After racing in the longest race of the NASCAR season, the Sprint Cup drivers will now have to endure the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway in the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400.
Charlotte Motor Speedway was the sight of last week’s 600-mile race which Martin Truex Jr. dominated on the way to his first 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup win. It was at Pocono last year when Martin was able to close the deal and get his first win of the 2015 season.
While this weekend’s race is 200 miles shorter than last week’s race, it will again demand focus from the drivers and endurance from the cars.
For the drivers, the “Tricky Triangle” is a unique challenge mentally since there are only three turns that all different from each other. There is plenty of room on the front and back stretches (3,740 feet and 3,055 feet respectively) to get as much as four or five wide to make passes. However, going into the turns will require the drivers to get down to two wide at the most to avoid an accident.
The third stretch is much shorter at just 1,788 feet. If a car has enough power and the driver has the nerves, a quick pass can be made on this stretch. Again though, not getting back in line before entering the turn can have catastrophic results.
The cars will need to have endurance to survive a lot of shifting and high RPMs as the drivers race around Pocono Raceway. Over the years I have seen many cars loose transmissions and engines due to the rigors of racing the “Tricky Triangle.”
So, which active drivers have the best resume on the “Tricky Triangle?” Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono Raceway
Denny Hamlin – 107.2
Jimmie Johnson – 106.9
Kurt Busch – 105.7
Tony Stewart – 95.7
Kyle Larson – 95.1
Carl Edwards – 94.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 93.2
Ryan Newman – 92.9
Kevin Harvick – 91.8
Brad Keselowski – 91.7
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races {22 total} among active drivers at Pocono Raceway.)
When it comes to winning on the “Tricky Triangle,” Denny Hamlin has the high mark among active drivers having captured four checkered flags during his Sprint Cup career.
Bobby Labonte and Jimmie Johnson are next on the list with three career wins at Pocono.
Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all have a pair of wins each at the track.
Six active Sprint Cup drivers have tasted victory on the “Tricky Triangle” a single time and include Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. (last year’s winner of this race) and Matt Kenseth (winner of the second 2015 Pocono race).
As mentioned earlier. Martin Truex Jr. won this race last year. It ended up being his only win of the 2015 season. Can he take the momentum of last week’s win at Charlotte and pair it with what he learned in this race last year to capture back-to-back wins this year and double his 2015 win total?
The real question for most race fans is this, will the 2016 down force package allow for more passing a result in an exciting race to watch as the Sprint Cup drivers navigate the “tricky Triangle?”
We will all find out when NASCAR drops the green flag on the Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 Sunday, June 5th starting at 12 noon central time (1 pm eastern time) at Pocono Raceway.
By: Buck Stevens
