Can Denny Hamlin avenge last year’s DQ with a victory in Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono? (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
LONG POND, Pa. – Pocono Raceway typically shakes out in unusual fashion especially if Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 plays out as predicted.
For the past two years, finishes have featured as much plot twists the Bosch novel series by Michael Connelly. Just when it seems the likely driver takes the checkered flag, circumstances shake up the outcome.
In 2021, Kyle Larson was a corner away from winning his fourth race in a row during an incredible hot streak. As Larson reached Turn 3, a cut left front tire sent Larson into the wall, dropping him to a ninth place finish while Alex Bowman captured the victory.
Last year, Denny Hamlin had a patented day and was able to even the score with a heated moment against Ross Chastain. However, Hamlin and then-teammate Kyle Busch were disqualified for failing post-race inspection. This time, Chase Elliott was awarded the HighPoint.com 400 victory.
Nearly a year later, Hamlin seeks his second victory of the season but he has some hungry rivals in Elliott, Busch and Larson ready to pounce. Likewise, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr., hopes to sweep the Northeast oval portion of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Anything is possible at the 2.5-mile triangular shaped superspeedway. Of course, drafting is pivotal along with good handling and fuel mileage. Additionally, smart pit strategy may come into play as far as short pitting for a brief but helpful tire advantage.
Once the NASCAR official unfurls the green flag on race day, it is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail in this year’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. For the time being, come along for the ride this and each race weekend with Podium Preview.
This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Jasmine Sharpe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler and yours truly contemplate about the importance of succeeding at New Hampshire for latter season races and who can respond to the bell against Joe Gibbs Racing.
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Question 1
Was this a good long term move for Justin Haley? (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
How pivotal is Justin Haley’s move to Rick Ware Racing in 2024 in terms of his long term NASCAR Cup Series prospects?
Lambeth : We’ll have to take a wait-and-see approach, in regards to Justin Haley’s decision to sign a multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing. This move caught many off guard and left everyone wondering why Haley would leave a team he’s been with since 2019, dating all the way back during his time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Haley found some success with Kaulig in Xfinity, winning several superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega. On the Cup side of things with Kaulig, he put together some good runs, including a highlight runner-up finish on the Chicago Street Course in an epic late-race battle with Shane van Gisbergen.
Looking at the owner standings, Haley’s No. 31 Chevrolet sits 22nd entering Pocono. His teammate AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Chevrolet is a few spots ahead in 20th. Meanwhile, the two full-time RWR entries are 32nd and 34th.
On paper, it seems like Haley is taking a step back in performance. Fielding multiple drivers in each entry this year, we’ve seen RWR show some improvements here and there, especially when you consider their alliance with RFK Racing.
Depending on what the future plans are, we could see the RWR Fords primed to make a jump in the running order and potentially have a key player like Haley to build around for the future. Only time will tell if Haley’s gamble will pay off for his long-term future in the Cup Series.
Tiongson : Justin Haley is absolutely playing longball with his NASCAR Cup Series career. Much like Brad Keselowski setting himself up for a bright career with Team Penske in 2010, Haley may be sacrificing a year or year and a half of potential frontrunning performances to showcase what he can do in a racecar. The mission will be about doing as much as possible with the equipment he has around him.
That said, as Kobe pointed out, Rick Ware Racing will have that connection with RFK Racing, a Ford team that has greatly improved by leaps and bounds. For those who may think that Haley committed a grave error, I think this young racer is smart enough to do the right things for a long lasting career in Cup.
Likewise, Rick Ware Racing has gained a promising young racer who was firmly in place as a feisty but promising Chevrolet talent. As Ford swoops up another Bowtie Brigade racer for the second time in three years, I think Ware and Haley will showcase the best in each other’s abilities as the 2024 season progresses and well into 2025.
Question 2
Can Michael McDowell work his way into the postseason field? (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
The Tricky Triangle tends to be a fuel mileage race. Might we see some bubble drivers get aggressive with their strategy to steal a win and make the Playoffs field?
