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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

2016 NASCAR Week 14 Preview: Pocono

Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400

Pocono Raceway


By Richard Tix

Three turns? Why not! NASCAR heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the first time in 2016 after a dominating win by Martin Truex Jr at Charlotte. Last year this stop at Pocono was the exact time where Truex finally broke his long win-less streak and had a break through with Furniture Row Racing.

This time around he is locked into the Chase and will have a shot to win back to back races for the first time in his career. A win at Pocono would also mark the first time Truex would have multiple wins in a single season during his 13 year career.

Pocono has actually been won by nine different drivers in the last eleven races (Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon were multiple winners during that time). So, it is possible a new winner will be out there to compete with Truex and stop his run. Either that or a guy like Dale Earnhardt Jr could get his first win of 2016 or Brad Keselowski can add to his quality runs here at Pocono. Check out the 'Tricky Triangle' this week to see how it all plays out.



**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good
  • Jimmie Johnson- When it comes to consistenly good at Pocono JJ is your man. In 28 starts he has three wins, eleven top 5's, and nineteen top 10's. To go along with those stats he also has three poles. 
  • Brad Keselowski- Two years ago coming up short on fuel cost him a win and last year he just got beat out late by Matt Kenseth, but overall Pocono has been good to BK. He still has one win and two career runner up finishes in 12 starts here. 
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr- Speaking of running out of fuel, the recipient of that was Jr, who had a strong car that day but not the strongest. Dale won that race and then came back later in the season to sweep Pocono in 2014. Juniors Pocono success has been a recent thing as he used to struggle here, but he seems to have it down now.
The Middle
  • Kevin Harvick- Harvick has run well here at Pocono, but just can't put the finishing touches on a win. In 30 races he has zero wins, seven top 5's, and eleven top 10's. He does have two runner up finishes in his last three starts here, though.
The Bad
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Stenhouse's first six races have been just a tad better then his girlfriends that follows (Danica Patrick), but that isn't saying much. He has four finishes of 26th or worse and the last two were in the 40's. 
  • Danica Patrick- Five of Danica's last six races have resulted in finishes of 29th or higher. She did finish a career best 16th last time here and also lead five laps.
  • Paul Menard- In the last eight races here Menard has finished 30th or higher half the time. Five of the eight have been 26th or higher. However, he does have a top ten and two eleventh place finishes during that span.
About the Track: Pocono Raceway
Track Stats
  • Of current drivers, Denny Hamlin has the most wins (4)
  • Of current drivers Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch have the most top 5's (12)
  • Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have the most Pole's of current drivers (3)
  • Jeff Gordon has the most career Pocono wins (6) followed by Bill Elliott (5)
  • Mark Martin has the most career Pocono top 5's (20) followed by Gordon (19)
  • Ricky Rudd has the most career Pocono starts (55) followed by Mark Martin (54)
  • Of drivers with at least 10 Pocono starts, Davey Allison has the best average finish (9.8 in 13 starts).
  • A Pocono race has been won from the Pole 15 times in 75 Cup races
  • Chevy has won the last 6 of 7 races 7 of the last 10. Including Dale Earnhardt Jr sweeping in 2014.
