The NASCAR Sprint Cup series will navigate the track known as the “Tricky Triangle” Sunday in the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono Raceway.
Normally a track that is 2.5-miles around would be considered a superspeedway. However, when that track has only three turns instead of the normal four turns the speeds don’t really reach the level of a superspeedway. Don’t misunderstand; the cars will be traveling at speeds of 180mph plus on the straights, but with only three turns the cars will need to slow more than normal on a track that size to make it through the turn without crashing.
The best place for the drivers to make a pass will be on the front and backstretches. These are 3,740 feet and 3,055 feet long respectively. If a car has the speed to power past another car quickly the pass can also be made on the short stretch that is only 1,780 feet in length.
There is plenty of room to go three, four and even five wide on the stretches. The trick on this triangle track is that by the time the cars reach the turns the need to be funneled back down to two wide or even single file to navigate the turns without incident. I have seen three wide passes made in the turns at Pocono work out a few times. However, more times than not that move ends in at least one car (often more than one car) wrecking.
Which NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers perform the best at Pocono? Here are the top ten active drivers in driver rating at the “Tricky Triangle” over the past 20 races at Pocono.
#1 – Denny Hamlin – 108.3 driver rating with 4 wins
#2 – Jimmie Johnson – 106.9 driver rating with 3 wins
#3 – Kurt Busch – 105.9 driver rating with 2 wins
#4 – Jeff Gordon – 103.5 driver rating with 6 wins
#5 – Tony Stewart – 97.6 driver rating with 2 wins
#6 – Kyle Larson – 95.7 driver rating with 0 wins
#7 – Ryan Newman – 95.4 driver rating with 1 win
#8 – Carl Edwards – 94.2 driver rating with 2 wins
#9 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 92.6 driver rating with 2 wins
#10 – Kasey Kahne – 92.1 driver rating with 2 wins
When you look at the top ten in driver ratings at Pocono you might notice that all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are on the list. In fact, it has been a Hendrick Motorsports car in victory lane the past five races at the track (Jeff Gordon – fall 2012, Jimmie Johnson – spring 2013, Kasey Kahne – fall 2013, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – both races 2014). That gives good odds that one of them could be the one that ultimately wins the race this week.
Jeff Gordon has the most wins though he is not at the top of the list for driver rating. I have a feeling that if misfortune does not find him this weekend he could be the one crossing the finish line first.
Dale Jr. swept both races at Pocono in the 2014 season. Although he has a new crew chief this year, Dale Jr. is having an amazingly strong 2015 season. He has finished in the top five nine times over the past 20 races at Pocono and in the top ten 13 times. Since his new crew chief has the notes from last year to pull from, I think Dale Jr. could be a serious threat to make it three in a row at Pocono.
Two drivers that could be the “dark horse” picks at Pocono this week are Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Neither of the drivers have a win at the “Tricky Triangle” in the Sprint Cup series. With the kind of year that Kevin is having as the defending Sprint Cup Champion, any time he is not in the top ten for driver rating at a track he has to be considered a threat to win anyway. He isn’t too far out of the top ten as his driver rating for Pocono is 91.9. Perhaps he really isn’t a “dark horse,” but just a serious threat to get his first win at the track.
Martin Truex Jr. would be a typical “Dark Horse” for Pocono. He has an average finish of 15.9 and a driver rating of 80.4 at Pocono. However, Martin has been improving his driver rating at every track this year with 12 top ten finishes in the first 13 races this season and three of those being top five finishes. He has been so close to getting the win a few times and situations or strategy by other teams took the win away. His solid year has him sitting in the second place in the point standings and in all likelihood will make the Chase Grid on points alone if he doesn’t manage to get a win before the start of The Chase.
Perhaps more than at most tracks that are the size of Pocono, one mistake by one driver can potentially collect several cars and change the outlook for which drivers can win the race. That means it will be close to the completion of the 160 laps of racing before a real picture of which drivers will be racing for the win will come into view.
The action will get started at 12 noon central time in the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 from Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
By: Buck Stevens
