by M Roberts
Hendrick Motorsports continued their strong runs in Saturday’s practice sessions for the Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. In Friday’s session while in qualifying trim, all four Hendrick drivers topped the charts in consecutive fashion and carried that momentum into in Saturday with hopes of a great run on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson brought the same chassis he finished seventh with at Pocono in June and was better in practice this time around. Johnson led both practice sessions Saturday with not only the fastest lap in each session, but also the best average times of anyone that ran twenty laps. He’s looking like he has his best chance of winning at Pocono since he swept the season in 2004.
Johnson’s teammates, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon, all had great sessions on Saturday as well. Of the three, Martin looked the closest to Johnson in speeds. He had a great average speed in happy hour along with the third fastest single lap. After a great run last week at on the similar track of Indianapolis, Martin could be dialed in for his first ever Pocono win. In forty-five Pocono starts over his career, Martin has six 2nd place finishes - the most any driver has at one track without winning.
Dale Earnhardt Jr ran the fifth fastest lap in happy hour as their tea, continues their uphill battle. New crew chief Lance McGrew is brought the same chassis they ran last week at Indy, which was the first car built from scratch since he took he over. The changes are obvious in his speeds and Junior may finally have a real Hendrick car this week to contend with this week.
Last weeks heart break story, Juan Pablo Montoya, had the sixth quickest lap in happy hour along with stellar average lap times continuing the pace he set last week. With the tracks of Pocono and Indy being so similar, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Montoya run equally as good as last week.
The biggest improvement from the last time NASCAR visited Pocono was the performance of the Childress cars. Kevin Harvick was second fastest in happy hour while Clint Bowyer was second quickest in the early practice session.
None of the Childress drivers are close to making the chase with six races to go, but a good run this week could make things interesting down the stretch. This is the first sign all season that Harvick, who is looking to change teams after the season, has looked like a legitimate candidate to win based on practice.
The strongest Ford of the day belonged to Carl Edwards who won this race last season and finished second in the June Pocono race. Edwards was third quickest in the early session and hopes to continue his steady performance en route to the chase where he is still looking for his first win of the season.
June’s Pocono winner, Tony Stewart, is looking to duplicate his accomplishment in all facets Sunday. In the June race, Stewart was on the pole but relegated to the rear due to wrecking his car in the first practice.
This week, Stewart sits on the pole due to points because of qualifying being rained out and he had a case of Deja-vu because he wrecked his primary car early in the first practice session and will again be going with a back-up, and going to the rear for Sunday’s race. However, in June’s race, Stewart was very strong in the back-up during practice. In Saturday’s happy hour, Stewart had just the twenty-sixth fastest lap.
Saturday’s Early Practice Session - Top Speeds
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson 167.292 mph - AVG 20 laps @ 159.314
2) #33 Clint Bowyer 166.334 - AVG 20 laps @ 160.829
3) #99 Carl Edwards 165.911 - AVG 16 laps @ 162.230
4) #24 Jeff Gordon 165.908 - AVG 16 laps @ 161.886
5) #29 Kevin Harvick 165.810 - AVG 20 laps @ 158.487
Happy Hour: Final Practice Session - Top Speeds
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson 165.795 - AVG 24 laps @ 162.896
2) #29 Kevin Harvick 165.417 - AVG 21 laps @ 161.998
3) #5 Mark Martin 165.189 - AVG 28 laps @ 162.385
4) #44 A.J. Allmendinger 164.932 - AVG 31 laps @ 161.808
5) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 164.893 - AVG 24 laps @ 161.470
Top 10 rated drivers for Pocono based on Practice with a mix of Indy and past Pocono practice and results.
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Mark Martin
3) Jeff Gordon
4) Juan Pablo Montoya
5) Kasey Kahne
6) Clint Bowyer
7) Ryan Newman
8) Tony Stewart
9) Kevin Harvick
10) Carl Edwards
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania 500. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania 500. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Pocono Preview
by Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Kyle Busch, Get it Together!
