Alex Bowman is 100-to-1 to win 2018 Pocono 400

The No. 88 has won seven times at Pocono Raceway.

NATIONWIDE IS ON OUR SIDE: The Nationwide colors will be back on board the No. 88 Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Nationwide has been the primary on the No. 88 Chevrolet three times at the 2.5-mile track with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Earnhardt wheeled the No. 88 Nationwide machine to its best finish of 11th back in 2015.

BOWMAN AT POCONO: Alex Bowman has four starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at the “Tricky Triangle,” with a best finish of 25th back in 2015. The 25-year-old has one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports in 2016, where he started and finished 10th. In 2012, Bowman ran two ARCA Racing Series events and captured a third-place finish in both events.

IVES AT POCONO: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots six times for the No. 88 team at the Pennsylvania-based track. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his best finish of second coming back in the spring of 2016 with Earnhardt. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team from 2006-2012 and captured one pole award (2008) and six top-five finishes.

IT'S THE NUMBER: At Pocono, the number 88 is no stranger to Victory Lane. Seven times a driver has won while driving the No. 88. Earnhardt swept the NASCAR Cup Series races at the track for Hendrick Motorsports in 2014, leading a combined total of 25 laps. A win for Bowman this weekend in the No. 88 machine could tie the No. 88 as the car number with the most wins at the 2.5-mile facility.

SELFIES WITH BOWMAN: On June 2 at 10 a.m. local time, Bowman will be participating in a “Selfie Session” for Pocono Raceway in the Victory Circle Club. This session is a modern twist on the conventional autograph session. Race fans who were able to pre-register for this appearance will get to meet Bowman and take a selfie with him on Saturday. Pre-registration for this session closed shortly after opening on April 17th, after selling out within an hour.

MEET BOWMAN: On Sunday, June 3, Bowman will make an appearance at the Team Chevy Stage in the fan zone at 11:15 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

600 RECAP: The No. 88 Nationwide Camaro ZL1 qualified 27th for the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. Within the first 10 laps of the 400-lap event, Bowman had advanced seven positions and was scored 20th. Continuing his drive forward, the 25-year-old finished Stage 1 in the 11th position, after which the No. 88 pit crew gained the driver two positions on pit road between stages. Bowman finished the second stage in the 15th position and gained one position in Stage 3 to finish 14th. The pit crew was on their game once again, gaining Bowman five spots on pit road to restart ninth for the final 100 laps. The Nationwide team continued with their eyes forward and brought home their fourth top-10 finish of the season after finishing ninth. This was Bowman’s seventh career top-10 finish in the series.

HOME TRACK: The No. 88 Nationwide shock technician Jason Seitzinger grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. He went to school at Berks Career and Technology Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, which is approximately 70 miles from Pocono Raceway. Seitzinger’s first racing job was in the parts room at Penske Racing Shocks in Reading, Pennsylvania. His boss called him into his office one day and wanted to know if he was interested in a job at Hendrick Motorsports and he has been an employee of the organization since 2001.

Alex Bowman on racing at Pocono:
“Pocono is very unique. It’s one of a kind. It’s kind of fun to go somewhere that is different than all the other places we go.”

Bowman on Pocono's unique corners:
“I think the Tunnel Turn is pretty challenging, especially since they paved it, it has just gotten really fast. It’s probably the most challenging corner.”

Bowman on the Pocono Selfie Session:
“I think that Pocono had a great idea with this 'Selfie Session.' Fans usually only get drivers' autographs, but for this appearance they are getting a photo. I am excited to meet all of the fans and spend some time taking photos on Saturday. Hopefully our selfie game is strong!”

There's a Live Long Shot at Pocono - Top-20 Finish Prediction

Kyle Busch won at Pocono last fall for his first career win there.

Micah Roberts is locked in on one of NASCAR's first of two stops at Pocono and its unique triangle-shaped track on Sunday. Roberts as analyzed the entire field and released his top 20 finishers in order.

We can tell you he's not picking race favorite Kevin Harvick, a 5/2 racer who has 10 top-five finishes at Pocono but no victories. Roberts doesn't have Harvick in his top three.

Instead, Roberts is putting his chips on a massive long shot who oddsmakers have dismissed despite past success at Pocono. A win here would pay out huge.

He cites critical reasons for making his mammoth upset pick, and anyone who bets on this underdog could hit it big.

Join SportsLine here to see Micah Roberts' full projected leaderboard for the Pocono 400, and see which racer he believes will earn the checkered flag, all from the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert!


Here is Roberts' writeup:

NASCAR makes the first of two visits this season to Pocono Raceway's 2.5-mile tricky triangle, the most unique track in the Cup Series. It features the longest straightaway making the big horsepower teams always favored to win, but the three differing turns also make the balance set-up almost as critical.

There have been seven different winners in the past seven Pocono races, the last coming from Kyle Busch in July, his first career win there. In the spring, it was Ryan Blaney getting his only career win and paying 30-to-1. The longest odds ever paid out in a NASCAR race at Las Vegas sports books happened in July 2016 when Chris Buescher did a Pocono rain dance for his only career win and a few lucky bettors cashed at 1,000-to-1 odds.

Here's how I see things going in Sunday's Pocono 400, with odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook:

READ MORE HERE....TOP-20 FINISH PREDICTION ON SPORTSLINE.COM

NASCAR Cup Series Pocono Notes: 2018 Pocono 400

Ryan Blaney won this race at Pocono last season paying 30/1 odds.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Pocono 400
The Place: Pocono Raceway
The Date: Sunday, June 3
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (160 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 160)


Kyle Busch Looking for Another Win Streak

Fresh off a career day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, last week’s race winner Kyle Busch returns to Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 400 (on Sunday, June 3 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) hoping to ride the wave of success.

As his did in Charlotte on Sunday night, Busch picked up his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at the Pocono 2.5-miler last July – his only win in 26 starts at the track. It was a strong showing, however, with Busch winning from the Busch Pole position – a place he started at both Pocono races in 2017.

The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota has been finishing nearly as well as he starts at Pocono. He has three Busch pole awards (August 2015 was the other) and four top-10 finishes in the last six Pocono races, including the last three-straight. He led 100 laps in this race last year and finished ninth. He led 74 laps in the second Pocono race later in the summer en route to his first victory at the track.


Harvick Is Right Back At It

Although Kevin Harvick’s two-race winning streak was rather abruptly halted Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a last-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600, he can arrive at Pocono Raceway feeling hopeful.

Harvick has yet to visit Victory Lane at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” and is 0-for-34 there. He has led laps in only five of the last 15 races (63 total laps). However, last season was a sign that his fortune may be changing.

He was runner-up in both races (to Ryan Blaney and to Kyle Busch) and has posted four second-place finishes among six top-10s in the last seven races at Pocono. His overall average finish since 2005 – despite not visiting Victory Lane – is 10.5, trailing only Erik Jones’ 5.5 average finish.