  • The furthest back anyone has started and won was 29th in 2005 when Carl Edwards won in the first Pocono stop of the year
Track Info
  • Surface: Asphalt
  • Length: 2.5 Miles
  • Banking
    • Turn 1: 14 degrees
    • Turn 2: 8 degrees
    • Turn 3: 6 degrees
Pocono Raceway
Race
Date
Cars
Winner(s)
St
Make / Model
1974-20
8/4/1974
35
Richard Petty
3
'74 Dodge
1975-18
8/3/1975
35
David Pearson
2
'73 Mercury
1976-18
8/1/1976
40
Richard Petty
5
Dodge
1977-18
7/31/1977
35
Benny Parsons
4
Chevrolet
1978-18
7/30/1978
40
Darrell Waltrip
4
Chevrolet
1979-19
7/30/1979
39
Cale Yarborough
2
Chevrolet
1980-19
7/27/1980
40
Neil Bonnett
2
Mercury
1981-19
7/26/1981
35
Darrell Waltrip
1
Buick
1982-13
6/6/1982
37
Bobby Allison
3
Buick
1982-18
7/25/1982
36
Bobby Allison
4
Buick
1983-14
6/12/1983
38
Bobby Allison
7
Buick
1983-18
7/24/1983
40
Tim Richmond
1
Pontiac
1984-14
6/10/1984
39
Cale Yarborough
12
Chevrolet
1984-18
7/22/1984
40
Harry Gant
3
Chevrolet
1985-13
6/9/1985
40
Bill Elliott
1
Ford
1985-16
7/21/1985
40
Bill Elliott
2
Ford
1986-13
6/8/1986
40
Tim Richmond
3
Chevrolet
1986-16
7/20/1986
40
Tim Richmond
5
Chevrolet
1987-12
6/14/1987
40
Tim Richmond
3
Chevrolet
1987-16
7/19/1987
40
Dale Earnhardt
16
Chevrolet
1988-13
6/19/1988
40
Geoffrey Bodine
3
Chevrolet
1988-16
7/24/1988
40
Bill Elliott
2
Ford
1989-13
6/18/1989
38
Terry Labonte
23
Ford
1989-16
7/23/1989
40
Bill Elliott
14
Ford
1990-13
6/17/1990
40
Harry Gant
16
Oldsmobile
1990-16
7/22/1990
39
Geoffrey Bodine
4
Ford
1991-13
6/16/1991
37
Darrell Waltrip
13
Chevrolet
1991-16
7/21/1991
40
Rusty Wallace
10
Pontiac
1992-13
6/14/1992
40
Alan Kulwicki
6
Ford
1992-16
7/19/1992
40
Darrell Waltrip
8
Chevrolet
1993-13
6/13/1993
40
Kyle Petty
8
Pontiac
1993-17
7/18/1993
40
Dale Earnhardt
11
Chevrolet
1994-13
6/12/1994
42
Rusty Wallace
1
Ford
1994-17
7/17/1994
42
Geoffrey Bodine
1
Ford
1995-13
6/11/1995
42
Terry Labonte
27
Chevrolet
1995-17
7/16/1995
41
Dale Jarrett
15
Ford
1996-13
6/16/1996
41
Jeff Gordon
1
Chevrolet
1996-17
7/21/1996
41
Rusty Wallace
13
Ford
1997-13
6/8/1997
42
Jeff Gordon
11
Chevrolet
1997-18
7/20/1997
42
Dale Jarrett
4
Ford
1998-15
6/21/1998
43
Jeremy Mayfield
3
Ford
1998-18
7/26/1998
43
Jeff Gordon
2
Chevrolet
1999-15
6/20/1999
43
Bobby Labonte
3
Pontiac
1999-19
7/25/1999
43
Bobby Labonte
4
Pontiac
2000-15
6/19/2000
43
Jeremy Mayfield
22
Ford
2000-19
7/23/2000
43
Rusty Wallace
2
Ford
2001-15
6/17/2001
43
Ricky Rudd
1
Ford
2001-20
7/29/2001
43
Bobby Labonte
11
Pontiac
2002-14
6/9/2002
43
Dale Jarrett
13
Ford
2002-20
7/28/2002
43
Bill Elliott
1
Dodge
2003-14
6/8/2003
43
Tony Stewart
4
Chevrolet
2003-20
7/27/2003
43
Ryan Newman
1
Dodge
2004-14
6/13/2004
43
Jimmie Johnson
5
Chevrolet
2004-20
8/1/2004
43
Jimmie Johnson
14
Chevrolet
2005-14
6/12/2005
43
Carl Edwards
29
Ford
2005-20
7/24/2005
43
Kurt Busch
2
Ford
2006-14
6/11/2006
43
Denny Hamlin
1
Chevrolet
2006-20
7/23/2006
43
Denny Hamlin
1
Chevrolet
2007-14
6/10/2007
43
Jeff Gordon
18
Chevrolet
2007-21
8/5/2007
43
Kurt Busch
2
Dodge
2008-14
6/8/2008
43
Kasey Kahne
1
Dodge
2008-21
8/3/2008
43
Carl Edwards
15
Ford
2009-14
6/7/2009
43
Tony Stewart
1
Chevrolet
2009-21
8/3/2009
43
Denny Hamlin
6
Toyota
2010-14
6/6/2010
43
Denny Hamlin
5
Toyota
2010-21
8/1/2010
43
Greg Biffle
12
Ford
2011-14
6/12/2011
43
Jeff Gordon
3
Chevrolet
2011-21
8/7/2011
43
Brad Keselowski
13
Dodge
2012-14
6/10/2012
43
Joey Logano
1
Toyota
2012-21
8/5/2012
43
Jeff Gordon
27
Chevrolet
2013-14
6/9/2013
43
Jimmie Johnson
1
Chevrolet
2013-21
8/4/2013
43
Kasey Kahne
18
Chevrolet
2014-14
6/8/2014
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
8
Chevrolet
2014-21
8/3/2014
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
9
Chevrolet
2015-14
6/7/2015
43
Martin Truex, Jr.
3
Chevrolet
2015-21
8/2/2015
43
Matt Kenseth
7
Toyota



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