2016 Pocono - Pennsylvania 400 - Pre Race Thread

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Someday, maybe all three series will be in Iowa.....

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will gather for a doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway while the NASCAR XFINITY Series is at Iowa Speedway this week. Check out the full weekend schedule below.

Note: All times are ET

FRIDAY, JULY 29:

ON TRACK: POCONO
-- 11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Follow live)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
-- 10:30 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
-- noon: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

ON TRACK: IOWA
-- 5-5:50 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, NBCSN will start coverage at 5:30 p.m. on a delay (Follow live)
-- 7-8:20 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN (Follow live)

SATURDAY, JULY 30:

ON TRACK: POCONO
-- 9:05 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pocono Mountains 150 (60 laps, 150 miles), FS1 (Follow live)

ON TRACK: IOWA
-- 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 8 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series U.S. Cellular 250 (250 laps, 218.75 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)

SUNDAY, JULY 31:

ON TRACK: POCONO
-- 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania 400 (160 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)
 
The long term weather forecast looks "ok'. I think they should be able to get it in without much of an issue.

The June race was solid from start to finish. Since shifting returned a few years ago there hasn't been a clunker at Pocono. There will almost certainly be a strategy, key pit call that comes into play this weekend. I know people sometimes compare Indy to Pocono but I never saw it. The racing at Pocono has always been more inline with Michigan than Indy imo.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
The tunnel turn has got to be one of the most treacherous turns that these drivers have to negotiate.
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I'd always heard it was designed to be like turn 2 (?) at Indy. I guess the treachery comes from having a much longer straightaway leading into it, hence more speed.
 
Pocono II Last 10 Winners:

2006 - Denny Hamlin (Chevrolet)
2007 - Kurt Busch (Dodge)
2008 - Carl Edwards (Ford)
2009 - Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2010 - Greg Biffle (Ford)
2011 - Brad Keselowski (Dodge)
2012 - Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)
2013 - Kasey Kahne (Chevrolet)
2014 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Chevrolet)
2015 - Matt Kenseth (Toyota)
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I love it when you get the new 'Pre-race' discussion up before NASCAR has the entry list posted. :) Thanks!
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After yesterday how can we not be tempted to move on? But I digress. We used to hate this track too. Shortened it from 500 to 400 miles and the world changed. I've never quite figured out how the 400 miles we have now is more exciting than the last 400 of a 500 mile race there in the past but it is what it is. Let's go racin'!
 
FIRST POCONO RACE :punkrocke:headbang:

Just need to do Watkins Glen and I will have done the NASCAR northeast sweep!

Row 40 high enough? Still bringing binoculars. Is traffic a pain going eastbound after the race? Advice appreciated.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
FIRST POCONO RACE :punkrocke:headbang:

Just need to do Watkins Glen and I will have done the NASCAR northeast sweep!

Row 40 high enough? Still bringing binoculars. Is traffic a pain going eastbound after the race? Advice appreciated.
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Row 40 will be plenty high enough to get a great view of the track! It is 2.5 miles so the cars do get pretty small.

Traffic usually isn't a problem. I leave my house around 10 am and will be parked by 11:30 (I live 45 minutes away, Scranton area). 115 is converted to two lanes and it moves pretty well. It is a little slower earlier (7-9 am). I honestly don't know how hard it is getting out anymore. As soon as the checkered flag flies I hustle back to the car. I'm on my way out within 10 minutes of turning the ignition. This wasn't the case years ago, lol, trust me. Even if you take your time getting to your car it shouldn't be too bad. 115 is usually smooth sailing to I80 east. They have attendants that do a fair job getting things moving.
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
Row 40 will be plenty high enough to get a great view of the track! It is 2.5 miles so the cars do get pretty small.

Traffic usually isn't a problem. I leave my house around 10 am and will be parked by 11:30 (I live 45 minutes away, Scranton area). 115 is converted to two lanes and it moves pretty well. It is a little slower earlier (7-9 am). I honestly don't know how hard it is getting out anymore. As soon as the checkered flag flies I hustle back to the car. I'm on my way out within 10 minutes of turning the ignition. This wasn't the case years ago, lol, trust me. Even if you take your time getting to your car it shouldn't be too bad. 115 is usually smooth sailing to I80 east. They have attendants that do a fair job getting things moving.
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At Darlington I start moving toward the bottom of the grand stand with 10 laps left, and moving toward the far end with 5 to go. Deepending on how spread out the lead lap cars are, I'm usually headed down the stairs within 30 seconds of the leader crossing the line.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
The tunnel turn has got to be one of the most treacherous turns that these drivers have to negotiate.
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So fascinating to watch time gained and lost in RaceView in that turn.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Raceview is a must if a fan has the means. It is a really good addition to the broadcast.
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Yep. I've had it from the very beginning. Before it was called raceview it only had the car numbers circling a small track like the one on the left of raceview now. But way back then it was a miracle of technology. :D
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Raceview is a must if a fan has the means. It is a really good addition to the broadcast.
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I can't split my attention and still effectively process the information, at least not for entertainment purposes. I do much better if I can focus on one item at a time. That's usually the TV broadcast, with this joint at commercials if I'm watching in the house.
 
