Pocono Raceway Data
Season Race #: 14 of 36 (06-07-15)
Track Size: 2.5-miles
Banking/Turn 1: 14 degrees
Banking/Turn 2: 8 degrees
Banking/Turn 3: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 3,740 feet
Backstretch Length: 3,055 feet
Shortstretch Length: 1,780 feet
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Pocono
Denny Hamlin 108.3
Jimmie Johnson 106.9
Kurt Busch 105.9
Jeff Gordon 103.5
Tony Stewart 97.6
Kyle Larson 95.7
Ryan Newman 95.4
Carl Edwards 94.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 92.6
Kasey Kahne 92.1
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Pocono Raceway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota
181.415 mph, 49.610 secs., 06-06-14
2014 race winner:
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
139.440 mph, (02:52:07), 06-08-14
Track qualifying record:
Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
183.438 mph, 49.610 secs., 08-03-14
Track race record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
145.384 mph, (03:26:21), 06-12-11
Axalta 400 Driver Tale of the Tape
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.7
· Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best
· Driver Rating of 105.9, third-best
· 332 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.733 mph, second-fastest
· 2,659 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), fourth-most
· 774 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet)
· Two wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.3
· Average Running Position of 14.0, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.6, ninth-best
· 102 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.237 mph, eighth-fastest
· 2,286 Laps in the Top 15 (63.3%), eighth-most
· 727 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)
· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 15.5
· Driver Rating of 94.2, eighth-best
· 176 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.224 mph, ninth-fastest
· 2,262 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), 10th-most
· 712 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AXALTA – PENN STATE Chevrolet)
· Six wins, 19 top fives, 31 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 9.9
· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.9
· Driver Rating of 103.5, fourth-best
· 169 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 1,573 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.625 mph, fifth-fastest
· Series-high 2,777 Laps in the Top 15 (76.9%)
· Series-high 885 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
· Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.9
· Average Running Position of 10.8, fourth-best
· Series-best Driver Rating of 108.3
· Series-high 437 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 162.806 mph
· 2,543 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3%), sixth-most
· 685 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser / Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)
· Six top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.6
· Average Running Position of 13.7, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.9, 11th-best
· 1,777 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.159 mph, 10th-fastest
· 2,277 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0%), ninth-most
· 789 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's / Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet)
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 9.9
· Average Running Position of 10.5, third-best
· Driver Rating of 106.9, second-best
· 273 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,507 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.708 mph, third-fastest
· 2,774 Laps in the Top 15 (76.8%), second-most
· 861 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)
· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 17.8
· Driver Rating of 92.1, 10th-best
· 306 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 1,643 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.436 mph, sixth-fastest
· 2,199 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9%), 11th-most
· 804 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 13.4
· Driver Rating of 90.8, 12th-best
· 96 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
· One top five, one top 10; one pole
· Average finish of 8.0
· Average Running Position of 12.7, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 95.7, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.690 mph, fourth-fastest
Ryan Newman (No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet)
· One win, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.4
· Average Running Position of 11.4, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.4, seventh-best
· 1,634 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.135 mph, 11th-fastest
· 2,689 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4%), third-most
· 883 Quality Passes, second-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
· Two wins, 12 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.8
· Average Running Position of 12.2, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.6, fifth-best
· 99 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,728 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.319 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,619 Laps in the Top 15 (72.5%), fifth-most
· 880 Quality Passes, third-most
Pocono 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
It's time for NASCAR racing in the Pocono's where opinion is split among fans on how they feel about the bizarre 2.5-mile triangular layout. Some say there isn't enough passing and the races are boring, while others protest that in this era of cookie-cutter tracks, anything unique is a pleasant change. And Pocono is definitely unique with each of the three turns getting progressively flatter and more difficult.
I happen to be in the group of people that look forward to the two Pocono races a season. I love that it takes takes some road course and short track skills while also requiring lots of horsepower down the longest front stretch on the circuit.
What will be different this season from recent years is the reduction in horsepower, which in theory should be slowing the cars down, but what we’re seeing is drivers getting in and out of the corners much faster because of coming in slower which has negated NASCAR intention with the horsepower reduction. In many ways it’s more dangerous than ever because drivers are having a major learning curve in how to handle all that speed exiting the corners. At Pocono's tricky triangle, this could present a major problem, especially in turns 1 & 2.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won for the first time ever at Pocono last season after being winless in his first 28 starts. He had so much fun in this race last year that he would do it again in the second race. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a career drought at a track reap such great rewards with a sweep during a season before.
