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| The Pocono Raceway Logo |
The Cup guys are fresh off last week's running of the Brickyard and are now visiting the track that draws comparisons to Indy, both of which are 2.5 mi tracks. So drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamiln ought to be glad right?
Hey, even throw Paul Menard into the mix considering he became a first-time winner last week by winning one of the most prestigious races on the Sprint Cup Schedule, that being the Brickyard.
Because the two tracks draw comparisons, the picks should be similar: Right? Right?
Favorites
Jeff Gordon
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| Jeff celebrating his 2nd win of 2011 burnout style in June's event. |
It is only rightfully fair to start off with the driver who won here in June. Now you know the cliche "Third time's the charm"; Well this expression seems to be appropriate for Gordon. Over the last two races, Jeff has shown to have the car to contend for the win. Unfortunately, he has nothing to show for it. Because of those circumstances, I'm picking Jeff Gordon to win tomorrow's race from the 31st starting spot. Even those winning at Indy would've been a great way to celebrate his 40th birthday, I'm sure Jeff won't mind another Pocono win.
Denny Hamiln
It is pretty safe to say Denny is one of the best drivers ever here at "The Tricky Triangle". Hamiln finished 19th in June while leading 76 laps. Don't be fooled by the finish as he was back there due to having to come back to pit road because of a flat tire. Denny is one of those drivers who need to solidify themselves in the Chase. This is a GREAT place for Hamlin to drive himself in seeing that he has 4 wins with the best average finish among the field: 9.2.
Kurt Busch
If it weren't for Team Dupont's awesome pit stop, maybe Kurt Busch is the one in the winners circle. Outside of Hamlin and Gordon, he had the most consistent car. Look for Kurt to be a threat to win his 2nd race of the season as Team #22 are clicking on all cylinders right now.
Darkhorses
Mark Martin
Now despite his struggles this season, Mark can be counted on in fantasy terms when it comes to racing at Pocono. Mark has always been stout at Pocono. He has Six Runner-ups with an average finish of 11.2 in 49 starts here. He looked very quick practice which is almost always a good sign. Maybe the savvy vet can get a much needed win for an otherwise disappointing last season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
It's an understatement to say Junior needs a break coming his way. Over his last six races, his best finish is a 15th at Loudon. Junior looked very solid at Indy last week; spending some time in the lead even. Unfortunately, he didn't get the finish he would like, which was a 16th. He has now dropped to 10th in the Sprint Cup Standings. Considering his last top ten finish was at Pocono, look for JuneBug to finally bounce back and salvage a much needed top ten finish.
Jimmie Johnson
JJ swept Pocono in 2004 for his only two wins at the 2.5 mile track, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be paid any attention to throughout the race. Johnson has demonstrated mad consistency here, posting finishes no worse than 13th in the last eight races. The Five-Time Champ wouldn't be a bad pickup here.
Risk Takers
Greg Biffle
The Biff placed 7th at Indy last week, but that's not how well he really ran as he was a 15th place car mainly. His performance was quite disappointing considering in an interview during Qualifying, Greg said he would be a contender for the race win. I guess he forgot to say "Sike!" Greg has one top ten in the last ten races here. Ironic because he is the defending race winner of this event. Don't expect a repeat.
He is about the only risk taker as the only other option, Kyle Busch, has begun to turn it around at Pocono.
Can Jeff Gordon be the first repeat winner here since 2006? Can Dale Jr. manage a much needed finish to avoid falling out of the Chase?
I sure think so. But then again, its just one man's opinion.
Note: I do NOT take credit for any of these photos.
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