Coa-E2vXEAEE0HX.jpg:large
 
Wow, good luck to Kurt.

Kurt Busch trying to set record for running all laps: #41-Kurt Busch seeks to do something this weekend that hasn't been done in NASCAR. Run every lap for the most consecutive races to start a season. Busch enters Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway on NBCSN having completed all 5,673 laps in the first 20 races. No driver has completed every lap through the the first 21 Cup races in a season. Busch tied Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the record this past weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Busch completed every lap on the way to finishing 16th. Earnhardt set the mark in 2012 by completing every lap in the first 20 races of the season. In the 21st race, which was at Pocono, Earnhardt fell 18 laps short of the distance in the rain-shortened race. Busch's consistency this season has led to 15 top-10 finishes, second only to Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, who has 16. #2-Brad Keselowski has run all but 8 laps this season.

from jayski
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Wow, good luck to Kurt.

Kurt Busch trying to set record for running all laps: #41-Kurt Busch seeks to do something this weekend that hasn't been done in NASCAR. Run every lap for the most consecutive races to start a season. Busch enters Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway on NBCSN having completed all 5,673 laps in the first 20 races. No driver has completed every lap through the the first 21 Cup races in a season. Busch tied Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the record this past weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Busch completed every lap on the way to finishing 16th. Earnhardt set the mark in 2012 by completing every lap in the first 20 races of the season. In the 21st race, which was at Pocono, Earnhardt fell 18 laps short of the distance in the rain-shortened race. Busch's consistency this season has led to 15 top-10 finishes, second only to Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, who has 16. #2-Brad Keselowski has run all but 8 laps this season.

from jayski
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Not as impressive as in the age before Lucky Dogs and wave arounds, but still an amazing mark of consistency.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
How many Lucky Dogs or Wave Arounds did he get? I'm just curious.
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We'll need to know how many Joonyah had before we can anoint Kurt.

Man ... no stone is ever left unturned in the ceaseless quest to return to North Wilksboro.
 
Probably the harderst hit I've ever seen. The real speed shot of them shooting up the track is insane. Thank goodness for the old boiler plate walls...

 
dpkimmel2001 said:
A little Pocono flashback.....

Who's that little dude?

Coc1GgLWIAAxcNX.jpg:large
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I was there with my dad who was a huge Elliott fan! Good times!

What a long day that was! The Earnhardt-Steve park wreck followed by an extended weather delay. Marlin had the best car for most of the race but Elliott tracked him down the last 25 laps and won going away.
 
RowdyBusch said:
My all time favorite Pocono race/result.


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I was there! Karma got Mayfield that day! Rusty was in the right place at the right time! That was the last time I saw Wallace win in person. Those were two great races that year!
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
I was there! Karma got Mayfield that day! Rusty was in the right place at the right time! That was the last time I saw Wallace win in person. Those were two great races that year!
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Aren't those cars slick lookin' too? A few inches off the ground, no "aero push." I was lucky enough to see Rusty win Fontana in 2001 when I was a little teen squeaker.
 
RowdyBusch said:
Aren't those cars slick lookin' too? A few inches off the ground, no "aero push." I was lucky enough to see Rusty win Fontana in 2001 when I was a little teen squeaker.
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I was always a little partial to the TBird but Ford definitely made the Taurus work. I still remember when they tested the Mark VIII at Charlotte before giving up on that idea.

Wallaces's win on Sr's birthday was definitely an emotional one. Hard to believe Wallace has been retired over a decade....
 
RowdyBusch said:
Aren't those cars slick lookin' too? A few inches off the ground, no "aero push." I was lucky enough to see Rusty win Fontana in 2001 when I was a little teen squeaker.
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I also thought the cars looked good in 2000, in that jelly bean style, but there was plenty of aero push. By 2000, stock cars had been living in wind tunnels for a decade and downforce was crucial to performance.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I also thought the cars looked good in 2000, in that jelly bean style, but there was plenty of aero push. By 2000, stock cars had been living in wind tunnels for a decade and downforce was crucial to performance.
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Oh I know, aero was everything. I remember Penske once spent a ridiculous amount of time and money in the air tunnel to gain a tiny amount of downforce around that time. What I meant was the great aero push era of the mid 2000s, this pre-dated that a little.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Looks good there today. Too bad they couldn't drop the green now or at least by 3pm..... Sorry, that's next year. :oops:

CoeC61DWgAEiBQy.jpg:large
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Great Pic!

One interesting tidbit on Pocono that people who've never been there might not know is the fact the start/finish line is not in the middle of the front straight. It's considerably closer to turn 3 than it is to turn 1. This fact is pretty noticeable in the pic if you look closely...

Is Indy's closer to turn 1? Otherwise, Pocono and Talladega are the only ovals with "off center" start/finish lines to my knowledge.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I can't split my attention and still effectively process the information, at least not for entertainment purposes. I do much better if I can focus on one item at a time. That's usually the TV broadcast, with this joint at commercials if I'm watching in the house.
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No joke. I watch all of the Toyota wins last winter, and it was like the first time I had seen them because my attention goes everywhere during a race. I love it though.
 
Love this track. Gotta get off 3, live with 1, and rest on talent into the tunnel. Epic. Toyotas struggle here. Can't wait to see what happens.
 
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