Weren't we just here?:
The NEXTEL Cup drivers raced here just six weeks ago when Carl Edwards tamed the challenging triangular track to score the second win of his young career. Can he back up that win this weekend to sweep Pocono for 2005? Can Tony Stewart keep his hot streak alive?
The Track:
Pocono Speedway is a 2.5 mile three-cornered speedway. The triangle-shaped track has three different corner lengths and
bankings making it very difficult to set up a car and to drive well. Pocono is, in a word, unique.
As difficult as it is to
set up and drive Pocono frequently hosts some great racing with races often decided within the last couple of laps.
Race Distance:
200 laps = 500 miles
The Big Picture:
This is race number 20 of 36. Only 7 races to go until the cutoff and it is clear that if you want to race for the title, you need to be in the top ten when the checkered flag flies in Richmond on September 10th.
The current points top ten are: 1. Jimmie Johnson 2,672. 2. Greg Biffle 2,595. 3. Tony Stewart 2,587. 4. Rusty Wallace 2,442. 5. Kurt Busch 2,347. 6. Ryan Newman 2,347. 7. Mark Martin 2,320. 8. Jeremy Mayfield 2,285. 9. Elliott Sadler 2,276. 10. Dale Jarrett, 2,254.
Storylines:
Tires will be the hot topic this week. When we were here six weeks ago there were more than 20 flat tires. Goodyear hasn't had a very good year in 2005 as tire problems have plagued a number of races.
The June Pocono problems seem to have been caused by teams pushing the envelope of tire pressure and camber beyond Goodyear's recommended limits. This will be in focus this weekend again to see if the problems have been resolved.
Media Coverage:
TV: TNT Sunday July 24th 1PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and XM Satellite
Actual Race: 1:40PM Eastern
Last Year:
In 2004 Casey Mears started on the pole but it was Jimmie Johnson who once again dominated most of the day to score the win. In fact, Jimmie swept both Pocono races in 2004 in fairly dominating fashion.
Predictions:
Carl Edwards won this race in June and would be obvious pick but I'm going with a sentimental favorite instead. Jack Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin has 18 top five finishes in his 37 career Pocono starts but has never scored a win here. I think he's overdue to get into Victory Lane and this could be the week.
For my backup this week I'm going with Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson dominated both Pocono races in 2004 and has been fast all year. Clearly he's got to be a favorite again.
