Pocono Raceway has been called everything from exciting to boring to just plain strange, but one thing is certain – it is the most unique place in all of NASCAR. With three completely different corners, the 2.5 mile triangle-shaped track lies somewhere between and oval and a road course, and that makes it incredibly difficult to be successful here. There are a few drivers, however, that have mastered the Pennsylvania track: here are the best bets for your NASCAR fantasy team at Pocono:
Favorites at Pocono Raceway
1. Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has not won at Pocono since 2006, but despite the drought he has still been completely dominant here; in addition to his two wins, Danny has only finished lower than 6th at the 2.5-mile tri-oval one time in his career. Hamlin’s average finish of 6.2 and a driver rating of 123.6 are both tops among active drivers. It has been an up-and-down year so far for Hamlin and the No.11 team, but there is a great chance that this will be one of those up weeks. Start him if you can.
2. Tony Stewart – Stewart only has one win at Pocono, but it is surprising that he does not have more; Smoke has finished 7th or better in six of his last seven races in the Keystone state, along with an average finish of 13th. More importantly, Stewart is the hottest driver in NASCAR right now – with top-5 finishes in six of his last eight races heading into the weekend, it is only a matter of time before Stewart heads to victory lane.
3. Carl Edwards – Carl struggled a bit at Pocono over the past few years, but completely broke out of his slump last season, scoring a ninth place finish in the June race and his second Pocono win in the July event. Even with his struggles in 2006 and 2007, Edwards has a driver rating of 95.7 and an average finish of 14.2 here, and after strong performances the past two weeks, Cousin Carl could be at the front of the field Sunday afternoon.
Safe Picks for a Solid Pocono Finish
1. Kurt Busch – If it weren’t for some inconsistency this season on Busch’s part, he would easily be in the Favorites category; Kurt has two Pocono wins, and his driver rating over the past four years here (106.8) is second only to Hamlin. Busch has also led more laps than any other driver over the past four seasons at the Pennsylvania track. Despite his inconsistent results this year, Busch has top-10 finishes in five of his last seven Pocono races, and coming off a 5th last week at Dover, the Blue Deuce has the momentum it needs for another strong Pocono finish.
2. Jimmie Johnson – Johnson is in the same category as Hamlin – he has not won here since all the way back in 2004, but while he has not dominated since then quite as much as Hamlin has, it is easy to make a case for Johnson; he averages a 10th place finish here, thanks to eight top-10’s in his last ten races. After his win in Dover, Johnson is primed for a strong run heading towards the Chase, and there is no reason to think he won’t have another impressive showing this weekend.
3. Kasey Kahne – Kahne makes the list not only because he is the defending winner of this race, but because of what he has under the hood; Kahne rolled out Dodge’s new R6 motor at Dover, and the results were impressive, with the No.9 car turning in a sixth place finish. With more power under the hood and two top-10 Pocono finishes last season in the COT, including the win, the prospects are good for Kahne and Richard Petty Motorsports this time around.
Pocono Underdogs
1. Brian Vickers – Vickers makes an interesting pick for Pocono; in the past three years, Vickers has been all-or-nothing at the tri-oval – either finishing in the top-5, or outside the top-25. Last season was the perfect example; Vickers finished second in the June race, then 28th in July. His results have been similarly inconsistent this season, but if you are looking for a lower-category pick, Vickers offers potential for a nice finish.
2. Casey Mears – Mears is a lot like Vickers – sometimes he turns in a solid performance, other times he lands outside the top-25. The advantage Mears has, though, is that he is working with much better equipment than Vickers; Richard Childress Racing has had decent success here recently with Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick, and it is only a matter of time before some of that success rubs off on Mears. After finishing 9th at Dover, there could be another good weekend in store for the No.07 team.
3. Juan Montoya – Based on Montoya’s history at Pocono, there really is no reason to put him on a fantasy roster this week, but those past stats don’t reflect how much Montoya has improved this season; there have been a few stumbles along the way, but Juan is currently just outside the Chase sitting 15th in the points, and he has top-10’s in two of his last four races. The biggest advantage Montoya has going into this race is his unique perspective behind the wheel – Pocono is a track that demands an unusual approach to be successful, and Montoya always seems to find a racing line that nobody else has considered using. This weekend, that could be a great combination.
Pocono is the type of track that can cause all kinds of problems not just for drivers and crew chiefs, but also for fantasy NASCAR owners. Carefully picking your roster for Pocono can help maximize the number of points your NASCAR fantasy team scores.
Todd Butts - Coming from the world of newspaper and radio, I have been covering NASCAR and other motorsports for over 8 years. I started as the host ...
