Photo Credit: Christian Koelle/OnPItRoad.com
Kyle Busch was able to pass Kevin Harvick with less than 20 laps to go to secure his first victory of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and first at Pocono. Kevin Harvick was able to hold on and finish second with Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top-five. With the victory at Pocono, Charlotte is the sole track on the Cup series schedule at which Busch hasn’t won a points paying race.
Busch and Truex Jr. led the field to green after qualifying earlier Sunday morning. Busch had the stronger run at the beginning, but before the field could come around and take a lap, Matt Kenseth got loose which caused many of the cars mid-pack to slow down. Aric Almirola got into the rear of Michael McDowell where he would sustain major nose damage that would end his day early, not even completing a lap. Matt DiBenedetto would be the only other driver in the crash who would go behind the wall, a week after his eighth place finish.
Again, Busch and Truex Jr. restarted the race with Busch taking the advantage in turn one and never looking back. At lap 19, green flag pit stops began with last weekend’s winner Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, and Kevin Harvick all bringing their cars down for service. Busch brought his car down pit road surrendering the lead to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Daniel Suarez, who both would pit handing the lead to Matt Kenseth. Kenseth remained the sole driver to not pit from the front of the field with Busch and Truex on his tail. That gap would eventually disappear and with nine laps to go, Busch made the pass and would never look back earning his eighth stage victory of the season. Truex was able to pass Kenseth for second after the No. 20 came down pit road earning a second place finish in stage one.
With this, the leaders came down pit road for tires, fuel, and adjustments. Busch beat Harvick off pit road by just a few inches but it wouldn’t matter because Kenseth stayed out after pitting toward the end of stage two.
Kenseth led the field to green to start stage two, making a few blocks on the faster No. 18 of Busch. Busch would manage to pass the No. 20 and take the lead. At lap 58, Johnson and Kahne made contact which resulted in the No. 48 backing it into the outside wall ending his day early, he’d finish 35th. The leaders stayed out under caution while the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion brought a few others down pit road. It was a normal “different” strategy call for Paul Wolfe and his team. Keselowski restarted the race in 19th. On the restart, Kenseth got a push from Truex, but by the exit of turn one Busch would take the lead back with Harvick in tow.
Pieces of a drive shaft flying out of the No. 42 of Kyle Larson put out the caution. Under the caution, Hamlin didn’t keep pace car speed and he would fall back surrendering the lead to Austin Dillon. Dillon would lead the field, but going into turn one, he lost it and went up the track, falling like a bag of wet cement. Busch, showing his power, shot around the No. 2 of Keselowski to take second behind teammate, Hamlin. Busch would get loose in turn one and he began to fall landing in sixth, ultimately losing that spot to Chase Elliott.
Mike Wheeler, crew chief for Hamlin, told Hamlin that he needed to start saving fuel but it wasn’t enough as Truex took the lead from Hamlin. Hamlin brought the car to pit road which would give second place to Bowyer. Bowyer then took the lead from a pitting No. 78, which surprised many people who believed that Truex should have stayed out to gain those important playoff points. Bowyer would go on to win his first stage of the season but would restart 10th after most of the leaders pitted at the end of stage two.
Truex would shoot out to the lead with Hamlin and Busch not far behind. He stretched out the lead with a .44 second gap between him and Hamlin when green flag pit stops began. Harvick would gain the lead and looked to have a flawless stop on pit road while searching for his first victory at Pocono. Busch tapped Harvick up out of the way on lap 145 and passed him for the lead. With fresher tires, Busch was able to build a large, five-second lead and he ultimately crossed the finish line for his first victory of the season.
