Post by Schmoopy1000 on Aug 1, 2014 13:56:58 GMT -5
10 best drivers at Pocono
Over the past six races, these drivers have the best average finish.
1. Ryan Newman
Last six average finish at Pocono: 6.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 11.5 in 25 starts
Newman has several factors in his favor this week, not the least of which is his consistency at Pocono. Entering the GoBowling.com 400 with six top-10s in his last seven attempts is certainly impressive, but even more so is the fact that he has finished on the lead lap in his last 18 Pocono races. His worst finish in that nine-year span was an 18th, so fantasy owners can be confident he will be in contention when the checkers wave this week.
2. Jimmie Johnson
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 8.7 in 25 starts
Johnson is another driver who has shown a lot of consistency during his Pocono career. In 25 starts, he failed to finish on the lead lap only once and that came as the result of crash damage in 2007. Every other attempt on this track ended in a top-15 finish including three wins and 10 top-fives. His latest victory came in June 2013, but it is surrounded by results in the teens for the past two editions of the Pennsylvania 400.
3. Tony Stewart
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 11.0 in 31 starts
Stewart entered this June’s Pocono 400 with a four-race, top-10 streak. Three of these were top-fives. Like the two drivers ranked ahead of him he also had a long streak of finishing on the lead lap. He was able to keep only one of these streaks alive when he slipped to 13th in the final rundown, but at least he went the distance. The clock is ticking on Stewart’s chance of making the playoffs. He needs to win to be in Chase contention and the last time he visited Victory Lane on this track was in 2009.
4. Brad Keselowski
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.8
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 12.3 in 9 starts
When Keselowski crossed under the checkers second this June at Pocono, it was the first time in his career that he scored back-to-back top-10s there. It would not seem as if this is one of his better tracks, but in regard to career average finishes it ranks fifth on his personal list. Kez has been strong on flat tracks this year with a third at Phoenix, fourth at Richmond, second at Pocono, and the victory at New Hampshire so he should be able to extend his streak to three consecutive top-10s.
5. Jeff Gordon
Last six average finish at Pocono: 8.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 10.0 in 43 starts
Last week Gordon set a record by winning his fifth Brickyard 400. It was the first time a driver won five races on the oval track in any series. He tied the record for the most Pocono wins in 2011 and surpassed Bill Elliott in 2012. He almost added one more Pocono trophy to his mantel in this event last year, but was passed on a late-race restart by teammate Kasey Kahne and finished second. Notably, Gordon’s pass for the lead last week was made on Kahne and came in the final restart.
6. Kurt Busch
Last six average finish at Pocono: 9.20 (5 starts)
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.8 in 26 starts
While he has stumbled on other tracks, Pocono has been an Island in the Storm for Busch in recent years. He missed the 2012 Pocono 400 after getting suspended for an incident with a pit reporter, but five of his last six attempts on the tricky triangle ended in results of seventh or better. This June he finished third after starting second. Busch is not perfect at Pocono, however; he has crashed out of two of the last seven events, but if he stays out of trouble on and off the track, he will be a great value.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Last six average finish at Pocono: 9.7
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 15.8 in 29 starts
Moving to Hendrick Motorsports was great for Earnhardt’s record at Pocono. With his former team he scored only five top-10s in 16 starts (31%). Once he had access to notes from Gordon and Johnson his results improved to seven top-10s in 13 starts (54%). Six of these strong runs came in the past seven events and fantasy owners can reasonably expect that another top-10 is just around the corner.
8. Clint Bowyer
Last six average finish at Pocono: 12.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.8 in 17 starts
Bowyer owes his spot among the top 10 to consistency. Since joining Michael Waltrip Racing at the beginning of 2012 he has never failed to crack the top 15 although only two of those results were top-10s. In regard to his overall record, however, he showed more raw power but less constancy with Richard Childress Racing—finishing in the top 10 five times in 12 starts, but outside the top-20 in three events.
9. Greg Biffle
Last six average finish at Pocono: 12.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 16.4 in 23 starts
Biffle swept the top-10 last year with a second in June and a 10th in August. That is the only time in his career that he posted back-to-back top-10s on this track, however. Biffle has been erratic at times while trying to figure out the tricky turns of Pocono and his six career top-10s are offset by eight results outside the top 20. His flat track record in 2014 has not been overly strong, so fantasy owners probably want to leave him in the garage.
10. Martin Truex Jr.
Last six average finish at Pocono: 13.7
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.9 in 17 starts
Truex has managed to finish in the top 10 for every team for which he raced. He scored two such finishes at Dale Earnhardt Inc., three for Michael Waltrip Racing, and one this June with Furniture Row Racing. Like several drivers at this track, he has finished on the lead lap in nearly all of his starts; he failed to complete only one lap in his inaugural race in 2006, but has been perfect since. Unfortunately that does not always translate into strong runs and he finished outside the top 20 four times.