This weeks race at Pocono marks the halfway point in the Race to the Chase. Only six races remain until NASCAR’s ten race playoff format starts. If the Chase for the Championship started today, Las Vegas’ very own Kyle Busch would be outside looking in.
Last week’s awful 38th place showing at Indianapolis plummeted Busch four positions from tenth to fourteenth. Only the top-12 make the chase and as hard as it seems to believe, Busch is in serious danger of not making the Chase if he doesn’t get things turned around.
We are going into race 21 of the season and but Busch has been mired in a ten week slump. May 2nd was the last time Busch had a top-5 finish. May 2nd? Kyle, are you kidding? A driver of Busch’s stature with all the great Joe Gibbs Racing equipment should be able to run in the top-5 consistently, but it seems like Busch’s style of driving that has made him so good is having the reverse effect now.
Busch runs so hard on each and every lap trying to be the fastest, even if the car may not be capable of keeping up with his desire. Last week at the Brickyard is a perfect example. Busch had a car that was maybe a top-15 car, but Busch tried to get a win by going all out. All the great drivers in NASCAR have been able become great simply because they can feel the car’s limitations and get the most points possible out of it.
Maybe all the hype has gone to Busch’s head. He’s been called the next Dale Earnhardt because of his style and has taken on the villain role with open arms. He has shown his immaturity on several occasions by taking verbal jabs at the struggling Dale Earnhardt Jr, the driver that forced Busch out of Hendrick Motorsports.
In the process through all his antics, Busch’s focus on driving his Cup car has struggled. Now, more than ever, all the anti-Busch fans have more to cheer about because he finishes so poorly these days.
Perhaps part of his struggles could be that he’s spending too much time driving his Nationwide car. He currently leads in points in the lower level NASCAR Series and seems very focused there, but it’s not helping him in the big leagues.
He’s now got six races left to get his act together, make the Chase, and make a run for the Sprint Cup Championship. Titles are why each and everyone of these drivers play the game. Right now, Kyle is playing a totally different game, and he’s losing.
Pocono - Race 21: Sunday, August 2, 2008
Just about every team who had decent runs last week at Indy will be bringing the same chassis
to Pocono this week. All the data and information collected from Indy and last Pocono race run in June is very relevant for this week.
Four drivers have finished in the top-10 from both races, and a few others were very close to making the list. Tony Stewart tops the chart due to his Pocono win and third place finish last week at The Brickyard. The current point leader is in cruise control and got his series leading twelfth top-5 finish as well last week.
Last weeks winner, Jimmie Johnson, has the most impressive streak of anyone coming into this week using the Indy-Pocono mix. Not only has Johnson finished in the top-10 in the two races this season, but his streak extends to all of last seasons races as well giving him five straight. During his steak, Johnson has two wins.
With his win last week, Johnson also moved into second position in points passing his teammate Jeff Gordon. This is usually the time of year he takes it up a notch. Points mean little going into the Chase because start position is determined by wins. Right now Johnson would start the Chase in second as a result of his three wins on the season. Mark Martin’s four wins would make him the leader. Kyle Busch has three wins and would start right behind Johnson, but doesn’t qualify at the moment.
Jeff Gordon finished fourth last month at Pocono and ninth at Indy and has finished in the top-10 in four of the five last events run on those tracks. His last win at Pocono came in 2007. Gordon’s approach and style is one driver that Kyle Busch should take notice of. Gordon sitting third in points has the advantage of being older and wiser with all his race experience, but he only takes what the car gives him and that style could possibly net him his fifth Cup title.
The surprise of the group of top-10 finishers at both tracks this season is David Reutimann.
While fuel strategy at Pocono in June may have played a role in getting his third place finish there, his eighth place last week at Indy was just flat out good driving in a really good car. He already has a win this season, but still continues to be offered by Sports Books in the 60 to 1 or higher range. This week might be a good week to try and catch a shooting star.
Ryan Newman looked to be the car to beat the last time the Cup series went to Pocono. He was extremely fast in practice, but it only translated to a fifth place finish. At Indy, Newman was just as good in practice, and even turned the fastest lap late in happy hour there, but settled for a fourteenth place finish. We know he’s got the goods to get it done and get his first win of the year at some point, and this week at Pocono seems like a good fit.
