Pocono 500 - Same Day Coverage
Pocono, Pa.
by Stan Creekmore; Notebook by Bobby Bennett

SUNDAY RACE RECAP -

Don’t call Denny Hamlin a rookie at Pocono. 

The Chesterfield (Va.) native drove the 2.5-mile triangular racetrack like he built it just for himself.  And, it wasn’t as if Hamlin didn’t have any problems driving to his first career win on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in his 21st career start.

Hamlin started on the pole, dropped to 40th and then pulled away to a 1.328 second victory over Kurt Busch and teammate Tony Stewart in his first Pocono 500.  

Hamlin led for a total of 83 laps, overcoming a flat tire on lap 49 which nearly sent him into the wall. His crew repaired the car on pit road, keeping the young driver on the lead lap in 40th.

Clearly excited following his first career win, Hamlin shouted out, “We’re trying to get into that Chase and this is a great way to do it.”

Hamlin is ninth in the points, 463 behind, but within the top-10 cutoff point for those eligible for the 10-race Chase to the Championship.   

Persevering in the face of adversity is the path to a championship. When Hamlin limped into pit road, the left rear corner of his Chevrolet seriously damaged his crew focused on making the repairs, not bemoaning the damage. Crew chief Mike Ford speculated the team fixed fifty percent of the damage, including replacing both batteries in the car and securing them in place during the first serious of pit stops. Subsequent stops allowed the team to tape of crush panels and rebuilt the rear quarterpanel.

Whatever else was left to do, it wasn’t enough to keep Hamlin and company from victory lane or from holding off Kurt Busch and Stewart.

“It was tough to compete with Denny,” Busch admitted. “He was solid. He even had a problem and came back from all of that.”
When  Jeff Gordon wrecked on lap 191, it gave Busch one last chance at beating the rookie.

“We knew it was going to be a five-lap sprint to the end and the first lap was going to be to see who could slide through the dirt the best. I’ve got Stewart behind me and he’s probably the best dirt track racer in the group. Denny, a cowboy is in front of me and he’s going for it.
‘I didn’t have much for him. I knew we were good enough to finish second and hold Tony off. “

Stewart, running his first complete race since injuring his should in Charlotte, finished a strong third.

“Friday we were sore. Saturday, we were half as sore. Today, we’re not sore at all,” Stewart chimed, adding, “I’m not sure how I’ll feel when the adrenaline wears off but right now I am ready for another 500 miles.”

Brian Vickers finished fourth, followed by Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs, Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson continues to lead the point’s race with Kenseth closing the gap slightly in the past two weeks. Ironically, Kenseth is 48 points behind Johnson, the same as Johnson’s car number. Mark Martin is third, Stewart fourth, Kahne fifth, Earnhardt sixth, Burton seventh, Kevin Harvick eighth, Hamlin ninth and Kyle Busch in the tenth spot.

Greg Biffle has climbed to 12th in the past five races, just 27 points behind Kyle Busch.

Jeff Gordon slipped out of the top-10, into 11th. The wreck, which cost him a top twenty finish, forced a 13 minute red-flag period to allow NASCAR and track workers to make repairs to the SAFER barrier.

"I don't know how, but yes, I am,” Gordon said after an extended stay in the infield care center. “I've either got a really hard head or those guys at Hendrick Motorsports just build an awesome race car because that was one of the hardest hits I've ever taken. Between the soft walls and the seat and every safety device we had in there, I never got knocked out. I was surprisingly feeling pretty good other than just a bit of a headache. They (infield medical staff) just wanted to watch me in there for a little bit, but I'm fine.”

Gordon believed his problems started when he broke a right front brake rotor as he entered the first turn.

“That's probably the worst thing you could ever ask for in a race car is to have the brakes go out going into Turn 1 at Pocono. It's unfortunate. We lost track position. I had a pretty good car at the beginning but lost track position and couldn't get it back."

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series heads to Michigan next week, sharing the spotlight with the Craftsman Truck Series. The NASCAR Busch Series will be in Kentucky.

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK -

Is that all? - Sterlin Marlin didn't fare much better either in Pocono. He exited on lap 18 in his No. 14 Waste Management Chevrolet.

“I got into Turn 1 and the motor seized," said Marlin. "It just quit.  I hate it for the Waste Management guys, but we’ve always got next week.”

FRIDAY QUALIFYING

(6-11-2006) - Rookie Denny Hamlin delivered the pole for the Pocono 500 to sponsor FedEx Friday afternoon.

Hamlin’s lap of 53.054 seconds (169.638 mph) was good enough to hold off the effort of the eldest of the Busch brothers, Kurt and his lap of 53.102 seconds (169.485 mph).

Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers and Jeff Burton rounded out the top five.

“You know, it was a great run for us,” Hamlin said.  “I felt like that was a good lap for us.  We ran like 54:50 or something like that (in practice). The crew did a lot of stuff to the car to make it faster in qualifying. 

