The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series are at Pocono Raceway and the XFINITY Series is at Iowa Speedway this weekend; storylines follow… The Race: Pennsylvania 400 The Place: Pocono Raceway The Date: Sunday, July 31 The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (160 laps) Busch Goes For Second Straight Victory, Attempts To Get One Step Closer To Track Sweep After becoming the first driver to ever win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Indianapolis from the pole in the same weekend, Kyle Busch has some more history to chase in Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN). The only active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks where Busch has never won are Pocono and Charlotte. With a win on Sunday, he’ll be one step closer to a career track sweep. In 23 career starts at Pocono, Busch claims four top fives, eight top 10s and a 19.0 average finish. This season, Busch leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 11 top-five finishes and ranks tied for first with Brad Keselowski for the wins lead with four. He has posted strong loop data, ranking second in driver rating (106.9) and laps led (982), third in average running position (6.7) and fourth in fastest laps run (438). If Busch leads 40 more laps, he’ll become the 14th driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to lead 12,000 or more laps. Gordon Back In The 88 For Pocono Jeff Gordon takes the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr. for at least one more race – Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. Gordon finished 13th in his return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Indianapolis last weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports driver holds the track record with six Pocono wins. In 46 starts at the Tricky Triangle, Gordon also has 20 top fives, 32 top 10s and a 9.8 average finish. Among active drivers, Gordon boasts the second-best average running position (10.2) and fifth-best driver rating at Pocono (102.4). Hendrick Motorsports’ 17 wins at Pocono are the most in track history. Kurt Busch Tries For Second Pocono Win Of Season Kurt Busch will try for his second Pocono win of the season Sunday after he visited Victory Lane at the 2.5-mile track in June when he led the final 32 laps of the race. Seven drivers have completed the Pocono sweep: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014), Denny Hamlin (2006), Jimmie Johnson (2004), Bobby Labonte (1999), Tim Richmond (1986), Bill Elliott (1985) and Bobby Allison (1982). In 30 starts at the Tricky Triangle, Busch boasts three wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s and an average finish of 12.7. His 106.8 Pocono driver rating is second best among active drivers. Additionally, Busch will go for the record for most consecutive races running every lap to start the season. He tied the record of 20 races – set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2012 – last week in Indianapolis. Larson Climbs Up To Final Chase Spot, Headlines Bubble Kyle Larson made it back on the Chase Grid for the first time since the second week of the season at Atlanta following his fifth-place finish at Indianapolis. He holds the final spot, 10 points ahead of 17th-place Kasey Kahne, and 11 points above 18th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. Trevor Bayne (14 points behind Larson) trails in 18th, followed by Ryan Blaney (-22) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (-23). Larson has three top-six finishes in his last six races headed into Pocono. He claims one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 9.4 at the 2.5-mile track. He has never finished lower than 12th there. Elliott Eyes First Win At Pocono Chase Elliott continues to search for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win 20 races into his Sunoco Rookie season. Pocono could be the spot the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver finally visits Victory Lane. He led a race-high 51 laps at the Tricky Triangle in June before finishing fourth. Elliott has struggled lately. He has failed to finish in the top 10 since his second-place showing at Michigan – five races ago. Still, Elliott currently ranks 12th on the Chase Grid, a comfortable 63 points ahead of Kasey Kahne on the cutoff line. 6 Races Left Until The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Only five Chase berths remain with six races left until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Pocono, Watkins Glen, Bristol, Michigan, Darlington and Richmond. A visit to Victory Lane gets a winless driver into the Chase as long as he/she is in the top 30 in the points standings. The drivers who will get into the Chase because of wins are: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle Busch (3), Carl Edwards (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Kurt Busch (1), Joey Logano (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), Denny Hamlin (1) and Tony Stewart (1). Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman are the only currently winless drivers who have visited Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway – the site of Sunday’s race. Below are the remaining tracks after Pocono and winless drivers who have visited Victory Lane at them: Watkins Glen: AJ Allmendinger Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne Michigan: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne Darlington: Greg Biffle, Regan Smith Richmond: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Official Clinch Scenarios Five drivers have officially clinched berths in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (assuming they start the remaining races in the regular season): Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. For this weekend, these drivers have the potential to officially clinch: Kevin Harvick (1 Win, 671 Points, +434 Points Ahead of 31st) – Clinches with a win. Kurt Busch (1 Win, 627 Points, +390 Points Ahead of 31st) – Clinches with a win. Joey Logano (1 Win, 606 Points, +369 Points Ahead of 31st) – Clinches with a win. Martin Truex Jr (1 Win, 573 Points, +336 Points Ahead of 31st) – Clinches with a win. Denny Hamlin (1 Win, 542 Points, +305 Points Ahead of 31st) – Clinches with a win. All of the above drivers have already clinched a top 30 spot, but need to clear the multiple wins hurdle. So, there’s a decent potential for no clinches this weekend if a zero-win driver wins or an already clinched driver wins. The Race: U.S. Cellular 250 The Place: Iowa Speedway The Date: Saturday, July 30 The Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 7:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 218.75 miles (250 laps) Countdown To The NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase Continues The clock is ticking down for the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, making each of the final eight races of the regular season that much more important. This Saturday, the series returns to Iowa Speedway for the U.S. Cellular 250 (8 p.m. ET on NBCSN). This will be the series’ 14th race overall and the second of this season at the 0.875-mile track. Iowa Speedway has produced some great racing in the past, ushering forward eight different pole winners and eight different race winners. Sam Hornish Jr. became the third driver with multiple wins (two) at Iowa when he visited Victory Lane back in June. Several drivers have circled Iowa as the place they think they can win. Former Iowa winner Elliott Sadler (2012) and series standings leader Daniel Suarez are looking to add to their wins total and clinch a spot in the Chase with a victory this weekend. This season, Erik Jones is the lone driver that has completely locked himself into the Chase by not only winning twice (Bristol and Dover), but also accumulating enough points to clinch a top 30 spot no matter his finishes in these final eight races of the regular season. All Jones has to do is start the remaining regular season events. Suarez, Sadler Look To Add To Their Wins Total At Iowa NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader Daniel Suarez and second-place Elliott Sadler (-14) each have won a race this season and have clinched a top 30 spot in the points. The only thing they need to do to lock themselves into the Chase is add to their win total. Monterrey, Mexico has lots to be proud about when it comes to their hometown hero Daniel Suárez. In 18 starts this season, the 24-year-old has posted one win (Michigan), eight top fives and 15 top 10s. His average finish this season is a 7.7. Suarez has made three starts at Iowa, posting one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 9.3. Suarez looked especially impressive at Iowa earlier this season, leading 62 laps and finishing fourth (a series career-best at Iowa). Just 14 points behind Daniel Suarez in the points is JR Motorsports’ Elliott Sadler. Sadler’s 2016 season is one of the best of his career thus far. In 18 starts, the Emporia, Virginia native has posted one win (Talladega), five top fives, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 10.2. Sadler welcomes Iowa this weekend with open arms being a former winner at the 0.875-mile track (2012), and having posted six top fives and 11 top 10s in 11 starts at the speedway. Being locked into the top 30 in points opens up the gauntlet for both Suarez and Sadler to take the risks they need to get the additional wins as the playoffs approach. Dillon, Allgaier Are Hungry For A Win With 8 To Go Arguing there are drivers who are hungrier for a win this season than Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier would be difficult to do. Both are ranked in the top five in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series points and both are winless this season with just eight races left until the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. Among the drivers in the top 10 in points, Dillon has the largest winless streak with 65 races since his last trip to Victory Lane. Since Dillon’s last win (at Indianapolis in 2014), he has posted 21 top-five finishes and three runner-up showings including his last trip to Iowa earlier this season. In five starts at Iowa, Dillon has wrangled three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 6.6. Allgaier currently has the second most starts between wins (62 races) among drivers inside the top 10 in 2016 points. Allgaier’s last series victory was at Montreal in 2012, when he drove for car owner Steve Turner. Now Allgaier saddles up for JR Motorsports where he has recently found some momentum, putting together eight top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts. Allgaier could break through this weekend and get his first win of the season at Iowa. In nine starts at Iowa