A = Really, Really Good Pick
Denny Hamlin – Hamlin is nearly unstoppable at Pocono. The only thing that stopped Hamlin last spring was when his engine wouldn’t run. When his engine runs Hamlin has 3 wins here including one win in race #2 at Pocono last year. (Yahoo A Driver)
Jimmie Johnson – Johnson arguably had the car to beat in both Pocono races last year (race 1 Yahoo chart, race 2 Yahoo chart). Johnson has finished inside the top 15 at Pocono in 15 of his 16 career races. (Yahoo A Driver)
Jeff Gordon – Gordon last won here in 2007 when the skies poured on the track while he was leading. Over the last five years Gordon has the second best average finish (5th). He’s also tied with Tony Stewart for scoring the most points over this time period. (Yahoo A Driver)
Kurt Busch – Check out my Pretender or Contender Pocono post for what I said about Kurt Busch. (Yahoo A Driver)
A- = Really Good Pick
Tony Stewart - Stewart is the defending champion of this race. In 8 of the last 9 Pocono races Stewart has finished inside the top ten. (Yahoo A Driver)
Mark Martin – Did you know that Mark Martin’s never won at Pocono? He has finished 2nd here 7 times though. In the last 5 years at Pocono Mark Martin has raced in the top 15 more than anybody (80.7% of the time). (Yahoo A Driver)
B+ = Good Pick
Carl Edwards – Carl has 2 Pocono wins and his finished in the top ten in all but 1 Pocono COT race. He’s led more laps here then anyone in the COT. If the 99 performed better in recent weeks then I would’ve graded Carl Edwards higher than a B+. (Yahoo A Driver)
Kasey Kahne – Among drivers in the COT era Kasey Kahne has the best average finish. In four COT races at Pocono Kahne has 1 win, 2 top fives, and three top tens. (Yahoo B Driver)
Matt Kenseth – Kenseth’s Pocono numbers look pretty mundane but he’s extremely consistent on this triangular track. Only once since 2006 has Kenseth finished outside the top 15 and that was a 16th place finish. (Yahoo B Driver)
Kevin Harvick – Harvick’s never led a lap at Pocono in his entire career but he’s a steady driver at Pocono. His average finish over the last 5 years is 11.5. (Yahoo B Driver)
Jeff Burton – Burton’s been a contender nearly every week but he simply can’t capitalize on the situation. His average finish in the last 4 spring Pocono races is 9th. His average finish over the last 4 summer races is 15.5. (Yahoo B Driver)
Clint Bowyer – Clint Bowyer finished 3rd here last summer. When you take away his bad finishes (39th or worse, only 2 of them), his average finish at Pocono is 10th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Ryan Newman – Newman is a really good driver at Pocono. He won here previously and he would’ve won the first 2007 race if the rain started falling one minute later. (Yahoo B Driver)
B = Just A Tier Below The Good Picks
Kyle Busch – Pocono simply isn’t his best track. Only twice in the last 5 years has Kyle Busch finished in the top ten at Pocono. Regardless this team is really strong right now. (Yahoo A Driver)
David Reutimann – If you need a sleeper this week I really think David Reutimann is your guy. He finished 3rd in the first race at Pocono in 2009 and was running inside the top ten until Denny Hamlin wrecked him late in the summer race last year (Yahoo race chart for race 2). (Yahoo B Driver)
Greg Biffle – Check out what I said about Greg Biffle in my Pocono Contender or Pretender post. (Yahoo A Driver)
Juan Pablo Montoya – Montoya was stellar here last year but trouble keeps finding him this year. To me that’s the only reason why he’s not rated higher. (Yahoo A Driver)
B- = You Can Pencil Them In For Around 20th
Martin Treux Jr. – Treux finished 3rd here in 2007 but since then he hasn’t finished better than 15th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – In the last 5 years Earnhardt Jr. has an average finish of 20.7, average running position of 18.1, and an average start of 18.2. I would say my B- rating definitely seems appropriate here. (Yahoo B Driver)
Marcos Ambrose – He’s had lots of tough luck this year but you can’t ignore his sixth place finish last year. (Yahoo B Driver)
C+ = Got Some Question Marks Here
Joey Logano – All that we really know about Joey Logano at Pocono is that he’s raced here twice and neither finish was good. (Yahoo B Driver)
Jamie McMurray – Even in his pre-Roush days his success at Pocono was rather limited. His average finish over the last 5 years is 19th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Sam Hornish Jr. – Hornish is batting .500 in terms of getting top tens at Pocono, but are you really willing to pick him? I guess this week you might. (Yahoo C Driver)
Brad Keselowski – Brad has never raced at Pocono so why should you pick him? If you’re looking for a reason to pick him then keep in mind that Penske cars always makes good horsepower here. Sam Hornish Jr. is proof of that. (Yahoo B Driver)
C = I’m Not Picking Them
AJ Allmendinger - In 5 races at Pocono Allmendinger has only averaged 92.8 points per race. His best finish here is 12th and all of his other finishes are outside the top 15. (Yahoo C Driver)
David Ragan – Ragan finished 5th here in 2008 when he had his good year but besides that all of his other five finishes are below 20th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Elliott Sadler – His last top ten at Pocono was back in 2004. Can you really pick him with a straight face knowing that? (Yahoo B Driver)
Casey Mears – Casey Mears will be getting another new crew chief this week. I’m thinking the logic behind this is to move all the good assets of Red Bull to Scott Speed’s team for the year. (Yahoo C Driver)
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Pocono Fantasy NASCAR Picks
My Pick : Jimmie Johnson
Top Onpitrow.com Expert Pick : coming soon
Top Onpitrow.com Darkhorse Pick : coming soon
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So if Keselowski has never raced the triangle, wouldn’t this be the perfect time for everyone he’s ticked off in his brief NASCAR career (in other words, about half the frickin field) to mess with his head? “Yeah, Brad, if I were you, I’d be careful in qualifying, cause those deer have been known to just jump out on the track without warning. True story.”
To me personally I think Pocono looks really easy to drive. I’m not sure how much you can really mess with a guys head here.
At Pocono you also can’t forget about the rabbits. I seem to remember someone taking one of them out. In a few weeks drivers will need to be dodging the sea gulls down in Daytona.