The Truck Series, Xfinity Series and the Cup Series will all compete at Pocono Raceway this weekend. This will be the third race for the Cup Series at the “Tricky Triangle” in the Gen-7 car. Chase Elliott won the race in 2022 and he did not even lead a lap. Denny Hamlin led the most laps, but his car was disqualified after the race and that gave the trophy to NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver. Hamlin came back last year and went to Victory Lane again at Pocono. Will the No. 11 car dominate this weekend at Pocono? It will be fun to see how the race shakes out. The Great American Gateway 400 can be seen Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA.
STRATEGY FOR POCONO
I am not too worried about using my top drivers from Group A at Pocono. There is enough talent in Group A to get us through the season with good picks for every race. There will be a lot of people in your league who will try and save allocations in Group B. I am just playing the best drivers possible, because you never know when a driver is going to go into a slump or possibly miss races do it injuries (unfortunately, it happens it today’s NASCAR). I have the allocations for each driver mapped out for the rest of the season, so I am not going to use a driver with a plan to get through another race without him. Group C is a total crap shoot this week. Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, Todd Gilliland and Carson Hocevar are all decent options for your lineup.
DRIVER GROUP GAME PICKS FOR POCONO
GROUP A DRIVERS
DENNY HAMLIN (5): Hamlin took the checkered flag in both races in the Gen-7 car at Pocono, but he is only credited with one win. The No. 11 car failed post-race inspection in 2022, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t good in both races. Hamlin won three of the last seven races at Pocono (four of seven without the DQ). He is just too good at this track to fade. I will use another allocation with Hamlin Sunday.
KYLE LARSON (4): I am quickly running out of allocations with the No. 5 car, but I have the drivers in Group A paired with their best tracks. I will use Larson if I have to Sunday and still be OK in the other races. The plan is to use Larson for qualifying points and Denny Hamlin in the race. Larson has qualified in the top-four in three of the last four races at the Tricky Triangle. Larson also has the best average green flag speed in the two races at Pocono in the Gen-7 car. Larson and Hamlin have been racing each other for the lead a lot this year. It should happen again Sunday.
OTHER PICK: CHASE ELLIOTT (7): We typically do not see drivers win a race without leading a lap, but that is what happened to Elliott in 2022. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch had their cars fail post-race inspection and Elliott was credited with the win. He has been good at Pocono and he has been the most consistent driver on the high speeds tracks using the intermediate aero package. Elliott is a safe pick if you do not want to risk using another allocation with Kyle Larson.
GROUP A RANKINGS: 1. DENNY HAMLIN, 2. KYLE LARSON, 3. CHASE ELLIOTT, 4.CHRISTOPHER BELL, 5. MARTIN TRUEX JR., 6. WILLIAM BYRON, 7. RYAN BLANEY, 8. KYLE BUSCH
GROUP B DRIVERS
TY GIBBS (3): I am running low with my allocations with the No. 54 car, but Pocono has been a good track for Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs qualified 11th, finished seventh in Stage 2, led four laps and finished fifth at Pocono last year. The closest track to Pocono on the schedule so far this year is Charlotte, since it is the flattest of the high-speed intermediate tracks. Gibbs led 74 laps and finished sixth at Charlotte. He should be fast again Sunday.
BUBBA WALLACE (8): There are a group of tracks where Wallace is good at. Pocono is one of them. His average finishing position in his last three races at Pocono is eighth and Wallace has led laps in two of those three races. The No. 23 car has also been good this year on the flatter, high-speed intermediate tracks. Wallace finished seventh at Texas and 11th at Charlotte. Wallace has a good chance to finish in the top-10 at Pocono.
BRAD KESELOWSKI (2): This pick was tough. I want to take a chance with Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace. I also want to have Tyler Reddick in the lineup for qualifying points only. That means I need a safe driver who I can use if Gibbs or Wallace have problems Saturday in practice or qualifying. I decided to use Keselowski. He finished second at Texas and second at Charlotte. He has been the best driver in the Cup Series on the flatter, high-speed intermediate tracks. Keselowski also has an average finishing position of ninth in his last eight races at Pocono. I expect another top-10 finish from the No. 6 car this weekend.
TYLER REDDICK (3): Reddick is the best choice in Group B this week. He has finished second in both races at Pocono in the Gen-7 car. I would love to use Reddick Sunday, but I only have three allocations left with the No. 45 car and I have other tracks where I want to use Reddick. I will have Reddick in my lineup for bonus points for qualifying and as a backup plan for Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski. I hope I do not have to use Reddick, but I will if he dominates practice and qualifying.
OTHER PICK: ALEX BOWMN (7): Do you believe in momentum? If so, Bowman is your guy. He just won the race on the streets in Chicago and now he gets to compete at a track where he won at in 2021. It was tough to decide between Brad Keselowski and Bowman this week, but I went with Keselowski since he has the best average finishing position in the intermediate aero package this year. Bowman is a good pick if you want to save an allocation with Keselowski or Tyler Reddick.
GROUP B RANKINGS: 1. TYLER REDDICK, 2. TY GIBBS, 3. BUBBA WALLCE, 4. BRAD KESELOWSKI, 5. ALEX BOWAMN, 6. ROSS CHASTAIN, 7. JOEY LOGANO, 8. JOSH BERRY, 9. CHRIS BUESCHER, 10. MICHAEL MCDOWELL
GROUP C DRIVERS
CHASE BRISCOE (3): Briscoe has been hit or miss at Pocono, but the choices in Group C this week are not very good. Briscoe started 13th and finished 15th at Pocono in the Gen-7 car in 2022, so he does have the talent to run well at the Tricky Triangle. Briscoe also finished sixth on the flatter, intermediate track this year, so he could have some speed this weekend. I will have Briscoe in the lineup and if he looks good on Saturday, I will play him on Sunday.
NOAH GRAGSON (5): Gragson only has one race at Pocono in the Cup Series on his resume. He started 32nd and finished 22nd while driving for Legacy Motor Club in 2022. His Stewart-Haas Racing Ford should have more speed this weekend. Gragson won the Xfinity Series race at Pocono in 2022. The No. 10 car ran well at the Tricky Triangle with Aric Almirola behind the wheel. I expect Gragson to run well at Pocono too.
OTHER PICK: AJ ALLMENDINGER (7): Allmendinger will be back in the No. 16 car for Kaulig Racing this week. He has competed in eight Cup Series races this year. His average starting position is 17.4 and his average finishing position is 22nd. Pocono is a good track for Allmendinger. He started 16th and finished 17th at Pocono last year. Allmendinger is a good driver to use if you do not want to invest too much into Stewart-Haas Racing this weekend.
GROUP C RANKINGS: 1. CHASE BRISCOE, 2. NOAH GRAGSON, 3. AJ ALLMENDINGER, 4. TODD GILLILAND, 5. CARSON HOCEVAR
* Be sure to check back Sunday morning for my starting lineup.
TRUCK SERIES PICKS
XFINITY SERIES PICKS
* I would love to use Sheldon Creed, but I need to save him for the playoffs when the Cup Series drivers are not allowed to race. Ryan Sieg is driving a Stewart-Haas Racing car this week.
Good Luck This Weekend!
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