Quiet Success for Logano

Penske Racing’s Joey Logano is keeping a stealth eye on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings. He is second to Charlotte winner Kyle Busch by 67 points, which isn’t too shabby considering Busch has four wins to Logano’s one. And Logano’s 10 top-10 finishes equals the outstanding top-10 production of both Busch and five-time season winner Kevin Harvick.

He has three top-five finishes in the last five races, including the Talladega victory, and he’s led laps in all but three of the season’s 13 races.

It all should make an encouraging outlook at Pocono for Logano, who won this race in 2012 from the Busch Pole position. But, he’ll have to turn around a recent string of poor finishes at Pocono to come out on top. Despite five top-10s in the last eight races there, his most recent three starts netted finishes of 37th, 23rd and 27th.


Fond Memories for Hamlin

The “Tricky Triangle” as Pocono is lovingly known, has been one of the most productive venues for Denny Hamlin, who won the first two Pocono starts of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, sweeping the 2006 season races as a 25-year-old rookie. And of note – both of those wins came from the Busch Pole position.

He scored another set of back-to-back victories while winning the second Pocono race of 2009 and the first of 2010. More recently, he has five top-10s in his last eight starts at the track.

It bodes well for Hamlin, who is one of five drivers ranked among the top 10 in points without a victory in 2018. Third place is the best showing for Hamlin this season and he’s done it three times (Daytona, Richmond, and this past Sunday night at Charlotte). He has four top-10 finishes in the last five races and has led laps in 10 of the season’s 13 races to date. His eight top-five finishes are second only to Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick who all have 10.

“We’re just third or fourth best every week,’’ the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota said Sunday night after his third-place finish at Charlotte. “That’s frustrating, but it could be 35 spots worse.”

“We’re either really good or we’re average at best. We need to get a little bit better. I think the 78 (Truex), the 4 (Harvick) and the 18 (Kyle Busch) are all a little bit faster than us and we’re just kind of right there next in line.’’


Kurt Busch is Heating Up

Pocono may just be the venue that Kurt Busch uses to automatically punch his ticket to NASCAR’s Playoffs. The former series champion has three wins and two Busch Pole Awards there. And he has three top-five finishes -- including a 2016 victory – in his last six Pocono races.

Busch has looked impressive this year in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford and takes a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes into Pocono this weekend. He has seven top-10s through the season’s 13 races and is ranked sixth in the points standings – and his three Stewart-Haas teammates join him in the championship top-10. Kevin Harvick is third, Clint Bowyer is eighth and Aric Almirola in 10th.


Pocono Could Be the One for Erik Jones

Granted it’s based on only two starts, but second-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones has already put up impressive numbers at Pocono Raceway – enough to statistically make him the top-rated driver in several key loop data categories (which includes races since 2005).

Jones finished third in his Monster Energy Series debut at this race last June – his first career Cup top five - and answered with an eighth-place finish later in the summer. So, his 5.5 average finish and 8.312 average running position help boost his driver rating to a 106.5, the series-best.

And while two races are not enough of a sample size to properly compare with those who have been racing at Pocono for a dozen years, it does provide plenty of optimism for his visit this weekend.

He ran 290 of the two races’ 320 laps in the top-15 and led laps in both races. His 20 laps out front in this race last year was his second-highest total of laps led his rookie season, second to an impressive 260 laps out front and a runner-up finish at Bristol in the fall.

Jones has five top 10s through the first 13 races of 2018 in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota and led a season-high 64 laps before posting a season-best finish of fourth at Texas Motor Speedway last month. He’s ranked 13th in the points standings – well within the early-look top-16 threshold for qualifying for the Playoffs.


Sunoco Rookie Runs

Pocono Raceway is a significant venue for one of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ high-profile Sunoco rookies, Bubba Wallace. This is where Wallace made his series debut last year (finishing 26th), filling in for the injured Aric Almirola in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports car he now drives full-time.

Wallace is in a tight Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle with Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, whose tough-luck day at Charlotte (he finished 39th after being involved in an incident) helped significantly tighten the points standings between them.

Wallace, who finished 16th at Charlotte, has one top-five effort - a runner-up finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 - and is ranked 23rd in the standings. Byron, who has one top-10 and three DNFs in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is ranked 22nd – a slim two points ahead of Wallace.

Pocono Betting Preview: 2018 Pocono 400

Kurt Busch (20/1) has three wins at Pocono, the last coming in 2016.

We've had 13 races pass by already and Kevin Harvick has five of the wins and Kyle Busch has four of them. There hasn't been much mystery to the 2018 Cup Series, but we should see somebody new in the winner's circle Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

The tricky 2.5-mile triangle is perhaps the most unique track on the circuit in that it only has three turns with each getting progressively flatter. No driver can be set up perfectly for all three turns.

“With the three different style turns at Pocono, you really have to have your car handling right in all three to be successful there," said three-time Pocono winner Jimmie Johnson. "It’s a wild track and we can hit speeds of 200 mph down the front stretch. Turn 3 is very important and can help with lap time significantly for qualifying. In the last few outings at Pocono we have had some really hard crashes so I’m hoping that is behind us.”

Because of the long drag strip on the front stretch, teams that have shown the most horsepower this season will have an edge. Yes, Kevin Harvick will be favored again. but this track may bring something different to the table that will allow for one of his teammates or a Joe Gibbs or Penske driver to win. The last seven races at Pocono have seen seven different winners and Harvick isn't one of them.

In fact, Pocono is on Harvick's bucket list of things to do. In 34 starts he's never won a race there. However, he's been runner-up four times including both races last season. All four of those runner-ups came within the last seven races there while driving for Stewart Haas Racing. He'll certainly be good enough to win.

Harvick's teammate, Las Vegan Kurt Busch, has been runner-up five times at Pocono but the difference between the two drivers is that Busch has won there three times driving for three different manufacturers. His last win there came in this 2016 race, his third season driving for Stewart Haas.

“It’s weird, I’ve had winning cars there a few different times and turn two always feels the best when my car has a chance to go to victory lane,' Busch said. "But, I think turn three, if you are able to pass cars and maneuver around them, you’ve got to get a good run off turn three to be ready to pass them in turn one. All of them are important. You can’t exclude one from another.”

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook posted Busch at 20/1 odds and he's easily the best value on the board.

Kurt's younger brother Kyle Busch checked Charlotte off his bucket list last week and in the last Pocono race in July he checked off Pocono from the list. He's won at every Cup Series track. It's pretty amazing stuff, and after winning his fourth race of the season and showing he's got some serious horsepower he's going to be tough to beat. Even Harvick may have some trouble catching him, especially if Busch starts from the pole like he did in both races last season. Busch has led laps in the last five races at Pocono.
Read More Here....Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Kyle Busch is 3/1 to go back-to-back at Pocono

Charlotte, checked. Kyle Busch has now won on ever Cup Series track.

