A Guide to Pocono

Teams have been frustrated this year by rule changes and hard racing with other teams. A lot of angry words have been exchanged, and Pocono can also be a very frustrating track.
NASCAR on FOX: PoconoSat., June 11: Federated Auto Parts presented by Crestor on FX, 7:30 p.m. ET-->Sun., June 12: Nextel Cup Racing presented by Subway on FOX, 1 p.m. ET
Photo Gallery...Biffle masters Monster Mile
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Riding with Junior: Dover
Gilmore: Truex Cup contract ready
Analysis...DW: Biffle's heart and soul SPENCER: BYRNES: Driver dedicated to troops BEHRENDT: Making their Points Every lap, cars fan out on the frontstretch, trying to find a line and a position to pass going into Turn 1. There are areas to pass, but the cars are so equal now that Pocono could provide more of the same frustration that we've seen this season. Even though there weren't as many caution flags at Dover as there were a week before at Lowe's, there's just so much intensity and desperation now because teams realize that it's a 26-race schedule.
Who to Watch
Mark Martin: Looking at Martin's Pocono numbers, his record at the track is amazing to me. He has more top fives than any active driver at Pocono — 18 top-fives in 36 starts. That's phenomenal. Even though he hasn't won, he's been in the top five 18 times! We had him on Trackside last week (Fridays at 7 p.m. ET on SPEED), and he's having so much fun. He has so much confidence in his race team so he could break his Pocono winless streak very easily.
Jimmie Johnson: You're almost surprised that he's only had six starts at Pocono because he's already got three top-fives, two wins and a pole.
Jeff Gordon: As badly as the 24 team has fared the past three weeks, Gordon has led over 800 laps at Pocono which speaks for itself. You have to look at the 24 this week.
Rusty Wallace will be a factor. It's great to see Wallace and Martin in the top 10 as they bid farewell to the series. Wallace has a lot of momentum as well.

Kyle Busch has been really impressive. Every week, he surprises me. He goes to racetracks where he's never raced, and he qualifies well and runs up front. You can see his confidence growing every week. He could be the darkhorse there.
Ryan Newman: Like Johnson, he's got three top fives in six starts. He was leading another race there before bowing out with an engine problem.
What to Watch
Gear rule's first test: Larry McReynolds made a point on this week's NASCAR on FOX conference call that we've heard about this gear and transmission rule all season, but this week will be the first really big test for this rule. Even with the over-drive transmissions, teams are concerned about losing engines.
Engine unknown: With over-drive transmissions in the past, Pocono was tough on engines. With NASCAR's new gear rule, shifting isn't required, and engine builders are scared to death of this race. I've used this phrase a lot this year, but we're back in the great unknown.
Pleasure and terror in Turn 1: Ken Schrader describes going down the front straightaway as 15 seconds of sheer pleasure followed by five seconds of sheer terror going into Turn 1. You're braking, turning and accelerating at the same time. In person, it's hard to believe that one of those big racecars can slow down and turn left into Turn 1.

Camber concerns: Teams have had problems setting the camber on the right front tire at Pocono. They get too aggressive, which can cause a problem.
Compromising situations: So many different factors play a role in running well at Pocono. Obviously horsepower is important and getting off of the corners is important. For years, the prevailing wisdom was rob Peter to pay Paul. You would compromise. You would give up on one corner to be good in the other two, but recently, teams are striving to be perfect in all three corners. That's very difficult to do.
Early Sunday morning at Dover, I was walking around the garage, and I saw Jeremy Mayfield's crew chief, Richard "Slugger" Labbe.
I said, "Hey Slugger, you've got a second?"
He said, "Yeah."
I said, "Hey, I'm in your pit box today, and I just wanted to check and see how you guys were doing."
He said, "Well, my racecar is great, but I've lost 12 pounds in a week. I'm going to the care center."
Labbe did not look good, and he was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Finish LineTo be honest, I wouldn't be surprised to see three-time Pocono winner Dale Jarrett have a good run this weekend, but by the same token, we're starting on a blank page. Certainly Jarrett knows how to get around Pocono, but it really is a blank sheet of paper. Although I listed my favorites above, don't be surprised if at least 20 drivers are competitive and have a shot at winning this race.