Can Kyle Busch bring a sweet victory home at Pocono for M&M’s? (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
While Pocono Raceway pushes forward with one NASCAR Cup Series date, Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 promises to be a an exciting, competitive race.
The field of 36 each want to conquer the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle,” a truly distinct superspeedway that acts like a road course. For all the talking about shifting and drafting, the Next Gen car may be a wild unknown for these feisty drivers.
With the first turn modeled after Trenton Speedway, drivers will drop from a near maximum top speed of 200 mph before dropping to about 140 mph when making the drive toward the Long Pond Straightaway. Reaching near 180 mph, it’s the sharp path into the infamous second corner or “Tunnel Turn” that’s like Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After getting to a short straightaway, it’s about nailing the third and final turn, a corner similar to The Milwaukee Mile. Over the course of 160 laps, it’s rhythm, patience and smarts at the Long Pond, Pennsylvania track.
Last year, Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch claimed victories at Pocono. Surely, in addition to these two tenacious drivers, don’t look past Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott as early race favorites.
This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Michelle Raynor, Nathan Solomon, Taylor Kitchen and yours truly consider some of the potential candidates for a Sunday victory at Loudon and the possibly tenuous times ahead for Ross Chastain.
Podium Preview: M&Ms Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono
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Question 1
The summer of Tyler Reddick has shaken up the Cup driver and team rosters for 2022 and beyond. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Silly season seems to be in bloom after the announcements of Tyler Reddick to 23XI Racing in 2024 and Ty Dillon’s departure from Petty GMS Racing’s No. 42 entry after this year. What’s one of the potential moves for 2023 and 2024 that has your attention?
Tiongson : Honestly, the big move I am watching closely is Noah Gragson and his Cup seat in the next year or two. Gragson is talented, possesses swagger and embraces his role as an entertainer, although he is a genuinely tenacious, gritty racer. With Tyler Reddick’s surprise announcement serving as the first of many dominoes to fall ahead of 2024, Gragson is likely the next Chevrolet talent in waiting.
Once we know what Kyle Busch’s plans are after this year, it’ll likely set the chain reaction that decides others’ seats, including that of Gragson. He has choices like Petty GMS, Richard Childress Racing and possibly Kaulig Racing if their trophy hunting No. 16 ride becomes a second, sole seated full-time opportunity. As he masters the art of aggression with those heated, on track battles, he’s going to be a terrific staying power in Cup.
Solomon : I think that Noah Gragson’s move to the NASCAR Cup Series is bound to happen soon, and I feel it’ll happen this winter. I believe he will take over the reigns of the 42 car for Petty GMS. He’s had an incredible season in the Xfinity Series and is fresh off a victory at Pocono Raceway. I feel that he’ll be the perfect for that organization and he will win races for them.
Lambeth : Right now, I think the entire NASCAR garage is paying attention to Kyle Busch’s situation. It’s very surprising that Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota and Busch haven’t agreed to a deal yet for next year. However, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s time to panic because sometimes it takes a little while longer than expected for contracts to get figured out. If Busch is not the driver of the No. 18 JGR Toyota Camry in 2023, I think most people would be extremely shocked because many expect Busch to retire at JGR when he retires from the Cup Series.
A possible departure from Gibbs wouldn’t just change Busch’s world in NASCAR’s premier series, but it would also have rippling effects on his Truck Series organization, Kyle Busch Motorsports. This particular teams receives factory backing from Toyota and it’s the perfect place for development drivers to begin working their way up the NASCAR later.
If Busch departs the Toyota racing family, then what will happen to KBM and which team will field TRD’s young prospects? There’s a lot for all players in this situation to figure out within the next several weeks or even months. Stressful times!
Kitchen : All eyes are on where Kyle Busch is going for the 2023 season.
With a deal to stay at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) moving at an alarmingly slow rate, things are not looking promising. Toyota Racing have been very vocal on their intent and determination to keep Kyle Busch, however, I have not felt the same intensity from Joe Gibbs. Plus, there was just news that a potential 2023 partner for Kyle Busch, rumored to be Oracle, fell through in the late stages of negotiation.
This leads me to believe that Kyle Busch is packing his bags and looking for other options.
Kyle Busch has hinted that he has been open to other options and has had discussions with other teams. At the current moment, his two main options are Stewart Haas Racing (SHR), and Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
Personally, anything lower than JGR is a major loss in my opinion. However, if I were Kyle Busch and I knew I needed to find a new home for 2023, I would hope I landed at SHR. However, Aric Almirola has been rumored to push his retirement off by another year!
Regardless, I do not see Kyle Busch moving to RCR but that appears to be his only other option.
Question 2
How will Pocono, a superspeedway that acts like a road course, behave on Sunday for Ty Dillon and company? (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
We’ve seen how shifting has changed the dynamics of racing at road courses and flat tracks. With Pocono being a hybrid between road course, superspeedway and flat track racing, how much will shifting impact the racing for Sunday’s Cup race?
Shoppe : Shifting has changed the game in 2022 with the Next Gen car! We’ve seen how a driver can make a mistake and just down shift to overcome the momentum loss. Instead of a rarity in oval racing, shifting is now a way out of being passed. It could affect the passes we see Sunday and that is how the shifting will be a story at Pocono.