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (May 29, 2018) – With Memorial Day weekend in the rearview mirror, the summer stretch of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is officially upon us as the series heads to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for Sunday’s Pocono 400. Kyle Busch and the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Toyota Camry team for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has already started to heat up for the summer, as Busch is coming off his first career win in one of NASCAR’s crown jewels – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. 

With the victory Sunday night, Busch became the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win at every track where he has made at least one start, which is 23 tracks in all. During his dominating win at Charlotte, Busch led 377 of 400 laps to put him over the 15,000 career laps-led mark in NASCAR’s top series, becoming just the 10th driver in Cup Series history to do so. In his most recent start at Pocono last July, Busch crossed the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” off his list of tracks where he had yet to win by capturing his first career win there. That left Charlotte as the lone track where he’d made at least one start but had yet to win – Sunday night. 

Busch will bring the M&M’S Red, White and Blue paint scheme he drove to victory lane at Charlotte back to Pocono this weekend. The patriotic scheme celebrates M&M’S Red, White and Blue Mix, which is available at retailers nationwide and is the perfect treat to celebrate summer. While Pocono proved to be difficult for Busch to master for the first six years of his Cup Series career, he seemed to have turned a corner there starting in June 2011, when he started from the pole – his first at Pocono – and was beaten across the finish line only by teammate Denny Hamlin, who has four wins to his credit at the track. 

Starting with that 2011 season, Busch went on to score seven top10 finishes at Pocono after driving to just three top-10s in his first 12 starts there. 

As for 2018, Busch and Kevin Harvick have shown they’ve been the drivers to beat during the first 13 races of the season, combining to win nine of those races. Busch and the M&M’S team have brought home an impressive four of those wins among his eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s so far, adding three poles to the mix during his very hot start to the season. 

So, as the series heads back to the Pocono Mountains for Sunday’s 400-miler, Busch and the entire M&M’S Red, White, and Blue team hope to start the summer stretch of races on the right foot. They’ll look to add to their impressive list of accomplishments thus far in 2018 as they look to keep their celebrations going through summer and beyond. 

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing: 

Last weekend, you became the first driver in the modern era to win at every active track. What does that mean to you? 

“It was awesome. I mean, I’ve dreamt of that – not only winning the Coke 600 as a kid and being in victory lane there for that race, but to just be a force that people have to reckon with. I go across the country and race Super Late Models because I want to win at every single racetrack. I just want to show that there is no weakness, and how versatile I am and my team is. We were able to check Pocono off the list last year and now, to have Charlotte to win at all of the tracks where we race, is very special, for sure.“ 

Pocono is the most unique track on the circuit with three distinct corners. What’s the most difficult part of the track for you? 

“The hardest part of the track, for me, is probably turn one, and then turn two is the second-hardest, and then turn three is the third-hardest – turn three, last year, because of the patch they laid down. We couldn’t go down low and get underneath somebody and get a run on them because, when you come off the corner, you’re 8 to 10 mph slower than the guy on your outside and they’re just going to blow right by you going down the straightaway.” 

Since the track is unique, where is the best place to make a pass at Pocono? 

“Most of your passing is going to be done probably through turn one and off of turn one and getting into turn two, and if somebody can get a good run off of turn two, get back up high and get in line to get on that patch, getting into turn three. Besides that, in turn one, we just can’t get the cars to turn down there because there’s so much load on the bump stops from going 210 mph down the front straightaway and then trying to slow it down to about a ‘buck-40’ (140 mph). Turn two is kind of bumpy and kind of rough. There are different areas where you’ve got to maneuver through the Tunnel Turn to get your car right. If you miss it just by a little bit, you tend to knock the wall down off the corner, so it’s tight.” 

You’ve won four races and you’re leading the points, too. Considering how important the regular-season championship is, have you been cognizant of the fact you’ve been leading the points, and how much are you focused on closing that out? 

“I wouldn’t say we’re focused on it a whole lot. I would just say that we know it’s out there, and we know that, when we run well and we do well and we finish races well, the points take care of themselves. At Charlotte, I think we scored max points that we could and set ourselves up for an awesome opportunity to kind of have a bit of a cushion maybe for a few weeks because those guys behind us were kind of closing in. (Joey) Logano and (Kevin) Harvick were closing in on us the last couple weeks, but last weekend felt good to have a bit of a cushion built back up. We go to a few of our tracks that we like going to, and hopefully can run well at, and try to keep this foundation we’ve built already this year consistent through the next however many weeks to bring home the regular-season championship for those extra bonus points you get from that.”

Is Jimmie Johnson back? Is 50/1 at Pocono worth a shot?

Jimmie Johnson is the active leader with 7386 laps led at Pocono.

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Pocono:
“With the three different style turns at Pocono, you really have to have your car handling right in all three to be successful there. It’s a wild track and we can hit speeds of 200 mph down the frontstretch. Turn 3 is very important and can help with lap time significantly for qualifying. In the last few outings at Pocono we have had some really hard crashes so I’m hoping that is behind us.”

REAR VIEW MIRROR: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros team scored their second top-five finish of the season last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson started 23rd and quickly moved into the top 10. On Lap 121 Johnson spun out due to contact from a competitor, but avoided any damage to the No. 48 Camaro ZL1, so the team changed tires and restarted 26th. The team overcame the spin to finish the second stage inside the top 10. During the third stage the team suffered a broken jack on a pit stop but again overcame to finish 11th. In the final stage Johnson powered forward and finished fifth on the track he has at won at eight times in his career. The team is 12th in the points heading to Pocono Raceway this weekend.

POCONO RECORD: Johnson has three wins at the “Tricky Triangle,” the last of which came on June 9, 2013. Johnson started first and led 128 of 160 laps. He also has 11 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s, but has suffered unfortunate endings to three out of the last four events due to accidents.

POCONO PLAYGROUND: Earlier this month, Johnson made a special trip to Pocono for a promotional appearance. He assisted track CEO Nick Igdalsky in opening the track’s newest feature – the Pocono Mountains Inclusive Playground. Johnson was also able to drive the Chevrolet Camaro pace car around the road course and give rides to key guests. Click here for more information.

SEE JJ: Johnson will make an appearance on Sunday, June 3 at 11 a.m. for a question and answer session at the “Tricky Triangle Club” at Pocono Raceway. To attend, fans will have to have a "Tricky Triangle Club" ticket – for more info log on to www.PoconoRaceway.com.

