Hard Turn

A NASCAR BLOG BY Jeff Owens

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Fantasy Week 14: Pocono 500

Jun 2

This will be the first race at Pocono Raceway with NASCAR's new car, which makes you believe you can throw the old-car records from the past few years there right out the window.

But two weeks of racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway proved that theory doesn't always work.

Kasey Kahne debunked that concept at Charlotte, where the new car also made its debut. Instead of Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, the top drivers this season, running away with the show, it was Kahne, who swept both Charlotte points races in 2006, again walking the big winner, taking both the all-star race and the Coca-Cola 600.

What does that prove?

It shows that when a driver is good at a certain track, he’s probably going to be good there no matter the car.

Group A

Though Kyle Busch and Edwards have been the drivers to beat on big tracks all year, don’t discount the drivers who typically do well at Pocono.

Edwards has a win there and is certainly in that group. But so are Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson, who have all won there in recent years.

Kurt Busch won the last race at Pocono and also won there in 2005. He also was fastest during a recent two-day test session there. Though his team has struggled a bit since finishing second in the Daytona 500, this is a week to keep an eye on him.

The Hendrick teams have also done well at Pocono in recent years with Johnson sweeping the races there in 2004 and Gordon winning last year.

Group B

Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne are all worth considering at Pocono, but the top driver in this group should be Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin won both races at Pocono in 2006 and finished third and sixth there last year. He also excels at flat tracks, giving him yet another advantage. And you believe that the Toyotas have a horsepower advantage, that’s even more reason to bet on Hamlin.

If you want to take a gamble on a wildcard, consider Casey Mears, who finished in the top 10 in both races there last year, including fourth in the June event.

Group C

Juan Pablo Montoya is worth strong consideration in this group for one reason – Pocono is similar to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Montoya finished second last year and won the Indy 500.

If Chip Ganassi Racing can give Montoya a competitive car, the driver should be able to race it to the front at Pocono.

Two other drivers to keep an eye on are Yates Racing teammates David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. Both have had respectable seasons considering the team’s sponsorship troubles, and Yates is a master at making great horsepower for a track like Pocono. Don’t be surprised if both drivers are battling for a spot in the top 10 before the race is over.

Group D

There are only two drivers worth considering in this group – David Ragan and Brian Vickers.

Group E

Sam Hornish Jr. continues to impress and has emerged as the obvious pick in this group. His team could also get some help from teammate Kurt Busch, who always runs well at Pocono.

David Reutimann and AJ Allmendinger are also worth considering given their recent signs of improvement.