FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Top Drivers Talk Pocono

The top five drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week; Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch discuss the 2.5-mile tri-oval "tricky track" at Pocono, PA.

The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway commences this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN.

This fast series includes comments by three of NASCAR’s most popular drivers—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne.

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motor-sports topics compiled and condensed by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. 

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

"Pocono is a fun track to race on,” Harvick said. “The last few years, it's come down to strategy and we've been solid. It's a fun track, and it's really rough in turn one on the bottom. A lot of times you run through the middle. Usually, when my car is running good, I can run anywhere I want through turn one. The tunnel turn is a really fast corner that you run right at the bottom. It's got a really big curb that you really don't want to hit at all because it jumps you up in the air. It's a challenging race track, and it has three totally different turns."

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Chevrolet)

"This is a challenging track because it has three unique corners," said Gordon. "The tunnel turn (turn 2) is a short, but really fast corner, and it's a thrill to go through there when you hit it right. "But when you mess up the corner, it really kills your momentum.

"Our positioning gives us some flexibility in the upcoming races. If we want to gamble in an attempt to get the 10 bonus points (for a win entering the Chase), we can do that knowing we won't fall too far down the standings. The first priority, though, is securing that Chase spot and trying to carry some momentum into the final 10 races."

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota)

“I’d like to be part of the names that win in all three top series,” Hamlin said. “I think Pocono is a good opportunity to maybe get that done.”

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Chevrolet)

“Pocono - it's a triangle,” Johnson said. “It's bumpy and rough and different and awkward. So I think Pocono is its own animal."

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Dodge)

"The bottom line is that we're heading back to Pocono knowing that we could be in trouble this time around if we don't have a stronger package," said Busch. "We know that we need to be good instead of lucky there this weekend, and we're definitely looking for a stronger all-around performance."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Chevrolet)

“The straight-aways are so long, you need to get all of the speed down them that you can so your car can come off of turn three as fast as possible," Earnhardt said. "I’ve always liked the uniqueness of the three different corners and the challenge that it presents to the teams to set up your car to be fast at each of the different ends.”

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Chevrolet)

“Turn one is probably the easiest of the three – you drive it in kind of deep and then try to float the car through the corner,” Stewart said. “You go down the backstretch and into the tunnel turn and it’s basically one lane. It’s flat and very line-sensitive. You’ve got to make sure you’re right on your marks every lap when you go through there. 

“Then you’ve got a short chute into turn three. It’s a big, long corner and it too is very line-sensitive. Add the fact that we’ve got a straightaway that’s three-quarters of a mile long after that, and it’s very important that you get through the last corner well. You need to come off the corner quickly so that you’re not bogged down when you start down that long straightaway.

“Each corner has its challenges, and each one tends to present a different set of circumstances with each lap you make.”

Kasey Kahne (No.9 Ford)

“The straight-aways are so long, you need to get all of the speed down them that you can so your car can come off of turn three as fast as possible,” Kahne said. “I’ve always liked the uniqueness of the three different corners and the challenge that it presents to the teams to set up your car to be fast at each of the different ends.”

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com.