Over the past six races, these drivers have the best average finish.
1. Ryan Newman
Last six average finish at Pocono: 6.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 11.5 in 25 starts
Newman has several factors in his favor this week, not the least of which is his consistency at Pocono. Entering the GoBowling.com 400 with six top-10s in his last seven attempts is certainly impressive, but even more so is the fact that he has finished on the lead lap in his last 18 Pocono races. His worst finish in that nine-year span was an 18th, so fantasy owners can be confident he will be in contention when the checkers wave this week.
2. Jimmie Johnson
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 8.7 in 25 starts
Johnson is another driver who has shown a lot of consistency during his Pocono career. In 25 starts, he failed to finish on the lead lap only once and that came as the result of crash damage in 2007. Every other attempt on this track ended in a top-15 finish including three wins and 10 top-fives. His latest victory came in June 2013, but it is surrounded by results in the teens for the past two editions of the Pennsylvania 400.
3. Tony Stewart
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 11.0 in 31 starts
Stewart entered this June’s Pocono 400 with a four-race, top-10 streak. Three of these were top-fives. Like the two drivers ranked ahead of him he also had a long streak of finishing on the lead lap. He was able to keep only one of these streaks alive when he slipped to 13th in the final rundown, but at least he went the distance. The clock is ticking on Stewart’s chance of making the playoffs. He needs to win to be in Chase contention and the last time he visited Victory Lane on this track was in 2009.
4. Brad Keselowski
Last six average finish at Pocono: 7.8
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 12.3 in 9 starts
When Keselowski crossed under the checkers second this June at Pocono, it was the first time in his career that he scored back-to-back top-10s there. It would not seem as if this is one of his better tracks, but in regard to career average finishes it ranks fifth on his personal list. Kez has been strong on flat tracks this year with a third at Phoenix, fourth at Richmond, second at Pocono, and the victory at New Hampshire so he should be able to extend his streak to three consecutive top-10s.
5. Jeff Gordon
Last six average finish at Pocono: 8.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 10.0 in 43 starts
Last week Gordon set a record by winning his fifth Brickyard 400. It was the first time a driver won five races on the oval track in any series. He tied the record for the most Pocono wins in 2011 and surpassed Bill Elliott in 2012. He almost added one more Pocono trophy to his mantel in this event last year, but was passed on a late-race restart by teammate Kasey Kahne and finished second. Notably, Gordon’s pass for the lead last week was made on Kahne and came in the final restart.
6. Kurt Busch
Last six average finish at Pocono: 9.20 (5 starts)
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.8 in 26 starts
While he has stumbled on other tracks, Pocono has been an Island in the Storm for Busch in recent years. He missed the 2012 Pocono 400 after getting suspended for an incident with a pit reporter, but five of his last six attempts on the tricky triangle ended in results of seventh or better. This June he finished third after starting second. Busch is not perfect at Pocono, however; he has crashed out of two of the last seven events, but if he stays out of trouble on and off the track, he will be a great value.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Last six average finish at Pocono: 9.7
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 15.8 in 29 starts
Moving to Hendrick Motorsports was great for Earnhardt’s record at Pocono. With his former team he scored only five top-10s in 16 starts (31%). Once he had access to notes from Gordon and Johnson his results improved to seven top-10s in 13 starts (54%). Six of these strong runs came in the past seven events and fantasy owners can reasonably expect that another top-10 is just around the corner.
8. Clint Bowyer
Last six average finish at Pocono: 12.0
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.8 in 17 starts
Bowyer owes his spot among the top 10 to consistency. Since joining Michael Waltrip Racing at the beginning of 2012 he has never failed to crack the top 15 although only two of those results were top-10s. In regard to his overall record, however, he showed more raw power but less constancy with Richard Childress Racing—finishing in the top 10 five times in 12 starts, but outside the top-20 in three events.
9. Greg Biffle
Last six average finish at Pocono: 12.5
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 16.4 in 23 starts
Biffle swept the top-10 last year with a second in June and a 10th in August. That is the only time in his career that he posted back-to-back top-10s on this track, however. Biffle has been erratic at times while trying to figure out the tricky turns of Pocono and his six career top-10s are offset by eight results outside the top 20. His flat track record in 2014 has not been overly strong, so fantasy owners probably want to leave him in the garage.
10. Martin Truex Jr.
Last six average finish at Pocono: 13.7
Career avg. finish at Pocono: 14.9 in 17 starts
Truex has managed to finish in the top 10 for every team for which he raced. He scored two such finishes at Dale Earnhardt Inc., three for Michael Waltrip Racing, and one this June with Furniture Row Racing. Like several drivers at this track, he has finished on the lead lap in nearly all of his starts; he failed to complete only one lap in his inaugural race in 2006, but has been perfect since. Unfortunately that does not always translate into strong runs and he finished outside the top 20 four times.