POCONO

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Moment Of Truex: Furniture Row Driver Goes For Second Straight Win, Pocono Repeat

Martin Truex Jr., from the one-car Furniture Row Racing team based in Denver, Colorado, set a NASCAR record and Charlotte Motor Speedway record on his way to his first victory of the season in the Coca-Cola 600.

Truex’s 588 miles led in a single race were the most in NASCAR history. The previous-best total was Jim Paschal’s 502.5 miles led in the 1967 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Truex’s 392 laps led marked the highest total in a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The previous-best mark of 335 was also set by Paschal in the 1967 World 600.

He also recorded the 17th perfect driver rating (150.0) – and first at Charlotte – since the inception of NASCAR loop data in 2005.

So far this season, the New Jersey native has led the most laps in the three races – Texas (141), Kansas (172) and Charlotte (392) – and paces the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in total laps led (809). He ranks second in average running position (7.6) and driver rating (107.8), as well as third in fastest laps run (364).

Truex heads to Pocono Raceway next for Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 (1 p.m. on FS1) – a race he won last year. In 20 career starts at the Tricky Triangle, the No. 78 Toyota driver claims one win, three top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 15.3.

Truex currently sits sixth on the Chase Grid on the strength of his one win, two top fives and six top 10s.

Hamlin Hopes To Rediscover Pocono Magic

Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with four wins at Pocono, but has not visited Victory Lane at the Tricky Triangle since 2010.

The No. 11 Toyota driver will attempt to turn his luck around in Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 by notching his first win since he edged out Martin Truex Jr. by a mere .010 seconds in the Daytona 500.

Hamlin owns the series-best driver rating among active competitors at Pocono (107.2), along with the second-best average running position (10.7). He also has nine top fives and 13 top 10s in 20 starts at the 2.5-mile track.

In his last two starts, Hamlin finished seventh at Dover and fourth at Charlotte following showings of 31st (Talladega) and 37th (Kansas).

Earnhardt Eyes First Win At Track He Swept In ’14

During his resurgent 2014 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. swept the Pocono races on his way to four wins – his first multi-victory campaign since 2004 (six wins). He also took the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 and Martinsville fall race.

Earnhardt will attempt to visit Victory Lane for the first time this season and grab the ensuing Chase berth in Sunday’s Pocono showdown.

In his last six Pocono starts, the No. 88 Chevrolet driver has recorded five top-five finishes. His one outlier was an 11th-place showing last June. Earnhardt has tallied two wins, 10 top fives and 14 top 10s in 32 overall starts at the Tricky Triangle.

On the season, Earnhardt ranks 13th on the Chase Grid via four top fives and five top 10s. He has struggled recently, failing to record a top-10 finish since his runner-up showing at Bristol.

Earnhardt has three runner-ups this season.

Harvick Nearing Victory After Third Runner-Up Of 2016

Another race, and unfortunately for Kevin Harvick, another runner-up.

Harvick logged his third second-place showing of the season in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since 2014, Harvick has recorded 22 runner-ups, 13 more than Brad Keselowski, who has the next-highest total with nine.

Last year, Harvick scored 13 runner up, the most since Bobby Allison in 1970 (15).

On the bright side, Harvick’s 31 top-two finishes outpace Keselowski’s total (18) – the second-highest in the category – by 13.

Harvick leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in points this season on the strength of one win, six top fives and 10 top 10s. His teammate Kurt Busch ranks second in points and trails him by 36 markers.

A loop data legend, Harvick leads the NSCS in average running position (6.1), driver rating (115.9) and fastest laps run (553).

Chase Pressure Heats Up Halfway Through

Eight Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup bids remain halfway through the regular season.

The drivers who have locked up berths via wins are Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin.

If the season ended today, the eight other drivers who would make NASCAR’s playoffs on points are Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Blaney and Ryan Newman.

Elliott and Blaney would become the second and third Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders to ever make the Chase. Denny Hamlin achieved the feat in 2006.

Drivers who have won at Pocono, who can clinch a Chase berth with a victory there on Sunday include: Kurt Busch (2 wins), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2), Kasey Kahne (2), Tony Stewart (2), Greg Biffle (1) and Ryan Newman (1).

Tony Stewart Chase Watch

Tony Stewart jumped from 37th to 35th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings after finishing 24th in the Coca-Cola 600.

To make NASCAR’s playoffs, Stewart must win a race and finish the regular season in the top 30 in points. He’s currently 60 markers behind 30th-place David Ragan.

Stewart has two wins (2003, ’09), 12 top fives and 23 top 10s in 34 starts at Pocono. Among active drivers at the 2.5-mile track, he ranks third in average finish (11.0), sixth in average running position (12.7) and fourth in driver rating (95.7).

Kenseth Can Solve Tricky Triangle For Second Consecutive Contest

Matt Kenseth enters Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono as the track’s fall race winner and riding a three-race top-10 streak (fourth, Kansas; first, Dover;  seventh, Charlotte).

The No. 20 Toyota driver’s win at Pocono last fall marked his first win in 32 starts at the Tricky Triangle. He has four top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 15.2 there.

Kenseth currently ranks seventh on the Chase Grid on the strength of one win, two top fives and five top 10s.

Kyle Busch Eyes Victories At Pocono And Charlotte To Complete Sweep Of Active Tracks

Kyle Busch failed to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte over the weekend, but gets a shot to visit Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway on Sunday – the only other track where he’s never captured a checkered flag.

Overall, Busch has won races at 21-of-23 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks. Tony Stewart has wins at as many tracks and needs victories at Darlington and Kentucky to complete the sweep. Jimmie Johnson boasts victories at 19 of the 23 tracks and hasn’t won at Chicagoland, Homestead, Kentucky or Watkins Glen.

Busch was leading last season’s August Pocono race on the final lap, but ran out of fuel and finished 21st. He’ll get another shot to win at Charlotte in the fall.

In 22 career starts at Pocono, Busch owns four top fives, eight top 10s and two Coors Light Pole awards. His career-best finish at the Tricky-Triangle is second (June 2010 and Aug. 2011).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Etc.

Elliott Posts Another Top 10

Chase Elliott finished eighth at Charlotte – his ninth top-10 result of the season. Jimmie Johnson (2002) is the only other driver who’s recorded nine top 10s through the first 13 races of his Sunoco Rookie season. Elliott leads Ryan Blaney by 28 points in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. …

Trick Or Triangle

As the only track on the NASCAR circuit with three different lengths for each straightaway, Pocono stands out as one of the most distinct courses drivers try to tackle. …