SPRINT Pocono 500
Final
for this game
Pocono 500 Preview
Jun 8, 2008 - 10:21 AMJune 8, 2008
Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Race 14 of 36 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: TNT, 12:30 p.m. EDT
Laps: 200
Track length: 2 1/2 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 172.533 mph, 2004
Race record: Rusty Wallace, Ford, 144.892 mph, 1996
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $2,250,817
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers, finished eighth at
Dover and sits second in the standings, 142 points behind Kyle
Busch; won at Bristol for first win of the season; finished 13th
in the Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in Las
Vegas and 10th at Atlanta; has nine top-10s through first 13
races; finished eighth in last season's standings, one year
after placing seventh; finished in the top 10 in half of the
races last season, including nine top fives; lone win of the
2007 season came in April at Texas; finished the season strong
with five top-10s over the final six races; ran 13th in this
race last season.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $2,191,525
Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; has not had a
top-10 finish since; was 11th at Atlanta for his second-best
finish of the season; bounced back from an inconsistent first
year with Penske to finish seventh in the standings last year;
won at Michigan and Pocono and posted 14 top-10 finishes; also
had four finishes of 30th or worse; won the championship in 2004
but was released from his contract at Roush Racing after the
following season, when he finished 10th in the standings and was
suspended for the final two races after an incident with the
Phoenix police; finished 20th at Dover and sits 21st in the
standings; finished 16th in this event last year.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $3,245,614
Is in the midst of a stellar first season with Joe Gibbs Racing,
winning four races and posting nine top-fives through 13
races; finished 17th at Bristol after power steering failed and
transmission issues relegated him to 38th at Martinsville; won
at Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington and Dover; leads Jeff Burton
by 142 points atop the standings; runner-up finish at Richmond
was marred by a late-race incident with Dale Earnhardt Jr.; had
the dominant car and led the most laps at the Daytona 500; was
strong at Las Vegas early, but struggled late and wound up 11th;
is looking to build off a sensational run at Hendrick
Motorsports as he moves to JGR and Toyota; finished fifth in
the final 2007 standings after qualifying for the Chase for the
second consecutive season; had 20 top-10 finishes in 36 races
last season, including 11 top-fives; lone win came during the
first Bristol race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; ran
eighth in this race last year.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $2,180,545
The circuit's most popular driver lost a chance to snap long
winless drought when he was involved in a late-race incident
with Kyle Busch at Richmond and wound up 15th; still sits third
in the standings with nine top-10s through 13 races; ran fifth
at Bristol after a third at Atlanta and second at Las Vegas; was
the top finishing Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 with a
ninth-place showing; was involved in an early race crash at
California and finished 40th; made the move from his father's
Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick
Motorsports; got off to a good start with his new team by
winning the Bud Shootout; has not won a points race since
Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a tough final season at
DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top-10s last season,
but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; finished 12th in
this race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $3,258,600
Won at Texas for his third win of the season; was docked 100
points and fell from the top spot in the standings after being
penalized after his win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was his
10th career Cup win; had the dominant car again at Atlanta, but
blew an engine and finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona 500;
qualified for the Chase last year and won at Dover after placing
12th at New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection and was
docked 25 points and fined; penalty dropped him from third to
sixth in the standings and he never recovered; won the 2007
NASCAR Busch Series championship; finished with 11 top-fives
and 15 top-10s last year; also won at Michigan and Bristol; was
second to Kyle Busch at Darlington and Dover; ran 14th at this
race last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $2,330,547
Finished fifth at Dover and sits sixth in the standings; ran
second at Martinsville; rebounded to finish fifth at Atlanta
after being involved in a scary late-race crash at Las Vegas
where he finished 35th; bounced back with a third at California
after opening his 2008 season with a disappointing 39th in the
Daytona 500; already has three DNFs this season after posting
just one last year; only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie
Johnson kept him from capturing a fifth championship last season;
finished with 10 top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the
other finish in that span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a
remarkable 30 top-10 finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last
year; spun with less than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen
while leading, costing him another potential win - still managed
to finish ninth; had six checkered flags last season and 81
career, just two shy of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place
all-time; had 10 poles last season - double that of Ryan Newman
who had five; won this race last season.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $2,635,863
Two-time defending series champion blew a motor at Lowe's and
finished in 39th place; bounced back to run seventh at Dover;
picked up his first win of the season at Phoenix, then ran 13th
at Talladega and 30th at Richmond; finished second at Texas
following a fourth at Martinsville; had a disappointing
three-race stretch at Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol when his
average finish was 20th; ran second at California after starting
this campaign with a 27th at the Daytona 500; sits seventh in
the standings; battled teammate Gordon for the top spot in the
Chase early last season, then took off - winning four straight
races over the second half of the Chase; suffered through an
up-and-down season before the Chase, finishing 39th at the
Brickyard after a fiery crash on the heels of a 37th at Chicago;
finished the season with 10 wins, 20 top-fives, 24 top-10s and
failed to finish four races; finished 42nd in this race last
year.
