Pocono/Iowa Weekend Preview
July 28, 2016
Staff Report
NASCAR Wire Service
Busch hopes Indy momentum will carry over for first Pocono victory
Last
year at Pocono, Kyle Busch had nothing but air between him and the
finish line with a half-lap to go. A visit to Victory Lane would have
given him his fourth consecutive
victory just five months removed from breaking his right leg and
fracturing his left foot in an accident at Daytona. Suddenly, Busch ran
out of fuel and finished a disappointing 22nd.
The
No. 18 Toyota driver will attempt to turn his luck around in Sunday's
Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN). The "Tricky
Triangle" is one of only two
active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks – Charlotte Motor Speedway is
the other – where he has never won.
“I
think when you run well there and have a shot to win and you run out of
fuel, when you head back there you still have the same mindset that you
have a shot to win there just
like we had a shot to win there last summer," Busch said. "I would
definitely like to win a race there, and last year having such a good
car I certainly have figured out how to drive the track, so eventually I
think we’ll get that win there when you keep bringing
back good cars like Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the M&M’S guys
have.”
Coming
off a victory at Indianapolis, Busch heads to Pocono tied with Brad
Keselowski for the series lead in wins with four. He paces the series
with 11 top fives and is displaying
form that shows he might be the favorite to win his second consecutive
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.
In 23 career starts at Pocono, Busch owns four top fives, eight top 10s and a 19.0 average finish.
"If
we could bring home two in a row and our first-ever win at Pocono, that
would be something special, especially at a place I have yet to win at,
so I would love to cross that
one off the list," Busch said.
Dillon searches for win at Iowa
Ty Dillon is producing another strong NASCAR XFINITY Series season in his third campaign on the circuit.
He
currently sits third in the points standings (fourth on the Chase
Grid), as he tries to improve on his third-place championship finish
from last year and his fifth-place championship
showing from 2014.
On
his quest for the series crown, Dillon would like to, and probably has
to, make a visit to Victory Lane. Dillon has come close to taking the
checkered flag since his last
win – at Indianapolis in 2014 – with three runner-up, and five
third-place showings.
He'll
shoot for a win once again in Saturday's U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa
Speedway (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN) where he recorded his most recent
runner-up last month.
“We
had a pretty good run here last month mainly because we utilized the
extra practice time to really work on our balance," Dillon said. "I have
a good feeling about this weekend
and our chances. Our short-track program has been solid this season and
I hope we can score a victory Saturday night.”
Reddick in rhythm at right time
Tyler Reddick is hitting his groove at the perfect time.
Since
starting the season with no top-10 finishes until the fifth race, the
No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing driver has produced six top-10 showings in
the last seven contests.
In the process, he's vaulted from 14th on the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series Chase Grid to eighth – 18 points ahead of ninth-place Ben
Kennedy for the final spot in the playoffs.
Reddick
will try to solidify his spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Chase in the Pocono Mountains 150 at Pocono Raceway (1 p.m. ET on FS1)
where he finished third
last year.
"Pocono
is a place I was able to pick up on very fast and a lot of that credit
goes to crew chief Doug Randolph and all the guys on the team that bring
an outstanding package
to that racetrack," Reddick said. "It's made my job fairly simple to go
out there and put down a good lap right away. I have a lot of
confidence in everyone on our team. Brad Keselowski Racing has won there
before, so I have no problem driving it really hard
into the corners. I have absolute faith in those guys and what they
do."
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Race: Pennsylvania 400
Place: Pocono Raceway
Date and Time: Sunday, July 31 at 1:30 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (160 laps)
What to Watch For:
Jeff Gordon subs for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the
second consecutive
weekend after finishing 13th at Indy. ... Kurt Busch attempts to sweep
Pocono. He will also go for the record for most consecutive races
running every lap to start the season. He tied the record of 20 races –
set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2012 – last week in
Indianapolis ... Kyle Larson looks to solidify his spot in the Chase
after climbing onto the Grid (16th) for the first time since the second
week of the season. ... Chase Elliott eyes his first NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series win at Pocono where he led a race-high
51 laps in June.
NASCAR XFINITY Series
Race: U.S. Cellular 250
Place: Iowa Speedway
Date and Time: Saturday, July 30 at 8 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 218.75 miles (250 laps)
What to Watch For:
Sam Hornish Jr. attempts to sweep Iowa after winning there in June.
This time,
he will pilot the Richard Childress Racing No. 2 Chevrolet instead of
the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. ... Iowa Speedway launches a
four-race stretch of contests at distinct tracks. Drivers go from Iowa's
0.875-mile quick short track to road courses at
Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before transitioning to the
high-banked short-track Bristol Motor Speedway. ... Three Sunoco Rookie
of the Year contenders – Erik Jones, Brandon Jones and Brennan Poole
are on pace to make the NASCAR XFINITY Series
Chase.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race: Pocono Mountains 150
Date and Time: Saturday, July 30 at 1 p.m. ET
Tune-in: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 150 miles (60 laps)
What to Watch For:
NASCAR Next alumnus Rico Abreu looks to build off his career-best
third-place finish
at Eldora. ... 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Brett
Moffitt takes the wheel for Red Horse Racing in the No. 11 Toyota. ...
Cameron Hayley goes back to Pocono Raceway, where he battled Kyle Busch
for the win last year before finishing fourth.
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