Carl Edwards finished second in the first Pocono race, but only finished fifteenth at Indy. His poor qualifying session at Indy doomed him, even though he looked to have the 2nd best car to Johnson’s during happy hour. The long green flag runs and jumbled traffic made it tough for Edwards to make a move with a car that was very good. In nine career starts at Pocono, Edwards has two wins and three other top-5 finishes.
Kasey Kahne was solid at Indy with a seventh place finish to go along with a great happy hour session there. He should be all set for a similarly good run this at Pocono, a gtrack he won at last season. Like Gordon, Kahne has finished in the top-10 in the last four of five races combined on the two facilities.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s story last week at Indy is a sad one because he was on his way to what looked like a runaway victory almost in the same dominant fashion as his 2000 Indy 500 win. However, Montoya got a little antsy on pit road and was caught speeding and had to come back to the pits and serve a penalty that ultimately cost him the race, or at least a top-3 finish. He ended up finishing eleventh and when mixing in his eighth place run last month at Pocono, Montoya looks like a nice stab this week at 25 to 1 odds.
The mystery driver this week is Denny Hamlin, winner of both Pocono races in 2006. That car he won with is long gone, but Hamlin has shown an extreme like for the flat tracks on the circuit, this year however, he doesn‘t have the results to show it.
If practice times actually won something, Hamlin would be leading the league based on his two pre-race sessions at Pocono and Indy. In each of those instances, Hamlin wasn’t able to get it done in the actual race. He’s got the car capable of winning and his set-up is perfect, but it’s somewhat risky based on what he’s trending in like-instances. For that risk, the sports books should give a nice price.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
2) #14 Tony Stewart (6/1)
3) #9 Kasey Kahne (15/1)
4) #99 Carl Edwards (10/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (13/1)
VegasInsider.com
Kyle Busch, Get it Together!
This weeks race at Pocono marks the halfway point in the Race to the Chase. Only six races remain until NASCAR’s ten race playoff format starts. If the Chase for the Championship started today, Las Vegas’ very own Kyle Busch would be outside looking in.
Last week’s awful 38th place showing at Indianapolis plummeted Busch four positions from tenth to fourteenth. Only the top-12 make the chase and as hard as it seems to believe, Busch is in serious danger of not making the Chase if he doesn’t get things turned around.
We are going into race 21 of the season and but Busch has been mired in a ten week slump. May 2nd was the last time Busch had a top-5 finish. May 2nd? Kyle, are you kidding? A driver of Busch’s stature with all the great Joe Gibbs Racing equipment should be able to run in the top-5 consistently, but it seems like Busch’s style of driving that has made him so good is having the reverse effect now.
Busch runs so hard on each and every lap trying to be the fastest, even if the car may not be capable of keeping up with his desire. Last week at the Brickyard is a perfect example. Busch had a car that was maybe a top-15 car, but Busch tried to get a win by going all out. All the great drivers in NASCAR have been able become great simply because they can feel the car’s limitations and get the most points possible out of it.
Maybe all the hype has gone to Busch’s head. He’s been called the next Dale Earnhardt because of his style and has taken on the villain role with open arms. He has shown his immaturity on several occasions by taking verbal jabs at the struggling Dale Earnhardt Jr, the driver that forced Busch out of Hendrick Motorsports.
In the process through all his antics, Busch’s focus on driving his Cup car has struggled. Now, more than ever, all the anti-Busch fans have more to cheer about because he finishes so poorly these days.
Perhaps part of his struggles could be that he’s spending too much time driving his Nationwide car. He currently leads in points in the lower level NASCAR Series and seems very focused there, but it’s not helping him in the big leagues.
He’s now got six races left to get his act together, make the Chase, and make a run for the Sprint Cup Championship. Titles are why each and everyone of these drivers play the game. Right now, Kyle is playing a totally different game, and he’s losing.
