NASCAR at Pocono 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
Back to the Tricky Triangle of Pocono the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series goes as the summer inches Kyle Busch and others toward the Chase.
Martin Truex Jr. took home the last race at the venue this past June. Since, things have shifted from discussion about his drought despite leading more laps than anyone to Busch's epic comeback story.
Expect nothing short of another competitive affair with things so close on the leaderboard. The Brickyard last week turned out to be a pretty routine affair, but anything with the word "Tricky" in its nickname cannot promise the same.
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Viewing Details
Where: Pocono Raceway
When: Sunday, August 2, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Watch: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 777 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 708 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 677 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 675 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 668 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 638 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 615 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | 612 |
| 9 | Jamie McMurray | 602 |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 591 |
Drivers to Watch
Jimmie Johnson
Sitting in first place is nice, but Jimmie Johnson has on and off-track factors surrounding his season.
Off the track, there is the matter of Johnson's contract. It's been a key focal point over the past few weeks, but he sounds like it's not something to worry about.
"We have been getting things buttoned up with Lowe's, with Hendrick, with Chad and myself, all of that,” Johnson said, per Holly Cain of NASCAR.com. “Like I said, I think last week, I'm home, it's just a formality at this point to get everything kind of finished up and done."
On the track, Johnson finished 22nd in New Hampshire, then followed up last week with a 15th-place finish. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick posted his second consecutive third-place spot, meaning the battle near the top continues to intensify.
Johnson needs to keep fending off those behind him in the win category or things could get dicey down the stretch. He finished third at Pocono in June, so look for him to come out aggressive.
Joey Logano
It's approaching now-or-never time for Joey Logano.
Maybe not quite, but it's starting to feel like it considering the Penske Racing superstar still hasn't won a race since this year's Daytona 500.
Logano sits with 708 points, of course, but the inevitable question will always pop up—when can he get over the proverbial hump? His single win might not look so hot once multi-win drivers have those factored into the Chase.
Even Logano sounds ready to improve despite his impressive recent showings:
Last week, Logano fell victim to Busch and was unable to make the necessary pass late to capture the checkered flag. Losing to Busch isn't such a horrible thing right now all things considered, but it's clear the near-win stings.
Last time at Pocono, Logano finished fourth. This time he enters even hungrier for a win with momentum in hand.
Busch's feel-good story helps to overshadow the fact Jeff Gordon's finale isn't going as many would have hoped.
Last week would have been a great time for Gordon's first win of the season given his history at the Brickyard. Instead he wound up 42nd after falling victim to a little early carnage.
These things happen and Gordon figures to make the Chase based on points, but a win would be a nice landmark of his final season. Even he sounds happy with the idea of his first win coming Sunday, per NASCAR:
Gordon knows a thing or two about the Tricky Triangle. He finished 14th in June but try to keep in mind he owns a record six victories at the track.
It might seem like this gets said every weekend at this point, which is what happens when a legend like Gordon makes his farewell tour, but it still applies—if Gordon is to break through, this weekend seems like an ideal time.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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