JJF HELMET OF HOPE WINNERS ANNOUNCED: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation recently announced the five recipients of this year’s $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grants. The five finalists were selected via a week-long public vote where more than 280,000 votes were cast. The program invites fans and consumers across the country to nominate not-for-profit (501c3) organizations that support K-12 public education for the opportunity to receive one of five (5) available grant packages. The five grant recipients are: Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation in Arcadia, Indiana; Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, DC; Read Better Be Better in Phoenix; Siouxland Ag in the Classroom in Moville, Iowa; and The Pencil Box in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.JimmieJohnsonFoundation.org.

83 AND COUNTING: Johnson's next trip to Victory Lane will be his 84th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win. He secured his 83rd in June 2017 to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list. An 84th win would tie Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. Johnson is currently 10 wins behind former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list. Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers and No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus has the most wins of all active crew chiefs with 81.

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1) 50/1
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 13.115, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.004, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.6, fourth-best
· 287 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 164.144, series-fastest
· 3269 Laps in the Top 15 (71.8), sixth-most
· 1012 Quality Passes, third-most

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #48 Jimmie Johnson (50/1) - He looked like he had some extra giddy-up last week at Charlotte with his fifth-place run. Crafty crew chief Chad Knaus might have found something and that extra power should serve Johnson well this week, a place he's won at three times and leads active drivers with 738 laps led. Despite finishing 35th and 36th at Pocono last season, think of him on the upward swing. There are worse things to waste $10 than a lucky roll with Johnson at 50-to-1.

​

​

​

​

​

2018 Season 12th in standings 13 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 2 top-five finishes 5 top-10 finishes 0 laps led     Career 592 starts 83 wins 35 pole positions 224 top-five finishes 346 top-10 finishes 18,663 laps led     Track Career  32 starts 3 wins 3 pole positions 11 top-five finishes 19 top-10 finishes 738 laps led

​

​

​

​

Martin Truex Jr sixth or better in two 2017 Pocono races

Martin Truex Jr is 5/1 to win Pocono 400 Sunday.

DENVER, Colo. (May 29, 2018) –Martin Truex Jr.’s performance has been mostly steady and stable with 50 percent of the regular season completed (13 of 26 races).

The good points for Truex as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway this weekend include one victory, eight top fives, eight top 10s and three poles. He has scored runner-up finishes in the last two races – at Kansas and Charlotte – and sits fifth in the driver point standings.

Another season highlight for Truex was his margin of victory of 11.685 seconds at California Speedway. It was by far the largest lead at the checkered flag. The next closest winning margin was 7.45 seconds by Kevin Harvick at Dover.

But along with the good came a bad stretch of four consecutive races for the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion.

While running second in Texas, Truex’s race ended early due to heavy contact with the wall after a flat tire on Lap 80 (finished 37th). At Bristol, he was collected in a Lap 3 accident and continued to race with a damaged car (finished 30th).

At Richmond he led a race high of 121 laps and was running a close second with 10 to go. But following a caution, a pit stop miscue dropped him out of contention and he finished 14th. Truex was collected in a Lap 71 accident at Talladega, finishing 26th with a crippled car.

Truex picked up only 54 driver points in that four-race stretch for a 13.5 point per race average. In the other nine races he earned 376 points for a 41.8 average.

Though he finished second at Kansas, he lost the lead with a little over one lap remaining in the race.

“Yeah, I feel okay with where we’re at, obviously,” said Truex, who will drive the No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota in Pocono. “We had a tough few weeks, like four straight bad races, which was tough, so it was hard to see exactly where we stacked up, and now we’ve had three top fives in a row.

“But we haven’t had that winning speed, so we’re still off a little bit. I feel like we’re in decent shape but still learning a little about the rules this year — the new splitter deal. We’re not too far off, we just need to keep digging.”

The Mayetta, N.J., native will officially accept at Pocono Raceway the 2017 Eastern Motorsport Press Association Driver of the Year Award for the second straight season and third overall.

Truex knows very well the difficulties of the 2.5-mile triangular trackl. He did conquer the massive track in 2015 when he scored his first of 14 victories with the Denver-based Furniture Row Racing team. He has 16 career wins overall.

“We have had some success at Pocono but on the other hand we’ve had some strange things happen to us there,” Truex noted. “It’s a unique track with the long straightaway and three totally different turns. You need to hit all the turns to be competitive.

“I look forward to Pocono. It’s one of my home tracks and the area has some pretty good fishing holes too.”

Truex had finishes of sixth and third last year at Pocono and qualified second for both races. His overall record at Pocono is 24 starts, one win, four top fives, nine top fives, 166 laps led and three poles. His average start is 15.6 and average finish is 15.5.

Clint Bowyer is 20/1 to win 2018 Pocono 400

Clint Bowyer finished sixth at Pocono in July.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 28, 2018) –Every crew chief in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage wants to win Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, but No. 14 crew chief Mike (Buga) Bugarewicz has a little extra incentive. He grew up in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes from the track. 

“I used to go to qualifying all the time there – Pocono means a lot to me,” he said. “It would really mean a lot to me to have a win there at some point in my career. I haven’t been successful with that, yet, but I hope to change that shortly.” Shortly could come Sunday when Bugarewicz’s driver Clint Bowyer takes to the 2.5-mile layout known as the “Tricky Triangle.” 

Bowyer should be one of the favorites. He arrives at Pocono eighth in points after posting three top-five finishes and seven top 10s in the season’s first 13 races. Last week in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Bowyer raced inside the top-five for some of the race before earning a 12th-place finish. 

The Bowyer-Bugarewicz combination has already visited victory lane once in 2018 when it won the rain-delayed race March 26 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The victory gave Bowyer his first win at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) and gave Bugarewicz his second career victory as a crew chief. His first came at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 2016 in what turned out to be Tony Stewart’s final Cup Series victory as a driver. 

It’s been a long journey for Bugarewicz, who spent a lot of time watching his father race at Mahoning Valley (Pa.) Speedway and working on cars at his father’s business long before he even owned a driver’s license. He studied mechanical engineering and performed research for the U.S. Navy through Applied Research Laboratories in graduate school at Penn State University before heading to North Carolina to embark on a NASCAR career that peaked at SHR. He won a championship serving as the lead engineer on SHR’s No. 4 car with Kevin Harvick in 2014. He took over the No. 14 crew chief duties in 2016 for Stewart’s final year of NASCAR competition. 

Bugarewicz said he never doubted the No. 14 would return to victory lane with Bowyer. 

“I can’t say I wondered when, but I wanted us to break through,” Bugarewicz said. “I wanted it for the team, for the company. This team has been through a lot over three years. Getting Tony his last win was great, was a big step, was great for Tony, was great for the team. But then you always want at least one every year, right? And last year, we didn’t have one and struggled for a little bit and had moments of greatness and moments of struggles. At times it was hard to put a race together. In 2018, we have been more consistent. The team is gelling well. Me and Clint are gelling well. And we’re very fortunate that we’ve already got a win.” 

