Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Pocono Raceway Track Facts: 2016 Axalta 400

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 16 at Pocono Raceway

Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
 
 
1
Kevin Harvick
30
0
0
7
11
3
14.2
91.8
 
2
Kurt Busch
29
2
2
12
16
5
15.1
105.7
 
3
Jimmie Johnson
28
3
3
11
19
1
9.5
106.9
 
4
Kyle Busch
22
2
0
4
8
5
18.4
85.8
 
5
Carl Edwards
22
0
2
5
9
1
15.2
94.8
 
6
Brad Keselowski
12
0
1
4
5
0
12.8
91.7
 
7
Martin Truex Jr
20
0
1
3
7
0
15.3
85.0
 
8
Chase Elliott
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
 
9
Joey Logano
14
2
1
3
5
1
15.9
91.7
 
10
Matt Kenseth
32
0
1
4
12
1
15.2
88.7
 
11
Denny Hamlin
20
3
4
9
13
2
12.3
107.2
 
12
Austin Dillon
4
0
0
0
0
0
16
81.0
 
13
Dale Earnhardt Jr
32
1
2
10
14
1
14.8
93.2
 
14
Jamie McMurray
26
1
0
0
7
3
19.1
74.1
 
15
Ryan Blaney
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
 
16
Ryan Newman
28
2
1
9
14
3
12.8
92.9
 
* – Based on last 22 races at Pocono Raceway (2005 – 2015).



Pocono Raceway Data
Season Race #: 14 of 36 (06-05-16)
Track Size: 2.5-miles
Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees
Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees
Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  3,740 feet
Backstretch Length:  3,055 feet
Shortstretch Length:  1,780 feet
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono
Denny Hamlin............................ 107.2
Jimmie Johnson........................ 106.9
Kurt Busch................................ 105.7
Tony Stewart............................... 95.7
Kyle Larson................................ 95.1
Carl Edwards.............................. 94.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 93.2
Ryan Newman............................. 92.9
Kevin Harvick.............................. 91.8
Brad Keselowski......................... 91.7
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (22 total) among active drivers at Pocono Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2015 pole winner:
Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
177.599 mph, 50.676 secs, 06-05-15

2015 race winner:
Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet
134.266 mph, (02:58:45), 06-07-15

Track qualifying record:
Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
183.438 mph, 49.610 secs, 08-03-14

Track race record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
145.384 mph, (03:26:21), 06-12-11


At Pocono Raceway:
History
·         Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974 – won by Richard Petty, Dodge, 115.593 mph, 08/04/1974.
·         The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.
·         2012 marked the first season the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.

Starts
·         There have been 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway, one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.
·         327 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway; 233 in more than one.
·         Ricky Rudd leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in starts at Pocono with 55.
·         Tony Stewart leads all active drivers with 34 starts (20th most all-time) at Pocono; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth with 32 starts each.
·         Denny Hamlin (20 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Pocono with a 6.850.

Poles
·         40 drivers have posted Coors Light poles at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader with five each;Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin lead all active drivers with three each.
·         Buddy Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Pocono in 1974 with a speed of 144.122 mph. 
·         Five drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Pocono. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Pocono with three; fall 1984 and both races in 1985.

Poles
·         Two active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Pocono: Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep) andJoey Logano (fall 2011 and spring 2012).
·         Youngest Pocono pole winner: Joey Logano (08/07/2011 – 21 years, 2 months, 14 days).
·         Oldest Pocono pole winner: David Pearson (06/10/1984 – 49 years, 5 months, 19 days).
·         Three drivers have posted their first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Pocono Raceway:Harry Gant (1979), Casey Mears (2004) and Kyle Larson (2014).      

Wins
·         34 different drivers have won at Pocono Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with six wins.
·         Seven active drivers have multiple wins at Pocono: Denny Hamlin (4), Jimmie Johnson (3), Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart (each have 2).   
·         Seven drivers have posted consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway all-time, including three consecutive byBobby Allison (1982 sweep and spring 1983) and Tim Richmond (1986 sweep and spring 1987).
·         Three of the seven drivers to win consecutive races at Pocono are active: Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep);Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep and 2009 fall and 2010 spring races) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014 sweep).
·         Youngest Pocono winner: Joey Logano (06/10/2012 – 22 years, 0 months, 17 days).
·         Oldest Pocono winner: Harry Gant (06/17/1990 – 50 years, 5 months, 7 days).
·         Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Pocono in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 17: Jeff Gordon(six), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Kasey Kahne (one), Geoff Bodine (one) and Terry Labonte (one).
·         Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Pocono; led by Chevrolet with 31 victories; followed byFord with 21, Dodge (seven), Pontiac (six), Buick (four) Toyota (four), Mercury (two) and Oldsmobile (one).
·         13 of the 76 (17.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Joey Logano (June, 2012).
·         15 of the 76 (19.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the first starting position; the most recent was Jimmie Johnson (June, 2013).
·         The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Pocono Raceway.    
·         24 of the 76 (31.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the front row: 15 from the first starting position and nine from second-place.
·         54 of the 76 (71.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         Five of the 76 (6.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
Wins
·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Pocono is 29th, by Carl Edwards in the spring of 2005.
·         One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Pocono Raceway: Denny Hamlin (06/11/06).
·         Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards are the only two active drivers to win at Pocono in their first appearances. 
·         Kevin Harvick leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Pocono without visiting Victory Lane at 30.

