first look at pocono

A few general notes before moving into the details.  Just 160 laps this week, so many fewer laps led and fastest lap points are in play.  Finishing position and position difference will be even more critical this week.  Also, current forecasts show very tough weather with high rain chances especially on Friday and Saturday.  Hopefully they will get some practice time so we can see how everyone is looking.

Last year, we saw a huge amount of overlap in the Top 10 in the two Pocono races.  Seven drivers finished in the Top 10 in both races and two of those drivers finished in the Top 5 in both races.  These drivers will be a focus this weekend -- even more so if practice gets rained out.  Here's the list:

• Kevin Harvick 2nd, 2nd
• Brad Keselowski 5th, 5th
• Kyle Busch 9th, 1st
• Eric Jones 3rd, 8th
• Martin Truex 6th, 3rd
• Chase Elliott 8th, 10th
• Matt Kenseth 10th, 9th 
• Denny Hamlin narrowly missed this list as well, finishing 12th and 4th

Here are a few more details on some of these drivers and others of note:

• Keselowski has five straight Top 5 finishes Pocono, but has not led more than 11 laps in any of those races
• Harvick has three straight Top 5 finishes at Pocono and has finished in the Top 5 five of the last seven races there
• Kyle Busch won the pole for both Pocono races last year.  He led 100 of 160 laps in the first race, but finished 9th.  He led 74 of 160 laps in the second race and won.  Prior to last year, however, KB had finished 21st or worse in three of the five prior Pocono races.
• Chase Elliott has finished in the Top 10 in three of four Pocono races in the Cup series
• Jimmie Johnson has finished 35th or worse in three of the last four races at Pocono
• Ty Dillon finished in the Top 20 in both Pocono races in 2017.  He has finished between 17th-21st in all four of his Cup series races at Pocono.
• In the last five Pocono races, AJ Allmendinger has one Top 10 finish, two more Top 20 finishes, and he's not finished worse than 23rd.

​We'll have more after cars hit the track.