Denny Hamlin: NASCAR Fantasy Racing Stud at Pocono Raceway

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Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin sports Jimmy Johnson-like Loop Data stats for this week’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.

Whether that means he’ll win again is debatable, but the numbers are compelling. A NASCAR Loop Driver Rating of 100 or above is very strong. Three guys have numbers above 100 for Pocono this week. But Hamlin, with 130.4 is far and away the leader in that stat category.

In fact, Denny leads in seven of the Loop’s 16 Box Score stats. The others are Ave Mid Race Position - 2.6, Ave Position - 5.6, Ave Finish - 2.8, 75.9 percent Quality Passes, 92.6 percent of Laps in the Top 15 and 33. percent of all Laps Led.

In five career races at the Long Pond, PA track Hamlin has two wins, four top fives, five top tens and two poles. Spell Denny’s dominance with capital “D”s.

Can Kurt Busch or Tony Stewart Shake Off Early Struggles?

Second and third best in the Loop are Kurt Busch with 113.4 and Tony Stewart at 102.2 Driver Ratings. Kurt is the top Ave Points per Race gainer at 1094 in seven races. He also leads in Fastest Laps - 208, Laps in the Top 15 - 1074 and Laps Led with 343. He’s a two time winner with seven top fives and eight top tens.

Tony Stewart has one win, five top fives and 13 top tens at Pocono Raceway. He sports a series high 300 Quality Passes and a second best 1032 (78.8 percent) Laps in the Top 15.

Pocono could be the place for either of these guys to start a 2009 run. But I’m not confident. I think Stewart is too distracted. Kurt’s team, though they have a 2009 win, has not looked good most weeks this year.

There are three drivers with DR’s of 97 or better. Ryan Newman - 98.7, Brian Vickers - 97.9 and, who else, Jimmie Johnson - 97.3. Johnson, with two wins, four top fives and eight top tens looks strong again, especially coming off the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard win on the similar Indy track.

Newman has won at Pocono too and has five top fives and six top tens. But the winless Vickers. with four top fives is the Cup driver most likely to get his first ever win soon. Pocono Raceway is the perfect track for him and his Red Bull Toyota.

Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards all have 90 plus Loop Driver Ratings. Gordon is a four time Pocono winner. Martin has 19 top fives and 30 top tens. Edwards is a past winner and Kasey Kahne won here in June.

If this were an IQ test, you might flunk it if you didn’t pick Hamlin. My pick is Vickers. And my dark-horse is his Red Bull Racing Teammate, A J Allmendinger.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW