Pennsylvania 500
Who Will Win?
Hamlin
Kurt Busch: It's hard not to pick a guy (Denny Hamlin) who's been dominating that race track the last couple of years. But Kurt Busch ran well there in June and I think the Penske guys have what it takes to get up there and mess with Hamlin. – Wally Dallenbach
Denny Hamlin: The obvious pick here is Hamlin because he's so much better than the rest at Pocono. However, this isn't necessarily a slam dunk. Hamlin has been anything but consistent over the past month — including last weekend's race at Indianapolis, a track similar to Pocono. I'm sticking with him, but I'm not as confident as I usually am whenever Pocono rolls around. – Jay Hart
• We've heard that drivers actually love to run at the widely panned Pocono track. I think it's a case where Hamlin loves it so, so much that he skews everyone else's loathing of the tri-oval. Hamlin absolutely romps at this track; he's as reliable as the sunrise, and he's one of the few lock-it-in picks of the year.– Jay Busbee
Three things to watch for at Pocono, by Wally Dallenbach
Dallenbach
1. Don't get caught speeding on pit road: Getting caught speeding on pit road at Pocono will kill you; if you come back in and do a drive-through, you lose 25 or 30 seconds. It just takes forever. So drivers have to be careful. Getting any kind of pit infraction will cost you, especially because there aren't that many cautions at Pocono — and if you're going to lose that much time paying a penalty, it will be hard to make up.
2. Two tires vs. four: It seems to me that a lot of drivers have been running well all day, come into the last pit stop, take four tires and screw themselves, which is what happened to Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis. If your car is that good, take two tires and keep the track position. If your car is good enough, two tires should be fine.
3. Check the engines: I was impressed with the lack of engine failures in the first race at Pocono, but the weather is going to be different this time around. It was cool in June. If it's a lot warmer this weekend, I think we could see some problems. These guys are really twisting these engines, and Pocono is hard on engines. If the weather is warm, expect some engine issues.
Top storyline
Martin
• As Wally Dallenbach mentions above, deciding between two tires vs. four could determine the outcome. We saw how the wrong call ruined an otherwise perfect weekend for Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis. I don't expect there to be a repeat, which is why I think there will be a lot of gambling. Whatever the decision is, the final pit stop will be worth paying attention to. – Jay Hart
• It's put-up-or-shut-up time for those drivers on the Chase bubble. The next two races, I think, will determine who's in the Chase and who's not. Both Pocono and Watkins Glen are sort of wild cards. You can't fake it at either track like you can at some other tracks. Mark Martin runs well at both these tracks, meaning he can make up some ground. Will he? If not, who will? – Wally Dallenbach
• It's going to be a very interesting final 10 laps, and it may be interesting simply because it'll be so boring. What if Hamlin or Tony Stewart has stretched out a five-second lead and NASCAR throws a caution to bunch up the field? What if one of those drivers — or another with a rep for speaking his mind — should lose as a result? What will the postrace interview sound like, given the fines for out-of-line speech announced earlier this week? I'm not saying you should wait to tune in until the end of the race, but I am saying you shouldn't miss it. – Jay Busbee
From The Source
Kevin Harvick: "This time last year was the turnaround, and when it started. We got some new cars, and last week, we took a top-five car and took a chance for the win. We were able to take that chance because our car was fast enough. Last year, we couldn't event take that chance because we weren't fast enough."
