Viewer's Guide: Pocono

You would think a place like Pocono Raceway would be tough for a rookie driver to get his head around. After all, it isn't exactly your garden-variety track. What's more, neither the Busch nor the Craftsman Truck Series ever run there.

	Inside the Numbers Carl Edwards at Pocono in 2005, his rookie season in Nextel Cup Race Start Finish Pocono 500 29* 1 Pennsylvania 500 41 4 * -- Edwards' 29th-place start in last year's Pocono 500 was the furthest in the field any driver has come from to win.

Still, Carl Edwards blew that theory out of the water one year ago when he won in his first career start there.

Edwards led 45 of the 201 laps run that day and beat Brian Vickers in a race that ended under caution. Edwards said at the time that he practiced the track on a video game before attacking it for real.

Now, with two races of experience under his belt (he finished fourth in the other race there last year), Edwards is confident big things will happen Sunday in the Pocono 500 (1:30 p.m. Sunday, FOX).

"Pocono is one of my favorite tracks that we visit; I really do enjoy racing there. Last year we won the first time we visited the track and then went back a second time and finished fourth. Pocono has a lot of unique characteristics that make racing there a lot of fun.

"Pocono has three different corners -- I believe they built the corners to mimic three different race tracks. The tunnel turn is pretty interesting; it's like a road-course corner. I have a lot of confidence."

Edwards will also be competing in Saturday's Federated Auto Parts 300 Busch Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, another track Edwards has had plenty of success on. He finished fourth there in 2005 and fifth earlier this season.

However, he missed last season's June event at Nashville when the race was postponed due to rain, forcing Edwards to head back to Pocono for his Nextel Cup commitments.

Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Tony Raines are among the scheduled guests for this week's live edition of Trackside from Pocono. If you're heading there. the SPEED Stage will be behind the media center parking lot.

Looking ahead a bit, SPEED will bring viewers a special edition of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on June 18 at 9 p.m. ET entitled Economaki -- Eyewitness to American Racing History. The one-hour special will be a wide-ranging conversation with Chris Economaki, a motor sports journalist for more than 70 years.

Economaki, the Editor and Publisher Emeritus of National Speed Sport News, began his career at age 13, hawking the publication at tracks in his native New Jersey. The face and voice of American motor sports for more than 33 years with ABC and CBS, Economaki, at age 85, still writes a weekly notebook column for NSSN.

"Economaki is unique because of the duration of his career," Despain said. "No one has covered racing longer ... and touched more people with that coverage. He is a fascinating storyteller. USAC President and CEO Rollie Helmling put it best: 'Everyone who has any interest in racing owes something to Chris Economaki.' "

The ratings news was not good for FOX as it related to the Coca-Cola 600. The race garnered a 5.1 rating, a full point below the 6.1 the race garnered a year ago. However, NASCAR did beat the Indy 500, as that race drew a 5.0.

In this week's "Ask the Producer" question, Chris is Loudon, Texas has a question that a few users have hit us with recently:

	NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg
	E-MAIL •   Send Mark your take or an "Ask the Producer" question

In watching the Charlotte race, I couldn't help but take note every time you went to an in-car camera shot the audio from the car and track was so high the voice of Mike (Joy), Larry (McReynolds) and (Darrell) Waltrip became inaudible. Why is this?

NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg was a bit puzzled by the problem, but offered a possible solution.

"I am not sure why this was," Goldberg said. "We do put the in-car audio up against the announcer's call but it should not bury them. Often it is your individual cable system and how they process the audio. Once the broadcast leaves FOX we have know control over how the different delivery services process the audio.

"We are also delivering 5.1 stereo audio and many people end up finding that their TV and stereo system are not balanced for the live sport stereo sound on auto racing. Sometimes going into your menu and making a few simple adjustment can take care of the problem."

Each week, we'll ask a NASCAR on FOX producer a fan question. Send your inquires to the link on the right.

On to this weekend's busy schedule:

Nextel Cup Series: Pocono 500

Track: Pocono Raceway
• 2.5-mile triangle
• 14-degree banking in Turn 1
• 8-degree banking in Turn 2
• 6 degree-banking in Turn 3
• Frontstretch: 3,740 feet
• Long Pond stretch: 3,055 feet
• Backstretch: 1,780 feet

• Race length: 200 laps/500 miles

TV schedule: (All times ET)
• NASCAR Live: 2:30, 6 p.m. Fri.., SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 3:30 p.m. ET Fri. (tape), SPEED
• Trackside: 7 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Final Practice: 6:30 p.m. Sat. (tape), FX
• NASCAR Raceday: 11 a.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 1:30 p.m. Sun., FOX
• Race: 2:10 p.m. Sun., FOX

2005 FlashbackReview last year's victory by Edwards at Pocono Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

One year ago, Edwards got his second Nextel Cup Series win, beating Brian Vickers to the line in a race that ended under caution.

The most recent checkered flag went to Matt Kenseth, who got his second Cup win of the season Sunday, passing Jamie McMurray with three laps to go for the win.

Keep an eye on Jimmie Johnson. Before Edwards did his victory flip last season, Johnson had two wins in a row at the three-turn track. He certainly has momentum after his improbable sixth-place run last week at Dover.

Busch Series: Federated Auto Parts 300

Track: Nashville Superspeedway
• 1.333-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in turns
• 9-degree banking on frontstretch
• 6-degree banking on backstretch
• Length of frontstretch: 2,494 feet
• Length of backstretch: 2,203 feet

Race length: 225 laps/300 miles

TV schedule: (All times ET)

• Busch Pole Qualifying: 5 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• Race: 7:30 p.m. Sat., FX

2005 FlashbackSee Bowyer get the elusive winner's guitar at Nashville Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

One year ago, Clint Bowyer raced to his first NASCAR Busch Series victory Sunday, beating Kenny Wallace by 2.386 seconds in the rain-delayed Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.

The most recent checkered flag went to Jeff Burton, who beat Edwards to the line on old tires to win last weekend at Dover.

Keep an eye on substitutes. With eight Nextel Cup drivers entered in Saturday's race, substitute drivers will be used since the Cup guys will be shuffling back and forth between Nashville and Pocono.

Hank Parker Jr. will sit in for Carl Edwards, Brandon Miller for defending race winner Clint Bowyer, Justin Labonte for Kyle Busch, Kertus Davis for Denny Hamlin, Randy LaJoie for series leader Kevin Harvick, Kevin Hamlin for Reed Sorenson and Casey Atwood for J.J. Yeley.

Craftsman Truck Series: Sam's Town 400

Track: Texas Motor Speedway
• 1.5-mile oval
• 24-degree banking in turns
• 5-degree banking in dogleg
• 5-degree banking on backstretch
• Length of frontstretch: 2,250 feet
• Length of backstretch: 1,330 feet

Race length: 167 laps/250.5 miles (400 kilometers)

TV schedule (All times ET)

• Race: 9 p.m. Fri., SPEED

2005 FlashbackWatch Jack Sprague reach a career milestone Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

One year ago, Jack Sprague led the final nine laps for his 25th career Craftsman Truck Series victory, but first in more than a year.

The most recent checkered flag went to Mark Martin, who got his third Craftsman Truck win of the season in dominating fashion at Dover.

Keep an eye on David Starr. Despite six top-five finishes at Texas, his home racetrack, Starr has yet to visit Victory Lane at his home racetrack.