Horsepower reduction or not, this race is still about who can get the most of it and the past three weeks of races at Dover and Charlotte has seen not only Joe Gibbs Racing show some major power, but also Roush Fenway Racing. For most of the season Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson have been dominating with the most horsepower. Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have also shown power similar, but now you have to seriously add in Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch into that group. And just maybe, hopefully, we can throw 2010 Pocono winner Greg Biffle onto that list as well.
For Hamlin, he’s probably licking his chops waiting to get to Pocono to show off some more like he did last week at Dover where he had the fastest lap in each of the final practice sessions before getting involved ina wreck during Sunday’s race and finishing 21st. We saw the power at Charlotte as he won $1 million in the All-Star Race and now he goes to a track where he’s got four wins over his career, but none since 2010. As a rookie in 2006, he swept the Pocono season and has a 11.9 average finish overall. Last year in this race, he finished fourth with a car that was substandard in horsepower, but his ability in and out of the turns -- particularly the tight flat turn three -- made the difference. Now he’s got some power on par with the elite and skills in the turns that elevates him into being considered a favorite to win.
However, Harvick and Johnson will both be listed by Las Vegas sports books as the favorite just because of their body of work this season and because they‘ll be popular bets with the public who has witnessed their power. Harvick finished a career-best second-place in the second Pocono race last season, but he’s still winless in 28 starts. Johnson is a three-time winner, the last coming in 2013, and has a 9.88 average finish. That stellar average was muddied with a 39th-place finish in the last Pocono race run.
Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six wins and 1,037 laps led. Among active drivers with at least three starts, Gordon leads the way with a 9.86 average finish. He’s still looking for his first win of 2015, which is supposed to be his last full season, and he’ll be making his 45 career start on Sunday.
Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards are all two-time Pocono winners. Busch and Edwards have both won this season while Kahne is still looking for his first. For whatever reason, Kahne hasn’t been as good as teammates Johnson and Earnhardt Jr., and even though he’s scored more points than Gordon on the season, Gordon’s car has looked better in most practices, but has just had worse luck on race day.
Kurt Busch is the driver that might give Hamlin the best run on Sunday. He’s been stellar throughout his career at Pocono when given a car with some power. Last year he finished third in this race.
Brad Keselowski won in 2011 and led the most laps (95) in this race last season before settling for runner-up. However, the team was way off on their set-up last week at Dover, a place Keselowski typically runs well at. He had to battle hard all race long and did a great job just to finish 12th. I would look at his teammate, Joey Logano, to have a better run this week.
As for Junior going for three straight wins, I don't see it, but I wish him well.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
2) #41 Kurt Busch (8/1)
3) #24 Jeff Gordon (12/1)
4) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
5) #4 Kevin Harvick (9/2)
Driver Handicaps: Pocono
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono Raceway.
Who's HOT at Pocono
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top five in his last four starts, including a sweep of both races last season.
• Three-time winner Jimmie Johnson has led the most laps (220) in the last six races (current tire combination).
• Four-time winner Denny Hamlin posted the second-best average finish (6.5) in both races last season.
• Ryan Newman leads all drivers with a 7.0 average finish in the last six races.
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in wins (6) and laps led (1,037).
• Kurt Busch, a two-time winner, has posted a 6.5 average finish in his last four.
• Joey Logano has posted four top 10s, including a win, in the last six races.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Pocono
• Kasey Kahne is the only other drive that has scored a win in the six races with the current tire combination and since the track was repaved - Earnhardt (2), Gordon (1), Johnson (1) and Logano (1).
• Brad Keselowski, winner of the 2011 August race, led 95 laps and finished second in this event last year.
• Kyle Larson has an 8.0 average finish in two Pocono starts.
• Series points leader Kevin Harvick is coming off his best Pocono finish, in second, and will be driving the same car he dominated the Phoenix race with in the spring.
• Martin Truex Jr. will debut a new car after combining to lead 357 laps in the last three races this season.
• Clint Bowyer (9.7), Tony Stewart (11.7), Greg Biffle (12.0) and Jamie McMurray (12.2) each rank in the top 10 in average finish among drivers that have raced in all of the last six races at Pocono. However, Stewart has yet to record a top 10 with the new rules package this season on a track with an asphalt surface.