Sisoler : For some of the guys who are a bit further down the pecking order in terms of making the playoffs, Pocono could prove to be a great track to take a roll of the dice on. We’ve seen shock winners here before when strategy (and weather in the case of Chris Buescher) has paid off in a very handsome way. Not saying weather will play a factor (again), but with the penchant this track has for long green flag runs, if we get one late, I see a couple guys going for the home run to try and leapfrog their way into the playoffs.
Shoppe : I’d expect the guys right at that Playoff bubble to play it pretty safe as far as strategy today in Pocono. Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell and Daniel Suárez are separated by only three points while AJ Allmendinger is only 20 points out. I see those four keeping a close eye on what each other is doing all day and plan accordingly.
Teams well behind on points like Chase Elliott may be at the point now where they have to take a look at some aggressive pit calls to either take a significant chunk out of their deficit to the cut line or roll the dice for a win. Hendrick teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have not shown the speed to consistently point their way in as we had originally thought. If this continues, these heavy hitters may have to get aggressive on strategy to make it in the next few weeks!
Bennink : For those who are four to five spots below the cut line, now is the time to start taking the big chances. For them, it is time to win a race or have nothing to race for at the end of the year. I think it is also a time to make the big swings to come home with a win for several of the drivers below the cut line. It is still a very real possibility that we see a couple new winners in the next six races.
Those two laps around Pocono Raceway! Before we consider more thoughts about the HighPoint.com 400, here is a look back at last Monday’s Crayon 301 points and race results, Round 20 of 36 of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season!
Kobe Lambeth had another winning race day.
Lambeth closes the gap on Sisoler!
Next, here is a look at the top 10 starters for Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway!
Row 1 – William Byron and Martin Truex Jr.
(Photo: Wayne Riegle and Sam Draiss)
Row 2- Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick
(Photo: Wayne Riegle and Sam Draiss)
Row 3 – Christopher Bell and Joey Logano
(Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Row 4 – Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin
(Photo: Sam Draiss and Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Row 5 – Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace
(Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Last but not least, here are our picks for Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway!
This may be a potent quintet for Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono. (Photo: Wayne Riegle and Sam Draiss)
Bennink : It is win or go home time. I believe Alan Gustafson will be aggressive in the way he calls the race for Chase Elliott to get the win they need.
Torres : Denny Hamlin will seek vengeance from last year’s disqualification and he a guy that’ll be tough to beat at Pocono. It’s been some time he’s been a consistent threat for race wins.
Something must change if he’s going to be a true title contender because Joe Gibbs Racing aren’t there except for Martin Truex, Jr. While fourth in the regular season standings, win for Hamlin will come a long way for him to get back on track this season.
Tiongson : Why not? Denny Hamlin is beyond seeking redemption at Pocono Raceway. He wants to tally a critical second win of 2023 to climb up the Playoffs standings and showcase what he can do with his No. 11 team.
Shoppe : After a dominant win last week in New Hampshire, Martin Truex Jr. will go back to back in Pocono. The 19 had great speed in practice and qualifying second, I think he can have another dominating performance today.
Lambeth : When NASCAR comes to the Tricky Triangle, Toyotas always seem to run well here, so I’m going with last year’s second-place finisher, Tyler Reddick, to win and start building some momentum ahead of the postseason!
Sisoler : The Raptor Chevy of William Byron has looked really quick all weekend long, jumping to the pole during Saturday’s qualifying session and running third fastest in practice. The Camaros look quick at Pocono, and I think Byron’s Raptor will be as quick as its namesake to come home out front at the end of Sunday’s 400 miles.
We’re ready for some racing. How about you? What do you think are the biggest storylines heading into the race? Who are your favorites to win? Tweet us now @ThePodiumFinish and tell us now!
Thanks as always to the TPF team for their amazing efforts this week as we celebrate our 15th anniversary of operations!
The opinions and thoughts expressed in Podium Preview are solely of the authors. They do not reflect any organizations affiliated with the participants and author outside of TPF. This weekly feature is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, they are not indicative of TPF, the organization and its staff.
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