He's still looking for his first win of the season.
• Five to watch …
6. Denny Hamlin, 111.3—Hamlin does have the best Pocono driver rating, but his past two finishes at the track are 23rd and 38th, with the latter being the result of a fuel-pump failure in June. But chances are he'll be back up front. He paced final practice at the track in June and was fourth fastest in the first practice.
9. Mark Martin, 98.1—In just two races (a win at Chicagoland and a second-place run at Indy), Martin has gone from 13th in points to ninth, and is just 85 points out of fifth place. Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson believe they will improve on their 19th-place effort from June based on what they've learned in the meantime.
13. David Reutimann, 61.3—You know your driver rating is bad when former Cup driver 's mark is better than yours, but Reutimann has an excellent chance at making up ground this Sunday. The Franchise has had top-10 runs at Phoenix, Pocono, Loudon and Indianapolis—all flat tracks. He finished third in June and will pounce on anyone ahead of him in points that falters.
14. Kyle Busch, 78.5—Busch fell out of the top 12 for the first time since Fontana, and Pocono probably won't be the track where he'll regain a Chase-eligible spot. Pocono is one of Busch's worst tracks; he's finished 22nd or worse in five of nine career starts. Already behind 12th-place Matt Kenseth by 82 points, a poor showing here will make Busch's Chase chances tougher in the remaining five races.
15. Brian Vickers, 93.5—Vickers is another driver looking to close the gap to the top 12. Being 120 points behind Kenseth, Vickers needs solid runs the rest of the way to give himself a realistic shot of racing his way in. He'll have to forget his most previous runs of 28th and 21st and focus on the four prior top-fives he has at the track.
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