Sisoler : It’s going to be a big deal now, whether it saves a driver a position after an error or be a mistake that could cost a driver positions. I don’t think it’s gonna cause anyone to blow a gearbox like what happened to Denny Hamlin earlier this season, but I could see a mistake shifting causing a wreck somewhere.
Raynor : Shifting is going to be a huge factor in the race Sunday. If you don’t shift at the right time, it could cost a driver a few spots. It’s going to be all about the timing of the shifting. The straightaways are so long that the driver wants to set up the corners. I definitely could see a few drivers having issues with missing a shift.
Sharpe : It’s not so much how you shift with Pocono, but where on the track you shift. Turn 2 has a quirk to it; a bump in the pavement that can really upset this already sensitive car. I noticed during practice and qualifying most were shifting before hitting the bump, but I could see in cases of an already difficult handling car where the timing for such a thing could get messed up.
This track is known as “The Tricky Triangle” for a reason. It would not shock me if someone has shifting issues this weekend.
Two laps around Pocono Raceway isn’t for the faint of heart. Now that we got our “Tricky Triangle” laps in the book, let’s rewind to last Sunday’s Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire, round 20 of the NASCAR Cup Series season!
Solomon is a Loudon winnah.
This points lead battle is closer than the AL East standings.
For various races this year, we’ll let the drivers explain a lap around the racetrack. Here’s the inaugural edition of Around the Track with Nathan Solomon contributing on site from Pocono Raceway!
Alex Bowman offers his thoughts about Pocono. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Alex Bowman
“I think our car is decent, but we didn’t qualify very well so we’ll probably run around where we qualified with how passing has been anywhere that we shift. But, we have a really good pit crew and Greg (Ives, crew chief) is really good at strategy. So, hopefully, we can get up through there and be decent.”
Aric Almirola
“The track is quite a bit different. Probably 25 degrees hotter here than at the tire test. Obviously, there was no resin at the tire test, so they’ve sprayed that down. And I think the tire is a little bit different than what we had here at the tire test. So, quite a bit different from what we had at the tire test, and honestly, a lot of our notes didn’t really transfer over.”
Michael McDowell
“You miss just a little bit here and it costs you a lot of time. The straightaways are long… Bumps weren’t quite as bad as I thought they were going to be.”
Austin Dillon
“I thought it was a better practice for us. We made some changes this week, kind of like philosophy and stuff, and I thought we were much closer than we’ve been the last couple of weeks. Bummer to be on, like, the back half of the tenth that got us out. But, I know where it was. I had to lift just a little bit out of Turn 2 and that’s where it is. It’s so tight right now. If I don’t have that little lift, I probably make the next round [of qualifying].”
Now, let’s get a look at the top 10 starters for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono!
Row 1
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Row 2
Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Row 3
Chris Buescher and Ryan Blaney (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
Row 4
Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. (Photo: Luis Torres and Sam Draiss)
Row 5
Daniel Suárez and Kurt Busch (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Lastly, here’s our picks for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono!
One of these fantastic five may be a winner today at Pocono Raceway. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images)
Sharpe : Erik Jones, the Michigan native, was on top of the speed charts during practice. Petty GMS have done an excellent job this season with improving their stats overall. Keep an eye out for the 43 as it appears to have the speed and consistency that snags wins.
Kitchen : Kyle Busch has won four of the last 10 races at Pocono Raceway. Not to mention, his impressive comeback during the 2021 Pocono doubleheader that left fans in complete shock!
Solomon : Kyle Busch has always been strong at Pocono. He won one of the Pocono races last year and he has M&M’s on the car for the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400. Therefore, it would only make sense for Busch to win at Pocono.
Though this has not been his best year, I think he will rally and take home his second win of the season this weekend.
Raynor : Denny Hamlin is the king of this track.
Sisoler : Pocono is “The Tricky Triangle” for a reason, but if someone seems to like it when NASCAR gets tricky, it’s the pole sitter for Sunday’s race, Mr. Denny Hamlin. The co-owner of 23XI Racing has the most active wins of any Cup Series driver, having gone to victory lane six times at Pocono, which means Denny has got as good a shot as any to make it seven trips to victory lane come the end of the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 on Sunday.
Shoppe : The Dawsonville Pool Hall will be ringing the siren on Sunday with Chase Elliott winning at “The Tricky Triangle!” With Elliott’s momentum, with his worst finish in the four weeks being second twice over, he is standing out as the favorite at this point in the year!
Lambeth : Chase Elliott might be riding a hot streak right now, but last year’s champion will remind everyone not to forget about him. So don’t be shocked if Kyle Larson visits victory lane at Pocono Raceway!
Tiongson : Kyle Larson has a quiet but earnest sense of confidence coming into Sunday’s race. While he has not been top of mind, top of sight at times in 2022, he’s a driver you can’t dismiss at Pocono.
Considering how he was a lap away from a win in the first race and took a second in the second race, look for Larson to welcome Cliff Daniels back with a victory.
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! While we progress toward a new kind of normal, please do your part to curb the impacts of the pandemic by washing your hands and getting your COVID-19 vaccine or booster.
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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