• Two-time Pocono winner Carl Edwards will make his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. His crew chief Darian Grubb won at Pocono in 2009 with Tony Stewart.
• Greg Biffle, winner of the 2010 August race, has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four Pocono races.
• Kyle Busch posted an 8.6 average finish at Pocono in three races prior to finishing 42nd last August because of an engine failure.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kurt Busch
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
John Singler: Jeff Gordon
Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish (More than one start) in Last Five Races at Pocono
Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers with a 5.8 average finish in the last five races, which includes a win (sixth overall) in the 2012 August race. Gordon holds the second-best average finish (8.0) among drivers that have competed in all six races with the current tire combination. This weekend, Gordon will return in the same car (chassis No. 914) that he last finished fourth with at Kansas Speedway.
Ryan Newman: Holds the best average finish (7.0) in the six races with the current tire combination. Newman is one of two drivers that have scored five top 10s in that span. Last season, Newman posted a 7.5 average finish in his first two track starts with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, Newman will be back in the same car (chassis No. 491) that he finished fifth with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson: Posted an 8.0 average finish in his first two track starts last season. He won the pole for the August race and finished 11th. Larson is coming off his first top five of the season with his finish last weekend at Dover International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Swept both races last season after combining to lead 25 laps. Earnhardt has the third-best average finish (8.3) among drivers that have competed in all six races with the current tire combination. This weekend, Earnhardt will pilot the same car (chassis No. 924) that he finished sixth with at Auto Club Speedway.
Greg Biffle: Has finished in the top 10 in three of the last five races, including a runner-up finish in this event in 2013. Biffle does have one win, coming in the 2010 August race, and has a 15.9 average finish in 24 overall starts.
Brad Keselowski: Led 95 laps and finished second last year in this event. Keselowski does have one win (August 2011), but it was on the old tire combination at the track. In the six races with the current tire combination, Keselowski ranks fifth in average finish (11.5) among all drivers that have competed in all those races.
Clint Bowyer: Is coming off his second top five in 18 starts. Bowyer does rank fourth in average finish (9.7) among drivers that have competed in all six races with the current tire combination, but has failed to lead a lap in that span.
Kurt Busch: Posted an 8.0 average finish and combined to lead 35 laps in his first two track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch has competed in five of the six races with current tire combination, posting an 11.2 average finish. This weekend, Busch will pilot the same car he led 45 laps from the pole en route to a 14th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick: Is coming off his best finish in 28 starts, in second. Harvick, who has only led 10 laps at Pocono, posted an 8.0 average finish in his first two track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing last season. This weekend, Harvick will return in the same car (chassis No. 841) that he dominated the Phoenix race with and won and finished second with at Richmond International Raceway.
Jamie McMurray: Finished in the top 10 in both races last season. McMurray has a 12.2 average finish in the six races with the current tire combination.
Tony Stewart: Has posted an 11.7 average finish in the six races with the current tire combination, but failed to finish in the top 10 in both races last season. Stewart's last of two wins came in this event in 2009. This season Stewart has yet to record a top 10 with the new rules package on a track with an asphalt surface.
Jimmie Johnson: Won this event in 2013 for his third win in 26 starts. A crash in last year's August race raised his average finish to 12.8 in the six races with the current tire combination. This weekend, Johnson will drive the same car (chassis No. 891) that he finished ninth with at Auto Club Speedway.
Joey Logano: Has finished in the top 10 in three of his four track starts with Team Penske. Logano finished 40th in this event last year due to an engine issue. In the six races with the current tire combination, Logano has posted a 12.3 average finish, including a win in this event in 2012 when he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Austin Dillon: Has posted a 16.0 average finish in two starts. This weekend, Dillon will return in the same car (chassis No. 481) that he last finished 16th with (points-paying start) at Auto Club Speedway.
Martin Truex Jr.: Finished ninth in this event last season in his first track start with Furniture Row Racing. This weekend, Truex will debut a new car after combining to lead 357 laps in the last three races this season.
Kasey Kahne: Has finished in the top 10 in three of his last five starts, including a win in the 2013 August race. This weekend, Kahne will pilot (chassis No. 888) that he last finished 17th with at Kansas Speedway.
