Kurt Busch brings a streak of four consecutive top 10s to Pocono Raceway where he looks to steal some of the spotlight from his brother Kyle in Sunday’s Pocono 400.
While his younger brother continues to roll in his dominant season with four victories, Busch is seeking his first win since the 2017 Daytona 500. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has been solidly consistent in the first half of the regular season and has seven top-10 finishes in the opening 13 races, including series-best 5.8 average finish in the last four races.
Busch comes into the weekend sixth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings. He’s a three-time Pocono winner including a commanding victory in 2007.
“The win in 2007 with Penske Racing – that was the fastest car that I’ve ever driven,” Busch remembered. “That car would turn, stick, drive down the straightaway – that car did everything. It didn’t have a single flaw.
“I knew how good that car was on the first lap of the race. I remember telling myself, ‘Don’t screw this up.’ I ran the rest of the race more nervous than I had in years prior. I’ve never dominated a race like that. We led 175 of 200 laps. That was, by far, the best car I have ever driven.”
Busch is looking to score his second win at Pocono with Stewart-Haas Racing with the last coming in this event in 2016. But he knows the many variables that can go into winning at the one-of-a-kind track.
With three distinct corners around the triangular track, it’s difficult to have a car capable of being good in all three.
“It’s weird, I’ve had winning cars there a few different times and turn two always feels the best when my car has a chance to go to Victory Lane,” Busch said. “But, I think turn three, if you are able to pass cars and maneuver around them, you’ve got to get a good run off turn three to be ready to pass them in turn one. All of them are important. You can’t exclude one from another.”
And while every driver agrees racing at Pocono is challenging, Busch embraces the opportunity.
“How unique the place is,” Busch said when asked how to describe Pocono. “You drive in through the Tunnel Turn and that corner to me is one of the most unique corners of all the tracks that we go to. When you go to Pocono, the first thing you really think of is compromise – you have to juggle all three corners being different. It’s called the Tricky Triangle for a reason.”
Motor Racing Network – “The Voice of NASCAR” will have live coverage of Sunday’s Pocono 400, beginning at 1 p.m. (ET) – with live streaming at MRN.com.