Some of the No. 14 team’s biggest competition will come from (SHR) teammate Kevin Harvick, who has won five races in 2018 plus the NASCAR All-Star Race two weekends ago. SHR drivers Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola are sixth and 10th in the standings. Bowyer and Harvick have been friends since 2006, when he arrived at Richard Childress Racing. This weekend at Pocono, they are waging a friendly battle. 

Bowyer is driving the Busch Light Ford while Harvick is campaigning the Busch Ford. They plan to compete against each other in social media events this weekend and will appear on stage together at 7:15 p.m. EDT Friday at Pocono’s Block Party in the infield. Bowyer would love to best his buddy Harvick and bring home the trophy in Pennsylvania, giving Bugarewicz a career highlight he’ll likely never forget. 

“Pocono is a really tough track with three different turns,” he said. “I want to make sure we qualify well so we can get a good starting position and pit stall. Winning in Pennsylvania with Buga would be cool. He’d be thrilled. Heck, so would all of us.” 

MIKE BUGAREWICZ, Crew Chief of the No. 14 Busch Light Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

What was it like to watch Clint Bowyer break a winless streak and win at Martinsville? 

“I’m so happy for him to finally get another one, get a picture with his son. I know he’s wanted that for a long, long time, and I really liked it for this team. It’s not always seen because we’re not always up there leading all the laps in every race, but these guys work just as hard as any team out there. We’re a really tight-knit group, and well-deserving for this whole team and whole company that really dug hard all winter long.” 

What are some of the ways you and Clint Bowyer are better in 2018? 

“I think one of the biggest things we just worked on was our relationship together. I think, even myself at times, I would question myself. ‘Am I doing the right things, am I doing the right things to help him, am I making the right calls, am I doing the right things to the cars?’ You’re always going to do that until you prove yourself out again and you’re always running good and got the chance to compete for wins. Like I said, last year there were some weeks that, man, we really felt that way. We had some really good days going. And other times, you know, not so much. And we’re wondering, ‘Are we doing things wrong or what’s going on?’ But this year, you know, coming out of the box, it’s all changed. It’s all been fast, it’s all been confidence in us working together, and literally just like talking a lot and just really talking about how we’re going to be better and what we need to do, being a bigger team.”

Kurt Busch is best Pocono bet on the board at 20/1

Kurt Busch attacks Pocono Raceway like few others.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 29, 2018) – Kurt Busch seems to like Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. And since he’s won there three times, for three different owners, he’s hoping he can score victory number four while driving the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). 

Busch first won at Pocono in July 2005 driving for Roush Fenway Racing, leading 131 of 203 laps after starting second. He then dominated in August 2007 driving for Roger Penske. He started second again but led 175 of 200 laps en route to victory at the 2.5- mile track known as the “Tricky Triangle.” Both races were 500 miles in length. In June 2016, driving for SHR, he started ninth and led 32 of 160 laps of the now 400-mile race to score his third Pocono victory. Perhaps Busch’s success is tied to the track’s unique design. 

The triangular layout was designed by two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rodger Ward and remains unlike any other track in the world with three different corners each modeled after a different track. Turn one, which is banked at 14 degrees, is modeled after the legendary Trenton (N.J.) Speedway. Turn two, banked at eight degrees, is a nod to the turns at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And turn three, banked at six degrees, is modeled after the corners at The Milwaukee Mile. 

Busch’s first-ever NASCAR victory came on July 1, 2000 at Milwaukee, when he started on the pole and led 156 of 200 laps to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle was third, while a young Jamie McMurray finished 31st. Joe Ruttman, who is the brother of Troy Ruttman, the 1952 Indianapolis 500 winner, finished 24th. Troy Ruttman competed against Ward 10 times in the Indianapolis 500 during the 1950s and 1960s. 

The No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion will be led by crew chief Billy Scott. Both Busch and Scott hope that they can score another victory at Pocono. 

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

You’ve won three times at Pocono, but the 2007 win was so dominant. Can you describe that race? “The win in 2007 with Penske Racing – that was the fastest car that I’ve ever driven. That car would turn, stick, drive down the straightaway – that car did everything. It didn’t have a single flaw. I knew how good that car was on the first lap of the race. I remember telling myself, ‘Don’t screw this up.’ I ran the rest of the race more nervous than I had in years prior. I’ve never dominated a race like that. We led 175 of 200 laps. That was, by far, the best car I have ever driven. It was a great race to show the balance of that team and the strength of where we were at that point. I think the 25 laps that we didn’t lead were from a bad pit stop at one point. My first win at Pocono in 2005 was pretty great, too. It’s fun to win at a racetrack that is so unique because of how different that track is compared to all the other oval tracks. Pocono is a little bit like Darlington in that all the corners are different, so you have to manage them the best that you can and not be perfect in one corner versus another.” 

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you go to Pocono? 

“How unique the place is. You drive in through the Tunnel Turn and that corner to me is one of the most unique corners of all the tracks that we go to. When you go to Pocono, the first thing you really think of is compromise – you have to juggle all three corners being different. It’s called the Tricky Triangle for a reason.” 

You started your career with Ford and now you are with Ford again. How is the Ford performing as they seem to be leading the manufacturers? 

“The level of commitment still feels the same. Edsel Ford is still very active. Henry Ford is very active. But the immediate group underneath them now with Ford Performance. The Ford Performance group – I see it everywhere, with all their different forms of motorsport collaborating together. Whereas Ford Racing before, maybe because I was younger and didn’t see it all, felt like it was more focused on the NASCAR program and didn’t use information from IndyCar, or Cosworth in Formula 1, or sports cars. What I see now is information channels that are able to communicate quickly and gather data from all different branches of motorsports that Ford is involved in.”

Of the three turns, which is the most important to you and why? 

“It’s weird, I’ve had winning cars there a few different times and turn two always feels the best when my car has a chance to go to victory lane. But, I think turn three, if you are able to pass cars and maneuver around them, you’ve got to get a good run off turn three to be ready to pass them in turn one. All of them are important. You can’t exclude one from another.”

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion) 20/1
· Three wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.24, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.888, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 104.5, third-best
· 365 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 163.999, fourth-fastest
· 3340 Laps in the Top 15 (76.1), fourth-most
· 979 Quality Passes, fourth-most

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #41 Kurt Busch (20/1) - He's got one of the best Pocono resumes with three wins in 33 starts leading active drivers with 14 top-five finishes. No matter what team or manufacturer he's driven for, he's been an elite at Pocono. He's won ina Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet, the last of which came in this 2016 race. He's been runner-up five times, third three times and was fourth in this race last season. It's been a good week to be Vegas Born with his brother Kyle winning last week and the Golden Knights winning Game 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals. The odds are nice, he loves the track and he's got lots of horsepower.