Denny Hamlin: Is a four-time winner, but has yet to win in the last six races with the current tire combination. Hamlin finished in the top 10 in both races last season and is the defending pole winner.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Making first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish, who made his last Pocono start in 2012, has a 19.8 average finish in eight starts.
Kyle Busch: Engine issue last August raised his average finish to 17.0 in the last four races. Busch's last of seven top 10s came in 2013 when he finished sixth and eighth, respectively.
Carl Edwards: Will be making first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards posted two wins and an average finish of 15.5 in previous 20 starts with Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards' crew chief Darian Grubb has one Pocono win with Tony Stewart in 2009.
Chassis Selections
Jayski.com
#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 481 in Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway. Dillon recently finished sixth in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway in this Chevrolet. In March, Dillon raced this Chevrolet SS to a 16th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway and a 39th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced in 2014 to a 25th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 13th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, a 16th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in September, a 22nd-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August and a 10th-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
#4-Kevin Harvick: Chassis Information: Chassis No. 4-841: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-841 in the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-841 served as an unused backup for 19 races last season and never saw racing action of any kind. Chassis No. 4-841 finally made its Sprint Cup debut this past March at Phoenix International Raceway, where it scored a dominant win from the pole and led 224 laps to score Harvick's second win of the 2015 season. In its most recent appearance, Chassis No. 4-841 started fifth, led two laps and finished second at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Sunday's race at Pocono. Most notably in 2014, Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving the chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and raced it at Pocono in August, where he started 12th and finished 10th. In 2015, Kahne drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, where he ran inside the top three for the majority of the race. However, he was involved in a late-race incident when a competitor sent him toward the wall on a restart. He ultimately finished 17th. Most recently, Kahne drove the chassis at Kansas Speedway, where he qualified second.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-754: This car debuted in March 2013 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where it qualified ninth and finished a solid 11th. Prior to Las Vegas, it had never turned a wheel on a racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Its second start came in April 2013 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where it qualified 13th and struggled with its handling before finishing 21st. Its last start of 2013 came in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where it started 13th and finished 14th in the non-points event. Chassis No. 14-754 sat idle until 2014, where under the direction of crew chief Chad Johnston, it was completely rebuilt. It came out of the box strong in its fourth career start in April at Texas, winning the pole and leading three times for 74 laps before finishing 10th. Chassis No. 14-754 made a second All-Star Race appearance at Charlotte in 2014. It had a quiet night, starting 15th and finishing 12th. The car didn't turn a wheel until March 2015 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where it put in a workman-like performance by qualifying 20th and finishing 14th. Sunday at Pocono will mark Chassis No. 14-754's seventh career start and second this season.
#24-Jeff Gordon: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-914 for Sunday's race. The chassis has been raced three times - twice in 2015 at Kansas and Atlanta and once in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At Kansas, Gordon finished fourth while he finished 41st at Atlanta after being involved in an incident on Lap 264 while running in the top 10. In the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon led 161 laps from the pole position en route to a 10th-place finish.
#27-Paul Menard: will utilize chassis No. 454. This Chevrolet SS was raced earlier this season at Bristol Motor Speedway where Menard started ninth and finished 11th, capturing the team's fifth top-15 finish of the year.
#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 491 in the Pocono 400. This Chevrolet was utilized earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Start: 9/Finish: 5).
#32-Travis Kvapil: Crew Chief Clinton Cram will be bringing chassis GGR-784 to serve as the primary car. Mike Bliss last drove this car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May for the Sprint Showdown. Chassis GGR-289 will serve as the backup car for this weekend.
#33-Ty Dillon: will pilot chassis No. 512 for this weekend's Pocono 400. This brand-new Chevrolet SS was prepared by Richard Childress Racing and will see track action for the first time during Friday's practice session.
#41-Kurt Busch: Chassis No. 894: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 894 in Sunday's Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Formerly a No. 10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 894 debuted at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in October 2014, when Patrick qualified 14th and appeared to be on her way to a top-10 finish before her solid run was derailed when she was involved in an on-track incident at lap 247. Chassis No. 894 was outfitted with a new body over the offseason and saw its first laps of the season in February at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Regan Smith started 38th and finished 17th. Busch raced Chassis 894 in April at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where he started from the pole and led twice for 45 laps en route to scoring a 14th-place finish.