“I definitely was hoping to get into a 53, and to almost get in the 52s is pretty amazing.”

Starting on the outside pole, Kurt Busch was happy but guarded.

“It was a great lap,” Busch admitted. “The team put a good car under me, and I told my crew chief, Roy McCauley, he did a really good job. I think that’s a pretty solid lap, but I knew there were a lot of good guys left to go. Brian Vickers had been fast here before, and he’s a really good qualifier. We put down a good lap, but I knew there were some cars left that could challenge it.”

Fellow Dodge driver Kasey Kahne, owner of the qualifying record at Pocono, couldn’t complain about his qualifying lap.

“I was real happy with our qualifying run ending up third,” Kahne said. “I just felt like we got through all three corners well, not as good as these two (Busch and Hamlin), but we got through them good. I’m looking forward to Sunday.

We’ll get some more race practice tomorrow. We got some good race practice today, and hopefully the rain will stay away tomorrow. It should be fun. I always enjoy racing here. It’s pretty neat to have three different corners and have to change everything up every time you get to a corner. I’m looking forward to Sunday, looking forward to making some more changes to our UAW/Dodge Dealers Dodge Charger. I think we’ve got a shot at getting a good, solid top five out of here this weekend.”

Five drivers failed to qualify for the Pocono 500: Scott Wimmer, Derrike Cope, Stanton Barrett, Greg Sacks, and Brent Sherman

(Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) 

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK -

They'll be coming 'round the mountain - The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series visits the Pocono Mountains resort area this Sunday. Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., hosts the series’ 14th race of the season with the Pocono 500 (FOX, 1:30 p.m.).

Pocono’s irregularly shaped 2.5-mile triangle could provide the reinforcement that No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson needs. Johnson arrives at Pocono as the series points leader after a hard-fought sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway last Sunday.

A starting position of 40th at Dover, going a lap down due to an ill-handling race car, and an accident on Lap 275 in which the rear section of his car was damaged could have spelled disaster for Johnson.

Instead, he rebounded to a sixth-place lead-lap finish to hold on to a 74-point lead over Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford) who won the Dover event. Johnson led by 109 points entering the event.

Johnson swept both Pocono events in 2004, while last year he posted finishes of sixth in June and 12th in July. Overall, in eight previous Pocono starts, Johnson has two wins, three top-5s, four top-10s, and a 2003 Budweiser Pole Award.

Roush Racing drivers could stand between Johnson’s Chevrolet and Pocono’s victory lane this week. Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) won the 2005 June Pocono event, while former Roush driver Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) on the July event. Two other Roush drivers, Kenseth and No. 26 Irwin Tools Ford driver Jamie McMurray finished 1-2 at Dover.

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge), the leading Dodge driver of 2006 with three wins, has only four previous Pocono starts.

Kahne won the pole in his first Pocono start in 2004, and posted a best finish of third in the July event that same year. Last year Kahne finished a disappointing 27th in both Pocono events.

Know the Track - As one of the more unique tracks on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule, Pocono Raceway’s 2.5-mile triangular layout provides several challenges. Teams must juggle three different turns, three long straightaways and high engine stress in order to secure a good finish. Add negligible banking, and crew chiefs and drivers face a checklist of choices.

All three Pocono turns differ. Turn 1 has 14 degrees of banking. Turn 2 – known as the “Tunnel Turn” – has eight degrees of banking. Turn 3 has six degrees of banking. Because of the turns’ individuality, teams usually select the one where they want their car to excel and factor that into setups.

Pocono’s flat layout and length allows drivers to catch their breaths for a few seconds as they throttle down straightaways. Shifting, once a Pocono staple, has been eliminated by recent gear ratio limits. And although Pocono may be comfortable for drivers, it can wear out equipment. Brake systems take a beating in the turns, and long straightaways require high RPMs and engine stress.

Pocono’s pit road is one of the roomiest on the series schedule. The track’s length fosters long runs, which pressures crews to hit their marks, sometimes in consecutive green-flag pit stops. But length also cushions the effect of a long stop, or one for repairs; drivers have more time to beat the pace car off pit road and avoid losing track position.

51 - Terry Labonte (No. 44 Kellogg’s Chevrolet) is entered to attempt his 51st career Pocono start. Labonte has a Pocono record that includes two wins, seven top-5s and 21 top-10 finishes. Through 2005, Ricky Rudd had started a series-record 53 of the 56 races at Pocono. Rudd, now retired from full-time driving, is not expected to compete this weekend.

Moving On Up - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No 8 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick (No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) each gained one position in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 at Dover. The improvements moved Earnhardt to fourth, Burton to seventh and Harvick to eighth. Despite a 12th-place finish, Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) lost two positions and dropped to ninth place in the standings. Everyone in the top 10 in points but for Gordon and sidelined Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) posted top 10 Dover finishes.

