Photo Credit: Mike Mercurio
Each day of the week, the column will highlight a division, highlighting five drivers and mentioning things that you should know going into the next week of racing.
As we sit at the halfway point before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, there are nine drivers who have slotted themselves a spot to contend for the championship virtue of a win in the first 13 races thus far this season. That means that there are seven spots remaining for either drivers to snatch up wins and secure them, or rely on those points that they earn each race on the schedule.
With his fourth win of the season at Dover International Speedway, Jimmie Johnson doesn’t have to worry about his points, even if they currently have him sitting fourth in points. He has locked himself up for the Chase, and will start the Chase with 12 bonus points, perhaps more if he can keep the trend going in the weeks moving forward.
There is a chance that he could add to that total this weekend at Pocono Raceway as Johnson has the third best average finish of active drivers on the tricky triangle with 9.9 following three wins and 10 top-fives in 26 starts. Considering that Hendrick Motorsports is starting to sort out the issues that they say have plagued them thus far this season, expect Johnson to be up front all-race long.
If Johnson wants to win, though, he will need to be quicker or have a better strategy than Kevin Harvick as he is always freaky fast, no matter the track that he goes to. He has been solidly consistent thus far, posting nine top-fives and 12 top-10s in the 13 races. It’s no surprise that he has the most points of his competitors, and he is locked in the Chase virtue of two wins already this season.
He also has proven in the past to know his way around Pocono, posting a second place finish there last fall. Expect Harvick to be fast.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. proved to be the fastest driver last year at Pocono, sweeping the pair of events. He won the first event via fuel strategy, and then the second event via pure speed. With a win already in the bank, another victory would just help add some bonus points to his total when the standings re-set for the Chase.
He needs a good run, too, after finding himself multiple laps down at Dover International Speedway as a result of starting at the rear due to a rear gear change, and speeding on pit road. He still managed to finish 14th, though.
Martin Truex Jr. has done everything this year but win a race. He has continued to lead laps and put himself in position, but has continued to fall short of the ultimate goal. No fear, though, as the consistency has given Truex the second most points of his competitors. Therefore, he should be qualified for the Chase virtue of his points.
Still, the New Jersey native wants a win just to have a win of his own and perhaps it could happen this weekend. He posted a ninth place finish last year in the Spring to boot, and finished third in 2010.
While these drivers are secure with their current Chase situations, Kyle Larson is hoping that he can secure his chances this weekend with his first career Sprint Cup Series victory. The sophomore driver currently sits 20th in points, so using points to qualify for the Chase is not an option. If he wants a chance at a championship, he better find that checkered flag. He’s coming off of his first top-five of the season at Dover with a third place finish, and he posted a top-10 at Pocono last year.
Felix Sebastes guaranteed pre-season that both Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray would make the chase. So far, he’s not batting a good average.