#47-A.J. Allmendinger: Chassis 429: "We are taking the car that we ran in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and we also ran it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," crew chief Burns said.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: For this weekend's event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-891, which last raced in March at Fontana for a ninth-place finish. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono in June 2014.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: This weekend, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-924. Earnhardt most recently raced the chassis to a sixth-place finish at California in March.
Drivers to Watch - Pocono
By Sportsbook.ag
The drivers will take their talents to Pocono Raceway this week for the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400, a race that has had a different sponsor in each season since 2009. This is the first of two races that will be held here as the athletes will make their way back in late summer for the Pennsylvania 400. The large 2.5-mile track features three turns with banks between six and 14-degrees and features an asphalt top which has helped cars run at an average speed of 131.54 MPH.
There victors in four of the past six installments of this race has been a multiple time winner in the event with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014) and Joey Logano (2012) being the only first time winners in that time. There are seven different racers that have won here more than once, with Jimmie Johnson (2004, 2013) being the most recent as Jeff Gordon has the most wins here with four (1996, 1997, 2007, 2011). Last week, Jimmie Johnson won for the 10th time in Dover and the fourth time on the year, leading a total of 23 laps. Let’s see who in the field could take down Johnson this week.
Drivers to Bet
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8/1) - It was no surprise that Earnhardt Jr. was able to get a win here last year as he owns the most top-five finishes (23) at superspeedway tracks (2.5+ mi.) and has posted two more victories (9) at them than the next closest racer; Jeff Gordon. His average finish of 14.1 is also the best among his peers on this type of track and his average speed of 139.44 MPH in last year’s win was the second fastest mark since 2002. On this specific triangular track, Earnhardt Jr. has the ninth-best driver rating (92.6) with two career wins and 102 fastest laps run (7th-best). He will look to rebound this week after his first non top-10 (14th) since Richmond last week in Dover and add to his 24 career Sprint Cup Series wins.
Denny Hamlin (10/1) - Hamlin is a two-time winner at this event (2006, 2010) and overall has four victories and three poles at Pocono Raceway in a mere 18 attempts. That is more than any other driver as he has been in the top-five in half (9) of his appearances here. A few of his stats here rank the best amongst his peers as his driver rating (108.3), fastest laps run (437) and average green flag speed (162.806 MPH) are better than anyone else. Hamlin already has a win this year in Martinsville and was also able to grab the victory at the All-Star Race. With his past here and the solid season he has seen so far; expect the 34-year-old to be near the front of the pack for a majority of the day.
Kyle Larson (20/1) - Larson has been impressive here over a small sample size, with a top-five at this event last year followed by taking the pole at the Pennsylvania 400 that summer. He jumped into the top-20 of the Sprint Cup Standings after pulling out a third-place in Dover last week; his third top-10 of the year. He has yet to get his first career Sprint Cup victory, but should be able to ride his solid run last week and over the past two visits here to another impressive showing.
Paul Menard (100/1) - Menard’s 2015 season has gone widely unnoticed, but he is on pace for his best Sprint Cup Series finish in his career, currently sitting in 15th after finishing in the top-20 at each of his last seven races; including three top-eights in the past month. He has two top-10s in his 16 tries at this course, and has an impressive average finish of 20.4 over his 34 career attempts at a superspeedway such as this one. Menard has one career win (2011 Brickyard 400), and while he is quite a long shot, should be able to do better than his odds suggest.
Danica Patrick (500/1) - Patrick may be one of the more recognizable racers in the series, but over 94 Sprint Cup races, the 33-year-old has managed a mere six top-10s and has yet to grab her first win. It does look like that initial victory is on its way, though, as she currently ranks 18th in the Sprint Cup Standings and has done no worse than 27th on the year with two top-10s. She has been on this track a mere four times, but as she continues to move along in this solid campaign, she should start racking up better results as well.
Sportsbook.ag - Odds to win Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400
Kevin Harvick 4/1
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Kurt Busch 7/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8/1
Brad Keselowski 10/1
Denny Hamlin 10/1
Joey Logano 10/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Kasey Kahne 15/1
Kyle Busch 15/1
Martin Truex Jr. 15/1
Carl Edwards 20/1
Kyle Larson 20/1
Matt Kenseth 20/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Ryan Newman 60/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Clint Bowyer 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Greg Biffle 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Tony Stewart 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
AJ Allmendinger 300/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Danica Patrick 500/1
Ricky Stenhouse 500/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 500/1
Trevor Bayne 500/1