Denny Hamlin the active leader with four Pocono wins

Denny hamin is 10/1 to win at Pocono on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Pocono 400
Date/Time: Sunday, June 3/2 p.m. ET
Distance: 160 Laps/400 Miles
Track Length: 2.5 Miles
Track Shape: Triangle
2017 Winner: Ryan Blaney

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2018 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Charlotte Recap: Denny Hamlin finished third in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, marking his third top-three finish of the 2018 season. Hamlin maintained his position at the front of the field for the majority of the 400-lap race and finished Stage one in eighth and Stage two in fourth before taking sixth in Stage three. After a swift four-tire stop during the last Stage break, Hamlin lined up fourth in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota for the fourth and final 100-lap Stage of the event. He maintained that position as the segment ran caution-free, and when it came time for scheduled pit stops, Hamlin and the FedEx Racing crew elected to pit last, giving the #11 a chance to contend with fresh tires. Hamlin worked to chase down the leaders, but he was unable to close the gap between himself and second-place contender Martin Truex Jr. before the checkered flag flew.

Pocono Preview: The Series heads to Pocono Raceway this Sunday for 400 miles around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle”. Hamlin is looking to add a fifth victory at Pocono to his impressive résumé of 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the Pennsylvania track. He also averages a 7.2 starting position at Pocono which is a Series best among active drivers.

Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2018 NASCAR championship. New for the 2018 season, the Denny Hamlin Foundation will also match the total donation to Safe Kids Worldwide.

Hamlin led nine laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday, generating a $999 donation to Safe Kids on behalf of FedEx. After 13 regular season races, Hamlin has led 235 laps resulting in an $26,085 donation to Safe Kids Worldwide which will ultimately be matched by the Denny Hamlin Foundation. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Pocono Raceway
Races: 24
Wins: 4
Poles: 3
Top-5: 10
Top-10: 15
Laps Led: 688
Avg. Start: 7.2 (Series Best)
Avg. Finish: 11.8

Hamlin Conversation:

You and your #11 FedEx Racing team have been showing solid consistency this season, collecting eight top-10 finishes thus far. Do you see that success continuing at Pocono?

“We’ve been so close to getting that first win of the season, but we’re obviously still looking to find that little bit of speed that will help us get to victory lane. This team has been working hard to get us out front, and we’re going to keep pushing until we get that first-place result we’re working for. We’ve had success at Pocono before, so this weekend could definitely be the time we make that happen.”

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) 10/1
· Four wins, ten top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.792, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.768, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105, second-best
· 455 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 164.058, second-fastest
· 3251 Laps in the Top 15 (78.4), third-most
· 889 Quality Passes, seventh-most

MICAH ROBERTS' TAKE: #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1) - He leads all active drivers with four Pocono wins and he's starving for a win this season. He had another good finish last week with third-place at Charlotte. He's got the Joe Gibbs power, almost as good as Kyle Busch, but his driving skills at Pocono separate him from most others. He attacks the flat Turn 3, the best place to pass as if it were Martinsville where he's elite at as well. He started fourth and finished fourth in the July race last season. His 2009 win was the first at Pocono for Toyota.

Chase Elliott won 2013 ARCA Race at Pocono

Chase Elliott is 30/1 to win Sunday at Pocono.

Chase Elliott on if a Turn 4 would make Pocono easier to navigate:
“No, I like Pocono. I enjoy Pocono. It’s been another fun place and unique with the shifting and things that we do there that we don’t do at other places. I like that challenge, it’s something that we don’t do and obviously road courses we do, but it’s just different. I enjoy racing there.”

NAPA AUTO PARTS: The familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.

POCONO STATS: Elliott is set to make his fifth start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. In his first four starts, the third-year driver has collected one top-five finish and three top-10s. Elliott averages a starting position of 14.8 and a finishing position of 13.8 at the Pennsylvania track. During the 22-year-old driver’s rookie start at Pocono in June 2016, he led 51 laps en route to a fourth-place finish.

GUSTAFSON AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson is no stranger to success at Pocono. Gustafson will call his 27th race from atop the pit box at the 2.5-mile triangle this weekend. In his previous 26 starts with five different drivers (Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch), Gustafson has collected two wins with Gordon (June 2011 and August 2012) and garnered six top-five finishes and 14 top-10s.

600 REWIND: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team raced inside the top 10 for much of Sunday night’s 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before eventually finishing the night in 11th. Elliott is currently ranked 15th in the driver point standings.

DOUBLE DUTY: In addition to his full-time duty piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup Series, Elliott will once again compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race driving the No. 23 for GMS Racing on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native will also drive the No. 23 Chevrolet in the upcoming Chicagoland (June 30), Daytona (July 6) and Bristol (Aug. 17) NXS races.

ELLIOTT AT CHEVY STAGE: On Sunday, June 3, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage in the fan zone at 11:30 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

HOME SWEET HOME: As we head to Pocono, there are four members of the No. 9 team that call the Keystone State home – car chief Josh Kirk (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), engineer Matt Barndt (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), primary truck driver Dave Ott (St. Marys, Pennsylvania) and co-truck driver Heath Edler (Williamsport, Pennsylvania).

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1) 30/1
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 13.75, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.072, second-best
· Driver Rating of 99.3, fifth-best
· 39 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 163.47, ninth-fastest
· 527 Laps in the Top 15 (85.3), second-most
· 172 Quality Passes, 12th-most

​

​

​

​

2018 Season 15th in standings 13 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 3 top-five finishes 5 top-10 finishes 8 laps led Career 90 starts 0 wins 3 pole positions 25 top-five finishes 43 top-10 finishes 926 laps led Track Career  4 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 1 top-five finish 3 top-10 finishes 51 laps led

​

​

​

​

Pocono Raceway Track Facts: 2018 Pocono 400

Erik Jones had an amazing rookie season at Pocono last year.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top 16 at Pocono Raceway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	26	4	1	5	11	5	17.5	90.3
2	Joey Logano	18	2	1	4	6	1	17.5	89.9
3	Kevin Harvick	34	0	0	10	15	3	13.0	95.3
4	Brad Keselowski	16	1	1	8	9	0	10.5	94.8
5	Martin Truex Jr	24	1	1	4	9	1	15.5	85.2
6	Kurt Busch	33	2	3	14	19	5	14.2	104.5
7	Denny Hamlin	24	3	4	10	15	2	11.8	105.0
8	Clint Bowyer	24	0	0	2	10	0	14.7	80.7
9	Kyle Larson	8	1	0	1	4	0	11.6	94.7
10	Aric Almirola	11	0	0	0	0	4	27.5	57.8
11	Ryan Blaney	4	0	1	1	2	0	13.0	87.8
12	Jimmie Johnson	32	3	3	11	19	4	12.1	101.6
13	Erik Jones	2	0	0	1	2	0	5.5	106.5
14	Alex Bowman	4	0	0	0	0	0	28.2	48.5
15	Chase Elliott	4	0	0	1	3	0	13.8	99.3
16	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	10	0	0	0	0	1	23.6	60.4

* – Based on last 26 races at Pocono Raceway (2005 – 2017).

