The first of two trips to Pocono Raceway is on tap this weekend for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Sunday’s Pocono 400 (1 p.m. ET on MRN) is the 14th race of the 2018 season with the NASCAR Xfinity Series also on the weekend schedule for Saturday’s Pocono Green 250 (12:30 p.m. ET on MRN).
Pocono 400 Entry List | Pocono Green 250 Entry List
Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch won last year’s races at the unique 2.5-mile triangular track. Busch is looking to follow-up his dominating Coca-Cola 600 victory last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway and score his fifth win of 2018.
“The hardest part of the track, for me, is probably turn one, and then turn two is the second-hardest, and then turn three is the third-hardest – turn three, last year, because of the patch they laid down,” Busch explained. We couldn’t go down low and get underneath somebody and get a run on them because, when you come off the corner, you’re 8 to 10 mph slower than the guy on your outside and they’re just going to blow right by you going down the straightaway.”
Blaney is one of several drivers who won last season still trying to find Victory Lane in 2018. His Pocono victory a year ago came in thrilling fashion as a member of the Wood Brothers Racing team outracing both Busch and Kevin Harvick to the checkered flag. It’s a moment in his career he won’t ever forget but the now Team Penske driver is eager to make a new memory.
“We’ve had fast cars but just haven’t been able to finish,” said Blaney who exited last week’s Charlotte race with a fiery blown engine. “Hopefully we can go and have good runs at Pocono and then Michigan.”
Denny Hamlin is another driver who hasn’t won since 2017. He’s a four-time Pocono winner including sweeping both races in his rookie season of 2006.
“We’re just third or fourth best every week,’’ Hamlin said after finishing third in Charlotte. “That’s frustrating, but it could be 35 spots worse. We’re either really good or we’re average at best. We need to get a little bit better. I think the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.), the 4 (Harvick) and the 18 (Kyle Busch) are all a little bit faster than us and we’re just kind of right there next in line.’’
Three-time Pocono winner Jimmie Johnson is hoping he can build off last week’s Charlotte performance when he scored his second top-five of the season. Johnson remains winless since June of last year but is optimistic things are heading in the right direction. However he also understands the challenges that lie ahead at Pocono.
“With the three different style turns at Pocono, you really have to have your car handling right in all three to be successful there,” he said. “It’s a wild track and we can hit speeds of 200 mph down the front stretch. Turn 3 is very important and can help with lap time significantly for qualifying. In the last few outings at Pocono we have had some really hard crashes so I’m hoping that is behind us.”
The Xfinity Series makes its third trip to the “Tricky Triangle” this weekend. Saturday’s race will generate additional interest as the aero package that incorporates an enlarged splitter and spoiler, specially designed air ducts and restrictor plates will be used again.
This specific aero package hasn’t been used in the Xfinity Series since last season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where it set track records in green flag passes for the lead (29) and lead changes (16). A similar idea was in place for the Cup Series during the All-Star Race and Saturday’s NXS race will provide another opportunity to examine and develop a new package.
“Obviously the starts and restarts have always been intense at Pocono, but with this package and the available racing room at the track, hopefully we will have that every lap throughout the entire race,” said Justin Allgaier.
