NASCAR‘s second trip to Pocono Raceway in the 2015 season wasn’t a typical Sprint Cup race on the “Tricky Triangle.” Matt Kenseth was able to outlast the other leaders to grab the win in the Windows 10 400.
When the green flag waived to start the race it only took a handful of laps before the first caution flag would be issued when Kasey Kahne’s #5 Chevrolet slid sideways and down onto pit road until it slammed the pit road wall ending his day.
At a track where long green flag runs are expected, the Windows 20 400 at Pocono had a total of eight caution periods with the field driving 32 of 160 laps under the yellow flag. One of those cautions was for what many believed to be the car to beat at Pocono. Kevin Harvick’s day was ended early when the engine in his #4 Chevrolet failed spilling fluid behind it on the track and sending him packing for the day.
Throughout the race Joey Logano looked as though he would be the best bet for the win. Joey put his #22 Ford at the front of the field for a race high 97 laps. Kyle Busch also showed that he had a car that could contend for the win staying close to Joey all day and even passing him a few times. Kyle was looking to win his fourth race in a row.
It was Joey and Kyle running out front as the laps were winding down. The lead cars had gone into fuel saving mode to stretch the number of laps they could run on a tank of fuel. They were gambling to have enough to win the race. Joey ran out of gas before the white flag as did a couple of others in the top five in the running order.
Kyle has saved enough to take the white flag as the race leader, however he also ran out of fuel on the last lap of the race. That turned the lead over to Matt Kenseth (Kyle’s JGR teammate). Matt not only saved enough fuel in his #20 Toyota to make it to the checkered flag to win the race, he also had enough left to do burnouts and drive to Victory Lane. The win is Matt’s first on the Tricky Triangle and second win of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
Brad Keselowski grabbed second place with Jeff Gordon in third. Dale Earnhardt Jr. rallied back from a small crash and big pit road penalty to finish in fourth place with Greg Biffle rounding out the top five at Pocono. See the complete race results in the Windows 10 400 here.
With just five more races remaining in the regular season, Jimmie Johnson remains the top seed on the Chase Grid. Kyle Busch running out of gas dropped him out of what would have gotten him in the top 30 and on the Chase Grid to 13 points behind 30th place. See the complete NASCAR Point Standings here. You can see how the Chase Grid looks after the Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway by clicking here.
Since there are only five races left before the Chase and six spots on the Chase Grid filled by drivers without wins that guarantees at least one driver will make the Chase without having a win. That is providing the next five races have a driver without a win in 2015 scoring the win in each of the final regular season races.
This week will be a good chance for that as the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the second and final road course of 2015 for the Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International Sunday, August 9th.
By: Buck Stevens
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, and Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, lead the field to the green flag for the running of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, and Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, lead the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Smoke pours from the Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Suave Men Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Cars race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota, and a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
- LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 02: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, celebrates with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway on August 2, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)