Top driver picks for Pocono
The 10-month buildup to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series coming to Pocono Raceway culminates Saturday. The 2.5 mile track is the second largest track the trucks get to race on, second only to Talladega and equalling Daytona in size. After Saturday the Truck Series will have raced on every Sprint Cup track. The race is one of the most exciting for fans as Sprint Cup drivers, veterans and ambitious young drivers rough and tough it out over 50 laps.
The Pocono Raceway, or ‘Tricky Triangle’ as it has been called, is considered a superspeedway and is one of the few remaining independently owned tracks. The Mattioli family have held onto the track while Speedway Motorsports Inc and International Speedway Corp own most of the other tracks.
The Raceway has three unique corners and is unlike any other NASCAR track. The first turn has a 14 degree banking and was modelled after the now-defunct Trenton Speedway. Turn Two has a nine degree banking while Turn Three has a six degree one. These turns were modelled after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Milwaukee Mile respectively.
"I know that going down in to turn one you better have a good spot because we will probably be four or five wide,” said Ron Hornaday about the tough competition the race will see.
Todd Bodine and his team have had the best luck on 1.5 mile and longer tracks, which is why he is a good bet for winner. He has won pole and had two top 10 finishes while driving in the Sprint Cup and won three straight races on superspeedways from 2008 to 2009.
Denny Hamlin has four wins on the track in the Sprint Cup series and is favoured for Saturday’s race. Hamlin triumphs at the track boost his potential and it’s likely he will be close if not leading the final laps. However he is not the best at shoot-outs and a s***w up would mean he will be playing catch up with the rest of the drivers.
Kasey Kahne has also won at Pocono before and is a good fit with competitive directory Rick Ren. He is expected to be in the battle for the lead in the closing laps and will put up a good fight against Kyle Busch Motorsports with the help of crew chief Eric Philips.
Elliott Sadler is driving in a very good Kevin Harvick Inc. chassis and could pull off the upset for a surprise win since he is also than familiar with the Pocono track. He has had a great season driving the number two Chevy for the Harvicks and has two top 10 finishes as well as one top five.
As for the rookie players, Justin Lofton has shown promise and talent and achieved seat-time in the ARCA ReMax Series at Pocono. With one win and two top five finishes out of the four races he has started in if a rookie is going to win it could very well be Lofton.
Mike Skinner has the best results on the Pocono track of any other Truck Series driver. He has had four top finishes and one pole won with RCR. Though he has been having a sluggish season Skinner is back in his old favourite chassis and is well suited for the shoot-out style.
Like Sadler and Lofton Johnny Sauter also has experience on the Pocono track and based on his season could easily outrun everyone to steal the win. He has a good working relationship with crew chief Joe Shear Jr. although the two have been hesitant to use pit stop strategies.
With two races run at Pocono, Ron Hornaday Jr. is one driver you can’t overlook or underestimate. Out of the four races he’s driven in Hornaday Jr. has had two top 10 finishes and one top five and is eager to pick up a win. It has yet to be revealed who his crew chief will be, not that that will be a problem for him and his No. 40 KHI chassis, as Hornaday Jr. is a very adaptable driver.
Pocono was one of the first tracks to go green. The plans to install a three megawatt solar farm were released on 1 August last year and the new power endeavour will ultimately supply power for the entire racetrack as well as to the local energy grid.
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