This weekend is the Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway. It’s the second trip to the Pocono Mountains this year for the cup guys, and with the playoffs just around the corner its time to get even more serious. With SHR and Kevin Harvick getting their first win of the season last weekend will they be able to come back out and claim another victory this weekend? Or will we see another driver lock up a playoff spot and some valuable points?
Starting Lineup
- Kevin Harvick
- Joey Logano
- Martin Truex
- Kyle Busch
- Erik Jones
- William Byron (Garage)
Line Up Statistics
After an awesome last lap battle with Denny Hamlin last weekend for his first win of the season. Kevin Harvick could be a big factor this weekend in the Gander RV 400. In the last five races at Pocono he is second only to one other driver with an average finish of 6.8 only Kyle Busch is ahead of him. Not to mention Kevin has averaged around thirty four fantasy points per race this year. Until a smart call by Rodney Childer’s last weekend to get Harvick out front they haven’t exactly hit the nail on the head this year, but maybe things are about to change for the SHR driver and team.
Your 2018 cup series champion, Joey Logano. In the last five races at Pocono hasn’t exactly had great numbers. His average finish is 18.4 and he has not led any laps in the five races. The argument could really be made that this track is really one of his worst in 21 career starts Joey only has one win. As of late though Joey has averaged around 35.5 fantasy points a race this year, and does have two wins thus far. The Gander RV 400 could be a race that Joey turns his recent luck around in the Pocono mountains.
Since June of 2015 Martin Truex Jr. has only one finish outside of the top fifteen that being the first trip of the 2019 season. Martin does have 1 win in the last five races, and has led 67 laps. Along with those solid statistics in the last five races since joining JGR he has been able to notch four wins, and rack up a whopping 638 fantasy points this season. Martin could be looking for career win number three at Pocono this Sunday in the Gander RV 400.
The next driver this week is starting in thirty eight percent of all lineups, and is ranked first in points earned this season with 771 points and is another member of the JGR stable. Really in the last five races at Pocono there hasn’t been a more dominant driver than Kyle Busch. He has won three out of the five and led a total of 318 laps. While If your like me then you probably only have around two to three uses left of him it will be well worth it this weekend to use him again. Especially if your like me and are closing in on your league leader you need all the points you can get to catch up. Keep an eye on the Candy Man.
Erik Jones, a driver a lot of people have on the proverbial hot seat with the up rise from young Christopher Bell. They need to hold of on that and give Erik a chance to really show what he can do, his consistency has really picked up as of late, and much like Byron he has taken a liking to Pocono. In five career starts Erik has only one finish outside of the top ten and has an average finish position of around ninth. He is ranked fourteenth among st the active drivers in fantasy points earned this season, but the Gander RV 400 could be a turning point for this young mans season.
Youngster William Byron is still win less so far in his still young cup series career. It seems like though the addition of seven time championship winning crew chief Chad Knaus has added a little fire to the young HMS driver. Along with that though he seems to have taken a liking to Pocono. In three career starts here he has an average finish of eleventh. With that average he has only one finish outside of the top ten that being his first trip to the “Tricky Triangle.” If Byron is able to stay clean and mistake free he could be a solid option to slide into your lineup before the final stage.
Other Options
While that lineup is about as solid of a lineup as you can get at Pocono. Any one of these next few drivers could be starters depending on how you have used them this year. Chase Elliott has been on a down hill slide as of late, but in five races at Pocono he has an average finish position of around eighth. Brad Keselowski, is starting in fifty percent of all lineups, and is projected to score around thirty one points this weekend. The fourth JGR driver Denny Hamlin knows how to win at Pocono, but hasn’t won since 2010. He’s had a good season going so far this year so he very well could go back to victory lane.
Conclusion
This Sunday’s Gander RV 400 will be the twenty first points paying race of the year. With there being only three races left until the playoffs start the intensity should start to pickup by a whole different level. With drivers like Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, and Ryan Newman all right there near the cut line expect them to try and run good enough for a win if not just consistent enough to grab a spot in the 16 man play off bracket.
With the likes of Watkins Glenn which saw Chase Elliott grab career win number one last year to the “Last Great Coliseum” of Bristol still on the board. Any driver has the chance to win a race and make the playoffs. It should be an interesting next couple of weeks. The victory lane at Pocono has seen the likes of first time winners, and legends like Bill Elliott or Jeff Gordon. Who will etch there names down in the books as a Pocono Raceway winner this Sunday?