Additional Finishing Position Stats
·         Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Pocono with seven; Kurt Busch leads all active drivers with five.
·         Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon lead the series in top-five finishes at Pocono with 20 each; Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart lead all active drivers with 12 each.   
·         Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Pocono with 34; Tony Stewart leads all active drivers with 23.
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Pocono with a 9.500.
Track Specific Stats
·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway is the race on July 23, 2000 that was won by Rusty Wallace over Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.126 second.
·         There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Pocono Raceway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): spring of 2005 (200/201); fall of 2005 (200/203); spring of 2010 (200/204).
·         Six of the 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 8/5/2012.    
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway five times; most recently the spring of 2013.   
·         Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Pocono with 1,040 laps led in 46 starts.Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in laps led at Pocono with 738 in 28 starts.   
 
Female Competitor Stats
·         Two female drivers have competed at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie andDanica Patrick.
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Danica Patrick
20
16
8/2/2015
Danica Patrick
22
37
6/7/2015
Danica Patrick
10
30
8/3/2014
Danica Patrick
16
37
6/8/2014
Danica Patrick
34
35
8/4/2013
Danica Patrick
30
29
6/9/2013
Averages
22.0
30.7
 
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Janet Guthrie
21
28
7/27/1980
Janet Guthrie
22
31
7/30/1978
Janet Guthrie
10
11
7/31/1977
Averages
17.7
23.3
 

NASCAR in Pennsylvania
·         There have been 110 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among nine tracks in Pennsylvania.
·         141 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Pennsylvania.
·         Three of the 141 have won in NASCAR’s premiere series.

Driver
NSCS
NXS
NCWTS
Dick Linder
3
0
0
Jimmy Spencer
2
12
1
Mark Donohue
1
0
0

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
    
Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Tony Stewart
48
1
Break the tie with Herb Thomas to become solely 13th on all-time wins list
Kyle Busch
37
1
Break tie with Bobby Isaac and Matt Kenseth to become solely 19th on all-time wins list
Matt Kenseth
37
1
Break tie with Bobby Isaac and Kyle Busch to become solely 19th on all-time wins list
Kevin Harvick
32
1
Tie Fireball Roberts for 22nd on all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin
27
1
Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Kurt Busch
27
1
Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Carl Edwards
27
1
Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Jimmie Johnson
34
1
Tie Ned Jarrett for 19th on all-time poles list
Kasey Kahne
27
1
Break tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time poles list
Denny Hamlin
23
1
Tie Alan Kulwicki for 28th on all-time poles list
Kevin Harvick
47
1
Tie Lee Petty (48) for 10th on all-time 2nd-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson
46
1
Tie Kevin Harvick for 11th on all-time 2nd-place finishes list
Tony Stewart
182
1
Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 17th on all-time top-five finishes list
Tony Stewart
301
1
Break the tie with James Hylton to become solely 17th on all-time top-10 finishes list
Jimmie Johnson
17,933
67
To become ninth NSCS driver all-time to lead 18,000 laps
Tony Stewart
12,795
205
To become 11th NSCS driver all-time to lead 13,000 laps
Kyle Busch
11,657
343
To become 14th NSCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 laps
Matt Kenseth
10,780
220
To become 16th NSCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 laps
Kurt Busch
8,812
188
To become 20th NSCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 laps
    
Track Specific Milestones

   
Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Denny Hamlin
3
1
Break tie with five other drivers to become solely third on all-time Pocono pole winners list
Jimmie Johnson
3
1
Break tie with five other drivers to become solely third on all-time Pocono pole winners list
Denny Hamlin
4
1
Tie Bill Elliott (5) for second most NSCS wins all-time at Pocono
Roger Penske
9
1
Tie Joe Gibbs (10) for the second most wins all-time at Pocono

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