Nextel Cup will make its second stop in six weeks this weekend at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Atmospheric conditions are expected to be similar to those the first time around, and no rules have been changed, but that doesn’t mean car setups will be the same.
Carl Edwards said in a national teleconference Tuesday that running well last month doesn’t ensure a well-handling car this month.
“Last year, we ran really well the first race, and we didn’t change much for the second race and seemed like we were not quite as fast,” said Edwards, who finished first and fourth at Pocono in 2005. “I don’t know if it was the fact of the change or just that everyone kind of got a second crack at it.
“So, for me, personally, I don’t see the track changing as much, as it seems like everyone gets their stuff tuned in better for that second race.”
Five drivers have swept Pocono since the track was given a second race in 1982: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1985), Tim Richmond (1986), Bobby Labonte (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2004).
Rookie Denny Hamlin dominated last month’s race at Pocono, winning from the pole. This time, Edwards expects other teams will find the balance that Hamlin enjoyed.
“The races are close enough together that it’s really easy just to put away your Pocono card and not think too much about it, and the folks that don’t run well there may change a lot of things,” Edwards said.
PPIR long gone
Edwards and seven other full-time Cup drivers are expected to perform a two-state double this weekend, commuting between Pocono and Martinsville, Va.
Martinsville Speedway is host of Saturday’s scheduled Busch Series event – the first Busch race in 12 years at the half-mile track.
Don’t feel sorry for the double-dippers, because it used to be much tougher to compete in both of this weekend’s stand-alone events. Martinsville is the replacement track for Fountain’s Pikes Peak International Raceway, which closed last fall after being sold to Florida-based International Speedway Corp.
PPIR hosted eight Busch races, one annually since 1998.
Chase minus the champ?
Defending champion Tony Stewart is in jeopardy of missing NASCAR’s third annual playoffs. If NASCAR’s unorthodox “regular” season ended today, Stewart would not qualify for the 10-race finale known as the Chase, which features the top-10 drivers based on points and any others within 400 points of the leader.
Stewart’s 38th-place finish at New Hampshire dumped him from seventh to 11th in the standings, 11 points behind Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon, who are tied for ninth, and 458 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
Stewart has six races to re-enter the top 10 and secure a spot to defend his championship.
Footnotes
Elliott Sadler is rumored to be leaving Robert Yates Racing and the No. 36 Ford to begin racing the No. 19 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports next season. Yates’ replacement could be 19-year-old Stephen Leicht, who will make his Cup debut at Pocono this weekend for Yates. Leicht, from Asheville, N.C., is driving a limited Busch Series schedule for Yates. … Denver-based Furniture Row Racing and driver Kenny Wallace qualified a career-best 19th at New Hampshire. The rookie team has started nine of 19 races, and Barney Visser of Cherry Hills is 42nd in owner points. Visser needs to be among the top 35 to reserve a starting spot in the first six races of 2006. … Wallace won the previous Busch race at Martinsville in 1994.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