Speedway, Allgaier has posted six top 10s and an average finish of 11.1. Next Few Races Pose Challenge To Competitors The NASCAR XFINITY Series has approached the part of the schedule where the diversity of the tracks is so profound it really tests the competitors’ skills and furthers the notion that the NASCAR XFINITY Series fields some of the best drivers in the world. Even the vast difference of the next four tracks alone is worth noting. This weekend, the series heads to Newton, Iowa for the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. The track itself is a quick short-track 0.875-mile in length with progressive banking that changes from 12 to 14 degrees in the turns. Sam Hornish Jr. is the most recent driver to win at Iowa (June, 2016). He is entered this weekend and looking for the sweep. Next weekend, the series heads to Watkins Glen, New York to compete at one of the most famous road courses in the world, Watkins Glen International, for the Zippo 200 on Aug. 6. The first of three road courses on the schedule, WGI is a playground for the highly skilled driver. The 2.45-mile course provides seven turns to test the prowess of the drivers. The series has seen five different winners in the last five races at WGI, including Joey Logano’s win last season from the pole. Following Watkins Glen on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule is the multi-elevational Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio for the Mid-Ohio Challenge on Aug. 13. Mid-Ohio is a fast road course that cruises up and down through the hills of Ohio. Though the track is similar in length to WGI (2.45) at 2.258-miles, the course nearly doubles in the number of turns with 13. In the three series events held at Mid-Ohio, fans have seen three different winners – AJ Allmendinger (2013), Chris Buescher (2013) and Regan Smith (2015) – with the last two being championship contenders in those respective years. Pivoting from the road courses, at the opposite end of the track spectrum sits one of the most famous facilities in sports, Bristol Motor Speedway. As the shortest track the NASCAR XFINITY Series competes on in 2016, the 0.533-mile speedway sure packs a punch. The famous track located in Bristol, Tennessee boasts progressive banking in its four turns varying from 24 to 28 degrees. Sunoco Rookie candidate Erik Jones won at Bristol earlier this season. Expect him to vie for the sweep come August 19 as Joe Gibbs Racing looks to break the tie for the most series wins at Bristol with RCR (seven wins each). 3 Sunoco Rookies On Pace For The Inaugural Chase If the 2016 batch of Sunoco Rookies are any indication of what’s to come, then the future of the NASCAR XFINITY Series looks bright. Three Sunoco Rookie candidates – Erik Jones, Brandon Jones and Brennan Poole – combine for an average age of 21.3 and are all currently in contention to make the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. The three up-and-coming drivers are the latest talent bubbling to the top in the series where names are made. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones is having one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory. In 18 starts, he has posted two wins (Bristol, Dover), 10 top fives and 11 top 10s. He currently is fourth in series points and is the only driver to lock himself into the Chase with multiple wins and an assured spot in the top 30 in points. Jones will be making his fourth career XFINITY Series start at Iowa this weekend. In his previous series endeavors at Iowa he has posted two poles, one top five and two top 10s. Another rising talent in the series is Richard Childress Racing’s Brandon Jones from Atlanta, Georgia. Jones is currently seventh in the series standings after registering eight top 10s in 18 starts. Jones has not locked himself into the Chase just yet, but does have a 136-point cushion between himself and 13th-place Ross Chastain. Brandon Jones could get his first series win this weekend at Iowa. In three starts at the 0.875-mile speedway, he has posted one top 10 and an average finish of 13.3. Last but not least is Chip Ganassi Racing’s Brennan Poole, who currently sits eighth in the series standings. In 18 starts this season, Poole has posted one top five and eight top 10s. His average finish in 2016 is a solid 12.3. Poole showed impressive skill at Iowa earlier this season, starting 20th and driving up to an eighth-place finish. Sam Hornish Jr. Looks For The Season Sweep At Iowa One of the best drivers without a full-time ride this season, Sam Hornish Jr., returns to the track this weekend to remind the NASCAR XFINITY Series garage just what kind of talent he possesses. In the process, Hornish looks to become the second driver in series history to sweep both Iowa races in the same season, joining Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011). Sam Hornish Jr. made his lone start of the season back in June for Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa Speedway. In ‘walk-off homerun’ style, Hornish started third, led 183 of the 250 scheduled laps and won the race. Now Hornish has been called up again, only this time it is for Richard Childress Racing. Hornish will be in the No. 2 Chevrolet this weekend looking to be the next driver to sweep both Iowa races in one season. If Hornish can accomplish the feat he will also become the second driver to win at Iowa for two different car owners, joining