With a pair of victories and a playoff spot virtually secured, if Brad Keselowski could he’d prefer to hit the fast-forward button and jump to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff.
NASCAR Pocono preview: Uncertainty clouds Axalta 400
Sunday’s NASCAR race is expected to feature circumstances that will separate it from most others.
But the Chase doesn’t begin until mid-September, so until then Keselowski’s focus is on accruing as many victories as possible and using the second half of the regular season, which begins Sunday with the Axalta 400 at Pocono Raceway, to prepare and fine-tune for the final 10 races that will decide the championship.
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“It is a really interesting dynamic to the current format and creates this period of anticipation with acknowledgement that you just have to keep racing,” Keselowski said. “Don’t get me wrong, there are still opportunities to win and we will take advantage of that but I am ready to go run for the championship right now. I am hungry for it.”
The 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion starts on the pole for the 14th race of the season, just nipping teammate Joey Logano in qualifying.
That speed exhibited by Team Penske Fords indicates Keselowski and Logano could further interrupt Toyota’s recent run that’s seen the manufacturer win seven of the past eight races. Keselowski’s May 1 victory at Talladega Superspeedway is the only blemish on Toyota’s otherwise flawless record that began with Kyle Busch winning April 3 at Martinsville Speedway.
But as often is the case involving races at Pocono, the deciding factor in who wins or loses has less to do with outright speed than with strategy.
Measuring 2.5-miles around and resembling an oversized triangle, Pocono is as distinct a speedway as it comes. Its three corners are dissimilar, its front straightaway is measured at 3,740 feet making it the longest of any North American track, and prolonged periods of green flag racing are the norm, which places an emphasis on fuel mileage.
“I feel like we come here when you have wins and it is a little more laid back approach because you don’t have the points race and you know this race always kind of unfolds being either strategy or a race where the restarts dictate who wins,” Keselowski said. Those things come to mind and they are a little more of a crap shoot. It feels a little more like Talladega to me than it does a lot of our other race tracks.”
Martin Truex Jr., last week’s winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is among the many who compares Pocono to a road course. Because of its size and how long it takes to complete a lap (Keselowski’s pole time clocked-in just under 50 seconds), drivers can pit without the fear of falling a lap down. And with how difficult it can be to pass, it’s actually advantageous to pit while the green flag is out as opposed to under caution.
“It’s just different strategy-wise,” Truex said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”
As if there weren’t already enough strategic elements for crew chiefs to concern themselves with, an ominous forecast presents another challenge.
Rain with the potential of severe thunderstorms are expected to roll in late Sunday morning or early afternoon, according to meteorologist and SB Nation contributor Brian Neudorff. That could either delay the start of the Axalta 400, or if it begins on time turn it into a dash to halfway, the mark where an event is deemed official.
Inclement weather has been a hindrance throughout the weekend. On Friday, Sprint Cup practice was cut short following just 10 minutes of track time. Saturday’s Xfinity Series race was halted after 54 of 100 laps were completed due to heavy rain. A complete washout on Sunday would push the Sprint Cup race to Monday.
The elements of strategy, track position and fuel mileage at a distinct venue contribute to a race shrouded in uncertainty.
“We try to be prepared for any way we can see the race falling,” Keselowski said. “If there is a 20 to 30 percent chance to be a fuel mileage race we make sure we are covered there. If it has a good opportunity to be a tire strategy race we make sure we are covered there. We practice for all those scenarios and try to be as prepared as possible.”
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