Loop Data Leaders: Pocono Raceway

Monster Energy Series - Top 3 In Key Loop Data Statistics
Driver Rating		Avg. Running Position		Laps Led
Erik Jones	106.5	Erik Jones	8.312	Denny Hamlin	688
Denny Hamlin	105.5	Chase Elliott	10.072	Kurt Busch	534
Kurt Busch	104.5	Denny Hamlin	10.768	Jimmie Johnson	463
Fastest Laps Run		% of Laps in the Top 15		Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin	455	Erik Jones	90.6%	Ryan Newman	1,043
Kurt Busch	365	Chase Elliott	85.3%	Kevin Harvick	1,034
Kasey Kahne	317	Denny Hamlin	78.4%	Jimmie Johnson	1,012
Loop Data stats are from 2005 - Present

 

Pocono Raceway Data

Season Race #: 14 of 36 (06-03-18)

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

Stage 1 and 2 Length: 50 Laps (each)

Final Stage: 60 Laps

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono

Erik Jones................................ 106.5

Denny Hamlin........................... 105.0

Kurt Busch............................... 104.5

Jimmie Johnson........................ 101.6

Chase Elliott............................... 99.3

Kevin Harvick............................. 95.3

Brad Keselowski......................... 94.8

Kyle Larson................................ 94.7

Ryan Newman............................ 91.1

Kyle Busch................................. 90.3

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017
races (26 total) among active drivers at Pocono Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2017 pole winner:

Kyle Busch, Toyota

179.151 mph, 50.237 secs, 06-10-17

2017 race winner:

Ryan Blaney, Ford

142.292 mph, (02:48:40), 06-11-17

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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was in 1974 – won by Richard Petty, Dodge, 115.593 mph, on August 4, 1974.

·        The 2.5-mile track was repaved during the fall of 2011.

·        2012 marked the first season the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles.

·        Prior to 2012 all Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway.

·        There have been 80 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway, one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.

Starts

·        338 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway; 243 in more than one.

·        Ricky Rudd leads the series in starts at Pocono with 55.

·        Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers in the series with 36 starts; followed by Kevin Harvick with 34.

·        David Pearson (six starts) leads the series in average starting position at Pocono with a 4.667.

·        Denny Hamlin (24 starts) leads all active series drivers in average starting position at Pocono with a 7.208.

·        A total of 33 drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series have made their series debut at Pocono Raceway, the most recent and only active driver to make his debut at Pocono is Bubba Wallace (June 11, 2017).

Poles

·        42 different drivers have won the Busch Pole Award at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader with five each.

·        Kyle Busch leads all active drivers at Pocono with four Busch poles (Spring 2010, Fall 2015, 2017 sweep).

·        Buddy Baker won the inaugural Buch Pole Award at Pocono in 1974 with a speed of 144.122 mph. 

·        Of the 42 Pocono pole winners, only six have won consecutive Busch poles: Bill Elliott (1984-85), Mark Martin (1990-91), Ken Schrader (1993 sweep), Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep), Joey Logano (fall 2011 and spring 2012) and Kyle Busch (2017 sweep).

·        Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Pocono with three; fall 1984 and both races in 1985.

·        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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch pole at Pocono Raceway: Harry Gant (1979), Casey Mears (2004) and Kyle Larson (2014). 

·        Eight different manufacturers have won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole at Pocono; led by Chevrolet with 33, followed by Ford (16), Dodge (8), Toyota (8), Pontiac (6), Buick (2), American Motors Company and Oldsmobile (each have one).  

Wins

·        37 different Monster Energy Series drivers have won at Pocono Raceway, 22 drivers have multiple wins, led by Jeff Gordon with six victories (1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2011 and 2012).

·        Denny Hamlin leads all active series drivers in wins at Pocono with four (2006 sweep, 2009 and 2010).

·        Four active drivers have multiple wins at Pocono: Denny Hamlin (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), Kurt Busch (three) and Kasey Kahne (two).   

·        Seven drivers have posted consecutive wins at Pocono Raceway, including three consecutive by Bobby Allison (1982 sweep and Spring 1983) and Tim Richmond (1986 sweep and Spring 1987).

·        Two of the seven drivers to win consecutive races at Pocono are active: Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep) and Denny Hamlin (2006 sweep and 2009 fall and 2010 spring races).

·        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 leads the series in wins at Pocono 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 Monster Energy Series at Pocono; led by Chevrolet with 32 victories; followed by Ford with 23, Dodge (seven), Pontiac (six), Toyota (five), Buick (four), Mercury (two) and Oldsmobile (one).

·        14 of the 80 (17.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the Busch pole; the most recent was Kyle Busch last Fall (2017).

·        Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono have been won from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled; Tony Stewart (2009) and the most recent was Jimmie Johnson (2013).

·        The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (16) than any other starting position at Pocono Raceway – a 20% winning percentage.    

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Pocono is 29th, by Carl Edwards in the spring of 2005.

·        A total of four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted his first career win at Pocono Raceway: Ryan Blaney (06/11/2017), Chris Buescher (08/01/16), Denny Hamlin (06/11/06) and Jeremy Mayfield (06/21/98).

·        Denny Hamlin (2006) and Carl Edwards (2005) 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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono without visiting Victory Lane at 34; followed by Jamie McMurray with 30.

·        Seven drivers in series history have swept Pocono in a single season - Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott(1985), Tim Richmond (1986), Bobby Labonte (1999), Jimmie Johnson (2004), Denny Hamlin (2006) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014).

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·        A total of 34 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished runner-up at Pocono, led by Mark Martin with seven second-place finishes;

·        Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes at Pocono with five; followed by Kevin Harvick with four.

·        A total of 72 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Pocono, led by Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon with 20 each.

·        Kurt Busch leads all active Monster Energy Series drivers with 14 top fives; followed by Jimmie Johnson with 11.

·        A total of 118 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished in the top-10 at Pocono, led by Mark Martin with 34 top-10 finishes;

·        Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch lead all active Monster Energy Series drivers with 19 top-10 finishes each.

·        Erik Jones (two starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Pocono with a 5.5.