Brad Keselowski (Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2009 and Roger Penske, 2013, 2014). NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.: Josh Berry Makes Series Season Debut – Driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend and making his series season debut is Josh Berry. Berry will be making his fourth career XFINITY Series start and second at Iowa Speedway. Berry has posted one top 10 in his career and finished 12th at Iowa in his series track debut back in 2014. … Owner Standings Update – With its ninth win of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Camry team led by crew chief Chris Gayle has become the first team in series history to win nine races in the first 18 races of the season – a win percentage of 50% (previous record was eight by Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota team in 2008). This season, the No. 18 team has also set a series record for the most wins from the Coors Light Pole or first starting position in the first 18 races with six. The previous record was four by the No. 54 JGR Toyota team in 2013. As a result of its success this season, the No. 18 JGR team has opened up the owner points lead to 57 points over the second-place No. 88 JR Motorsports team. This week, Dakoda Armstrong will drive the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. … Veteran Crew Chief Gil Martin Returns To The Box – Richard Childress Racing’s current NASCAR XFINITY Series Director, Gil Martin, will serve as interim crew chief for the No. 2 Chevrolet team following the recent reassignment of crew chief Danny stockman to the No. 27 RCR Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. Martin, a 16-year veteran of RCR, has won races in all three of NASCAR’s national series. Martin last served as crew chief in the series in 2012 for driver Austin Dillon at New Hampshire. This weekend Martin will have Sam Hornish Jr. driving the No. 2 RCR Chevrolet. … The Race: Pocono Mountains 150 The Place: Pocono Raceway The Date: Saturday, July 30 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 150 miles (60 laps) Reddick In Rhythm Tyler Reddick started off the season slow with no top-10 finishes in his first four races, but is starting to hit his groove. Reddick, last season’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship runner-up, has placed 10th or better in six of the last seven races and has four top fives over that span. Currently, Reddick ranks eighth on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Grid – 18 points above ninth-place Ben Kennedy on the cutoff line – heading into Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 150 at Pocono Raceway (1 p.m. ET on FS1). “Pocono is a place I was able to pick up on very fast and a lot of that credit goes to crew chief Doug Randolph and all the guys on the Cooper Standard team that bring an outstanding package to that racetrack,” Reddick said. “It’s made my job fairly simple to go out there and put down a good lap right away. I have a lot of confidence in the Cooper Standard Ford F-150, everyone on our team. Brad Keselowski Racing has won there before so I have no problem driving it really hard into the corners. I have absolute faith in those guys and what they do.” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Outlook Five races remain until the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase. Currently, five drivers are virtually guaranteed berths since they have won a race, but that could change if there are more than eight winners. The berths would then be determined by number of wins, followed by points. The Chase Grid reads as follows: William Byron (4 wins), Matt Crafton (2 wins), Johnny Sauter (1 win), John Hunter Nemechek (1 win), Christopher Bell (1 win), Daniel Hemric (46 points ahead of Ben Kennedy on the cutoff line), Timothy Peters (+27) and Tyler Reddick (+18). Ben Kennedy (-18), Cameron Hayley (-23), Cole Custer (-25) and Ben Rhodes (-32) are the first four out. Moffitt Back Behind The Wheel For Red Horse Racing 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Brett Moffitt will be back behind the wheel of the Red Horse Racing No. 11 Toyota Tundra Saturday at Pocono. Moffitt debuted for Red Horse Racing at Kentucky, finishing 31st due to engine trouble after starting second. Dirt ace Jake Griffin, 17, piloted the No. 11 to a fourth-place finish last week at Eldora. Abreu Logs Career-Best Finish Rico Abreu finished a career-best third at Eldora after starting all the way back in 27th. On the season, the NASCAR Next alumnus claims one top five, three top 10s and an average finish of 15.7 in 11 starts. Despite his strong showing, Abreu sits 14th on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Grid – 52 points behind Tyler Reddick for the final berth – and will likely need a win to get into the series playoffs. Hayley Hopes To Repeat Pocono Success Cameron Hayley heads to Pocono Raceway where he battled Kyle Busch last year for the win before finishing fourth. Hayley enters Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 150 in good form with three top sevens in his last three starts, including a third-place showing at Iowa. The Canadian NASCAR Next alumnus currently sits 10th on the Chase Grid, 23 points behind Tyler Reddick for the last spot. On the season, he has two top fives, five top 10s and a 13.4 average finish in 11 starts. source – NASCAR communications
