NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Gander RV 400 at Pocono


Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):
By Race
Both with 4 - Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin
All with 3 - Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer 

By Track
Kevin Harvick - 8
Brad Keselowski - 7
All with 6 - Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin
All with 5 - Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott

Recent Pole Winners:
2018 Daniel Suarez
2017 Kyle Busch

Last Year's Race Winner: Kyle Busch

The Likely Suspects: Pocono Raceway may be nicknamed the "Tricky Triangle," but these racers have consistently run well here: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, and Denny Hamlin.

My 2 Cents: My perennial no-brainer Pocono pick is Kyle Busch. Kyle's record at Pocono is stellar: three wins, eight Top 5s and 14 Top 10s, and he has led 404 laps in 29 Cup Series starts at Pocono. My next picks are Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, William Byron, and Daniel Suarez. I will complete my team with Michael McDowell and Daniel Hemric.

My Final Four: Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, Clint Bowyer, and Michael McDowell.

Second-Look Driver: This week's second-look driver is Erik Jones. This will Erik's fifth race here in a Cup car. He has scored four Top 5s and three Top 10s. He finished fifth in last July's race at Pocono and led 11 laps. Look for Erik to make some noise this weekend. Last week's second-look driver, William Byron had a hard-fought race at New Hampshire, ultimately finishing in 12th place after starting his day from the back of the field in a backup car. William also scored stage points finishing in fourth in Stage Two. His No. 24 car was Hendrick Motorsports' top finisher, and it was William's track-best finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Points to Ponder:
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers at Pocono Raceway with four poles (Spring 2010, Fall 2015, 2017 sweep).
  • Denny Hamlin leads all active series drivers in wins at Pocono with four victories (2006 sweep, 2009 and 2010). 
  • Twenty-four different drivers have multiple series wins at Pocono Raceway; including five active drivers: Denny Hamlin (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), Kurt Busch (three), Kyle Busch (three) and Martin Truex Jr. (two).
  • The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (16) than any other starting position at Pocono Raceway – a 19.5% winning percentage.   
  • Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Pocono with 17.
  • Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes at Pocono with five and in Top 5s with 14.

Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 27th, and your final picks by 3 p.m. ET on race day Sunday, July 28th.

Enjoy the race!

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Carol D’Agostino wields fantasy-racing superpowers. Each week, Carol researches statistics and combs through her personal racing notes to provide fans with fantasy racing advice at NASCAR Fantasy Fusion, a column she has written for Skirts & Scuffs since October 2011. Carol also does race coverage for Skirts & Scuffs at Richmond Raceway, and occasionally at her home track, Dover International Speedway. This year she joins the NASCAR Expert Picks panel at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet When she isn’t crunching numbers, you’ll find Carol in business meetings or hammering out a news release or creating a marketing strategy at a small niche public relations firm she founded called Purple Cat. 


NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Gander RV 400 at Pocono NASCAR Fantasy Fusion:  Gander RV 400 at Pocono Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 Rating: 5