Track Specific Stats

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR 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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races resulting with NASCAR Overtime at Pocono Raceway:

Scheduled No. Of Laps	Actual No. Of Laps	NASCAR Overtime Laps	Winner	Date
200	204	4	Denny Hamlin	6/6/2010
200	203	3	Kurt Busch	7/24/2005
200	201	1	Carl Edwards	6/12/2005

·        Seven of the 80 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions:

Scheduled Date	Scheduled No. Of Laps	Actual No. Of Laps	No. of Fewer Laps	Winners
7/31/2016	160	138	-22	Chris Buescher
8/5/2012	160	98	-62	Jeff Gordon
6/10/2007	200	106	-94	Jeff Gordon
7/28/2002	200	175	-25	Bill Elliott
7/21/1991	200	179	-21	Rusty Wallace
7/20/1986	200	150	-50	Tim Richmond
8/4/1974	200	192	-8	Richard Petty

   

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway six times:

Date

6/6/1982

6/10/1984

6/9/2002

6/7/2009

8/3/2009

6/9/2013

·        A total of 125 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap at Pocono; Jeff Gordon leads the series in laps led with 1,040 laps led in 46 starts. Below are the all-time top five lap leaders at Pocono Raceway.

Driver	Led	Completed	% of Laps Led	Starts
Jeff Gordon	1040	8535	12.19%	47
Geoff Bodine	809	6799	11.90%	40
Rusty Wallace	754	7510	10.04%	44
Jimmie Johnson	738	5464	13.51%	32
Denny Hamlin	688	3969	17.33%	24

Top Five Active Pocono Lap Leaders:

Drivers	Led	Completed	% of Laps Led	Starts
Jimmie Johnson	738	5464	13.5%	32
Denny Hamlin	688	3969	17.3%	24
Kurt Busch	538	5723	9.4%	33
Joey Logano	275	3006	9.1%	18
Kyle Busch	260	4135	6.3%	26

Female Competitor Stats

·        Two female drivers have competed at Pocono Raceway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	22	15	7/30/2017
Danica Patrick	24	16	6/11/2017
Danica Patrick	26	22	8/1/2016
Danica Patrick	33	32	6/6/2016
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	23.7	26.9
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 147 NASCAR national series races among 10 tracks in the state of Pennsylvania.

Track Name	City	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Camping World	Total Races
Pocono Raceway	Long Pond	80	2	8	90
Nazareth Speedway	Nazareth	0	17	6	23
Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne	17	0	0	17
Lincoln Speedway	New Oxford	7	0	0	7
Heidelberg Raceway	Pittsburgh	4	0	0	4
Reading Fairgrounds	Reading	2	0	0	2
Bloomsburg Fairgrounds	Bloomsburg	1	0	0	1
New Bradford Speedway	Bradford	1	0	0	1
Pine Grove Speedway	Shippenville	1	0	0	1
Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg	1	0	0	1
Totals		114	19	14	147

·        The first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Pennsylvania was the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event held on September 11, 1949 at Langhorne Speedway and won by Curtis Turner(Oldsmobile). 

Pennsylvania Drivers In NASCAR

·        144 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Pennsylvania.

·        Three of the 144 Pennsylvania drivers have won in NASCAR’s premiere series.

Driver	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Camping World	Totals
Dick Linder	3	0	0	3
Jimmy Spencer	2	12	1	15
Mark Donohue	1	0	0	1
Totals	6	12	1	19

2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results
Date	Track	Busch Pole	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Race Winner	OEM
2/18/2018	Daytona	Alex Bowman	Kurt Busch	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet
2/25/2018	Atlanta	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/4/2018	Las Vegas	Ryan Blaney	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/11/2018	ISM	Martin Truex Jr	Kyle Busch	Kurt Busch	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
3/18/2018	Auto Club	Martin Truex Jr	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Martin Truex Jr	Toyota
3/26/2018	Martinsville	None-Weather	Denny Hamlin	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Clint Bowyer	Ford
4/8/2018	Texas	Kurt Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kyle Busch	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/15/2018	Bristol	Kyle Busch	Brad Keselowski	Brad Keselowski	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/21/2018	Richmond	Martin Truex Jr.	Joey Logano	Joey Logano	N/A	Kyle Busch	Toyota
4/29/2018	Talladega	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski	Paul Menard	N/A	Joey Logano	Ford
5/6/2018	Dover	Kyle Larson	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/12/2018	Kansas	Kevin Harvick	Ryan Blaney	Kyle Larson	N/A	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/19/2018	All-Star Open	N/A	Alex Bowman	Daniel Suarez	N/A	AJ Allmendinger	Chevrolet
5/19/2018	All-Star Race	Matt Kenseth	Kevin Harvick	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Ford
5/27/2018	Charlotte	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Kyle Busch	Toyota
6/3/2018	Pocono
6/10/2018	Michigan
6/24/2018	Sonoma
7/1/2018	Chicagoland
7/7/2018	Daytona
7/14/2018	Kentucky
7/22/2018	New Hampshire
7/29/2018	Pocono
8/5/2018	Watkins Glen
8/12/2018	Michigan
8/18/2018	Bristol
9/2/2018	Darlington
9/9/2018	Indianapolis
9/16/2018	Las Vegas
9/22/2018	Richmond
9/30/2018	Charlotte
10/7/2018	Dover
10/14/2018	Talladega
10/21/2018	Kansas
10/28/2018	Martinsville
11/4/2018	Texas
11/11/2018	ISM
11/18/2018	Homestead

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
STARTS
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	652	1
Tie J.D. McDuffie for 21st on the all-time Monster Energy Series starts list.
Driver: AJ Allmendinger	Has	Needs
Milestone:	348	2
Will become the 71st driver to make 350 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
Driver: Daniel Suarez	Has	Needs
Milestone:	49	1
Will become the 287th driver to make 50 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
WINS
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	83	1
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time series wins list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	47	1
Tie Herb Thomas (48) for 14th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	42	1
Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on the all-time MENCS wins list.
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	39	1
To tie Mark Martin for 19th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	31	1
To tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	29	2
Tie Denny Hamlin for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
BUSCH POLES
Driver: Ryan Newman	Has	Needs
Milestone:	51	3
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	35	1
To tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 18th on the all-time series poles list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	30	1
To tie Fonty Flock for 23rd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kasey Kahne	Has	Needs
Milestone:	27	2
To tie Kyle Busch and Ricky Rudd for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy Series poles list.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
Second-Place Finishes
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	46	2
Tie Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	43	1
Tie Tony Stewart for 13th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	30	1
Tie Benny Parsons for 24th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Top Fives
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	224	1
To become the 11th series driver all-time to post 225 or more top fives
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	181	1
Tie Terry Labonte for 18th on the series all-time top-five finishes list
Top 10s
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	346	3
Tie Rusty Wallace for 11th on the series all-time top-10 finishes list
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	317	2
Tie Cale Yarborough for 16th on the series all-time top-10 finishes list
Laps Led
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	18,663	337
To become the ninth driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 19,000 laps.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	11,911	89
To become the 15th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 12,000 laps.
Driver: Matt Kenseth	Has	Needs
Milestone:	11,751	249
To become the 15th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 12,000 laps.
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.	Has	Needs
Milestone:	6,796	204
To become the 29th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 7,000 laps.