Party In The Poconos 400 Fantasy Top 10 Confidence Ranking Picks

1. Jimmie Johnson – With qualifying rained out Jimmie Johnson will start on the pole. That’s a huge advantage for this two-time Pocono winner. It will give him the best pit stall selection and more importantly it will give him track position. Track position is extremely important here because this race is typically comprised of long green flag runs and the field gets scattered which can make passing infrequent. Pocono has been a very good track for Johnson. He has a 9.0 average finish and since August 2007 he has 6 top fives and a 6.8 average finish. Last year at Pocono Jimmie Johnson was very impressive. In August he had this race won but during the last restart while he was leading he had contact with Matt Kenseth and spun out. If that didn’t happen there’s no doubt in my mind he would’ve won. In the 2012 June race his car was phenomenal. He drove from 24th to the top five in only 40 laps. Then during the first round of pit stops he received a speeding penalty. That kept him from truly contending. If he was that good starting back in 24th imagine what he’ll do when he starts on the pole. In practice today the #48 car was simply the best. Their lap times were both fast and consistent. Also in Happy Hour he had the best 10 lap average by almost a full mile per hour (important to note only four drivers ran 10 consecutive laps). My prediction is Jimmie Johnson will win the Party In The Poconos 400.

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2. Kasey Kahne – Kahne is a former winner who should be successful in the Party In The Poconos 400. He’s a former winner and was good in both races last season. In August he started in 4th, finished 2nd, and earned the best driver rating. One loop data stat that is often overlooked is the Fastest Laps statistical category. That statistic shows you who ran the fastest lap times during a specific lap. In August no driver ran more fastest laps than Kahne.  In June Kahne had a top five car but late in the event he got into Denny Hamlin and a few laps later he had a flat tire. Kahne has had sporadic success at Pocono but he’s certainly not a driver who you should overlook. On Sunday Kahne will start in 7th. Today in practice the #5 car looked good. They ran fast lap times and I’m guessing he’s happy with his car.

3. Carl Edwards – In the Party In The Poconos 400 Carl Edwards will start on the front row alongside Jimmie Johnson. Track position is important here and every advantage counts. Today in practice the #99 was one of the fastest cars on the track. When you combine that with track position you can bet he’ll be a factor this weekend. Pocono has been a good track for Edwards. He’s a two-time winner who’s finished in the top ten 50% percent of the time and has a 13.2 average finish. Edwards hasn’t been stellar on the track this season but he’s currently second in points by virtue of being a consistent performer.