Rookie Watch - Through the season’s first 13 races, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the Raybestos Rookie standings with 143 points. Clint Bowyer holds down the second spot with 129 points. Reed Sorenson jumped to third spot with 113 points followed closely by Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and J.J. Yeley. David Stremme (No. 40 Coors Light/Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Dodge) is next with 90 points.

Hamlin had the best overall rookie performance last week at Dover, qualifying seventh and finishing 11th.

Busy Bodies - Drivers competing full-time in both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series face their first of three consecutive weekends when the two series have events at different speedways. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers who are running both series full time include Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle (No. 16 National Guard Ford), Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet), Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Target Dodge), J.J. Yeley (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet), and Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx/Kinkos Chevrolet). Last year, Edwards was the lone driver to attempt the full-time double duty, missed one NASCAR Busch Series race (due to rain delay at Nashville), and finished third in series points. Currently, Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Busch Series point race on the strength of three wins. Starting this weekend, double duty includes:

• June 10-11, NASCAR Busch Series Saturday at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Pocono on Sunday;
• June 17-18, NASCAR Busch Series Saturday at Kentucky Speedway, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, and;
• June 24-25, NASCAR Busch Series Saturday at The Milwaukee (Wis.) Mile, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on Sunday.

Birthday Presents - U.S. Army driver Joe Nemechek doesn't need added incentives to produce on the racetrack. But if he's looking for a couple of enticements, he will have them for Sunday's Pocono 500. 

The June 11 Nextel Cup race at Pocono Raceway will not only be the 01 team's celebration of the U.S. Army's 231st birthday, but it will also be the birthday of Nemechek's son -- John Hunter, who will turn 9.

And since Nemechek is like the typical male who hates to shop, his idea of a nice gift is to have a contending performance at Pocono Raceway.

"I think the Army will be satisfied with a strong performance by the 01 team," said Nemechek. "After all, if you're 231-years-old, you probably have everything you need in terms of gifts." 

However, the gift for Nemechek's son is a little more complicated.

"I know John Hunter would like to see me have a good race, but I also feel he has some other presents in mind too," offered Nemechek. "I will take care of the performance gift, and my wife Andrea will take care of the other gifts. I really don't like to shop, unless it's motorsports related."

At last year's June race in Pocono, Nemechek finished third, his best result of the 2005 season. He was also in contention for a victory in Pocono's July race, but a pit road miscue and a flat tire relegated him to a 22nd-place finish.

"We have a real good baseline for Pocono," said Nemechek, who has one pole start at the 2.5-mile track. "This is one track where our Army team has consistently run strong. Last year, we were running up front at both races and the year before, we were up there again until we had gear problems. I look for a good, solid run this weekend."

For the record, the Army's official birthday is June 14, the same day that Americans will celebrate Flag Day.

Going all the way - Tony Stewart expects to run the full distance at Pocono Sunday. At Dover, 23-time race winner Ricky Rudd drove in relief for Stewart. He ended up finishing 25th, dropping Stewart from fourth to fifth in the championship point race.

Memory Lane - Richard Petty won the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 4, 1974. Petty swapped the lead with pole sitter Buddy Baker, along with Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and David Pearson. The event was hampered by rain and restarts, and was ultimately stopped eight laps shy of the scheduled 200 laps due to darkness. The Petty Enterprises Dodge led the event on nine different occasions, and took the lead for good from Baker, driving Bud Moore’s Ford, on Lap 148.

Anybody Got A Spark? - Sterling Marlin says his MB2 Motorsports team is in need of a spark.

“We’ve had some rough times this year and just need a little something to ignite us,” said Marlin. “We’ve had some good runs, but just haven’t had things click our way. I really think if we can get a couple of good finishes under our belt we can turn the corner and get on a roll.”

Marlin is hoping to start that roll Sunday in the Pocono 500 Nextel Cup race.

In his 41 career starts at Pocono Raceway Marlin has earned 16 top-10 and six top-five finishes. He has also earned two pole positions.

“I usually run pretty well at Pocono and always feel pretty confident heading to that speedway,” said Marlin, driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet. “I know MB2 has had some good runs there the last few races also. So that contributes to the confidence we feel entering this weekend’s event. I really think if we can be consistent and stay out of trouble we can bring home a strong finish.”

Crew chief Doug Randolph knows that the key to success at Pocono is not only a good race car, but also a little bit of luck.

“I’ve seen a top-five finish disappear at Pocono because of a faulty battery or a transmission failure so everything has to be perfect to win this race,” said Randolph. “But if  you have a stout race car and a little bit of luck, a top-five or better finish is very attainable."

Blue Oval Momentum - Matt Kenseth’s victory at Dover brought the “Blue Oval” to within 11 points of Chevrolet for the lead in the Manufacturer’s Championship standings. The gap closed by three points to an 11-point lead for Chevrolet. Ford also expanded its lead over third-place Dodge by five points and now leads by a total of seven points. In the six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races held at Pocono over the last three years, Chevrolet has three wins compared to two for Ford and one for Dodge.

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