Kasey Kahne
Team: Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Car: No. 9 Dodge
2008 Earnings: $3,223,071
Sits in the 12th and final spot for the Chase; had a stellar two
weeks at Lowe's, winning the Sprint All-Star Challenge then
snapping a 52-race winless skid; has six top-10s this season,
but just one top-five; after winning six races in 2006,
struggled in 2007 when he finished 19th in the standings with
just one top five and eight top 10s; also had six DNfs and dipped
as low as 36th in the standings at one point; took on the famed
Budweiser sponsorship after Dale Earhnardt Jr. moved to Hendrick
Motorsports; finished 22nd in this race last year.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $2,168,971
Remained 16th in the standings after running fourth at Dover -
his third consecutive top-10 result; finished 38th at Richmond
and 41st at Talladega; ran 38th at Phoenix following a ninth at
Texas and 30th at Martinsville; had consecutive top-10s at
Bristol and Atlanta; was 20th at Las Vegas due to a late-race
incident with Jeff Gordon; ran fifth at California, fresh off a
disappointing 35th place showing at the Daytona 500; last season
had a late-Chase surge with a win at the season-ending race at
Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas;
finished fourth in the final standings; had 13 top-five finishes
and 22 top 10s last season; won the series championship in 2003
despite capturing only one checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to
change to its current Chase format; enters this season without
long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced atop
the box by Chip Bolin; ran ninth in this race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $2,794,929
Was involved in an early crash at Dover and finished 41st;
dropped to 11th in the standings; came close to winning at
Lowe's, but cut down a tire with three laps remaining while
leading and finished 18th; with rumors swirling about his future
at JGR, finished 38th at Talladega; bounced back to finish
fourth at Richmond; ran 14th at Phoenix following back-to-back
top-10 finishes at Martinsville and Texas; finished second to
teammate Kyle Busch at Atlanta, but was vocal about the poor
Goodyear tire quality; suffered a hard crash at Las Vegas,
injured his ankle and finished last; had another disappointment
at Daytona, finishing third despite having the lead with one lap
to go; moved within two points of the points lead after the
first two Chase races last year, but could not keep pace with
Johnson and Gordon and faded to sixth in the final standings;
finished second at Richmond to enter the Chase on a hot streak;
pre-Chase surge included fourth at Bristol as well as running
10th at Michigan on the heels of winning at Watkins Glen;
captured back-to-back victories at Chicagoland and at the
Brickyard; won three races in total to go along with 23 top-10s;
ran fifth in this race last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
2. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
3. Martin Truex Jr. (1), Chevrolet
4. Casey Mears (25), Chevrolet
5. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
6. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
7. Mark Martin (01), Chevrolet
8. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
9. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
10. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 136.887 mph
2006 Denny Hamlin, Chevrolet, 131.656 mph
2005 Carl Edwards, Ford, 129.177 mph
2004 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 112.129 mph
2003 Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 134.892 mph
2002 Dale Jarrett, Ford, 143.426 mph
2001 Ricky Rudd, Ford, 134.389 mph
2000 Jeremy Mayfield, Ford, 139.741 mph
1999 Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 118.898 mph
1998 Jeremy Mayfield, Ford, 117.809 mph
1997 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 139.828 mph
1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 139.104 mph
1995 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 137.720 mph
1994 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 128.801 mph
1993 Kyle Petty, Pontiac, 138.005 mph
1992 Alan Kulwicki, Ford, 144.023 mph
1991 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 122.666 mph
1990 Harry Gant, Oldsmobile, 120.600 mph
1989 Terry Labonte, Ford, 131.320 mph
1988 Geoffrey Bodine, Chevrolet, 126.147 mph
1987 Tim Richmond, Chevrolet, 122.166 mph
1986 Tim Richmond, Chevrolet, 113.279 mph
1985 Bill Elliott, Ford, 138.974 mph
1984 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 138.164 mph
1983 Bobby Allison, Buick, 128.636 mph
1982 Bobby Allison, Buick, 113.579 mph