Pocono - Race 21: Sunday, August 2, 2008
Just about every team who had decent runs last week at Indy will be bringing the same chassis
to Pocono this week. All the data and information collected from Indy and last Pocono race run in June is very relevant for this week.
Four drivers have finished in the top-10 from both races, and a few others were very close to making the list. Tony Stewart tops the chart due to his Pocono win and third place finish last week at The Brickyard. The current point leader is in cruise control and got his series leading twelfth top-5 finish as well last week.
Last weeks winner, Jimmie Johnson, has the most impressive streak of anyone coming into this week using the Indy-Pocono mix. Not only has Johnson finished in the top-10 in the two races this season, but his streak extends to all of last seasons races as well giving him five straight. During his steak, Johnson has two wins.
With his win last week, Johnson also moved into second position in points passing his teammate Jeff Gordon. This is usually the time of year he takes it up a notch. Points mean little going into the Chase because start position is determined by wins. Right now Johnson would start the Chase in second as a result of his three wins on the season. Mark Martin’s four wins would make him the leader. Kyle Busch has three wins and would start right behind Johnson, but doesn’t qualify at the moment.
Jeff Gordon finished fourth last month at Pocono and ninth at Indy and has finished in the top-10 in four of the five last events run on those tracks. His last win at Pocono came in 2007. Gordon’s approach and style is one driver that Kyle Busch should take notice of. Gordon sitting third in points has the advantage of being older and wiser with all his race experience, but he only takes what the car gives him and that style could possibly net him his fifth Cup title.
The surprise of the group of top-10 finishers at both tracks this season is David Reutimann.
While fuel strategy at Pocono in June may have played a role in getting his third place finish there, his eighth place last week at Indy was just flat out good driving in a really good car. He already has a win this season, but still continues to be offered by Sports Books in the 60 to 1 or higher range. This week might be a good week to try and catch a shooting star.
Ryan Newman looked to be the car to beat the last time the Cup series went to Pocono. He was extremely fast in practice, but it only translated to a fifth place finish. At Indy, Newman was just as good in practice, and even turned the fastest lap late in happy hour there, but settled for a fourteenth place finish. We know he’s got the goods to get it done and get his first win of the year at some point, and this week at Pocono seems like a good fit.
Carl Edwards finished second in the first Pocono race, but only finished fifteenth at Indy. His poor qualifying session at Indy doomed him, even though he looked to have the 2nd best car to Johnson’s during happy hour. The long green flag runs and jumbled traffic made it tough for Edwards to make a move with a car that was very good. In nine career starts at Pocono, Edwards has two wins and three other top-5 finishes.
Kasey Kahne was solid at Indy with a seventh place finish to go along with a great happy hour session there. He should be all set for a similarly good run this at Pocono, a gtrack he won at last season. Like Gordon, Kahne has finished in the top-10 in the last four of five races combined on the two facilities.
Juan Pablo Montoya’s story last week at Indy is a sad one because he was on his way to what looked like a runaway victory almost in the same dominant fashion as his 2000 Indy 500 win. However, Montoya got a little antsy on pit road and was caught speeding and had to come back to the pits and serve a penalty that ultimately cost him the race, or at least a top-3 finish. He ended up finishing eleventh and when mixing in his eighth place run last month at Pocono, Montoya looks like a nice stab this week at 25 to 1 odds.
The mystery driver this week is Denny Hamlin, winner of both Pocono races in 2006. That car he won with is long gone, but Hamlin has shown an extreme like for the flat tracks on the circuit, this year however, he doesn‘t have the results to show it.
If practice times actually won something, Hamlin would be leading the league based on his two pre-race sessions at Pocono and Indy. In each of those instances, Hamlin wasn’t able to get it done in the actual race. He’s got the car capable of winning and his set-up is perfect, but it’s somewhat risky based on what he’s trending in like-instances. For that risk, the sports books should give a nice price.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
2) #14 Tony Stewart (6/1)
3) #9 Kasey Kahne (15/1)
4) #99 Carl Edwards (10/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (13/1)
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