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Denny Hamlin has never finished worse than sixth at Pocono, including two victories.By the Numbers: Pocono
Hamlin 4-for-5 in top-fives at the 2.5-mile triangular track
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Three weeks ago he was sweating. This week he's breathing again. A third-place finish will do that for Denny Hamlin, especially with Pocono Raceway on the horizon.
Following a 40th-place finish at Chicagoland and a drop to 12th in the standings, Hamlin was clutching to a Chase berth with his fingers. But then there was an off-week. Then there was Indianapolis, where Hamlin has always been strong and backed it up with a top-five on the flat track despite the tire woes that chewed up nearly everyone else.
And now, there's Pocono.
Numbers simply tell the story of Hamlin and his crush on the 2.5-mile triangular-shaped speedway. Three different straightaways. Three different corners. And for Hamlin, he's looking to make it three victories.
He swept both races there as a rookie in 2006 under the guidance of crew chief Mike Ford, who won with Bill Elliott at the track in 2002. That apparently carried over to Hamlin's team.
Hamlin's finishes at Pocono: first, first, sixth, third, third.
3Drivers with both an average start and average finish of 10th or better at Pocono: Denny Hamlin (5.2, 2.8), Jimmie Johnson (7.8, 10.3) and Mark Martin (8.8, 10.7).
The driver of the No. 11 Toyota is unparalleled when it comes to active wheelmen in that short of a timeframe. His success at the track perhaps mostly mirrors that of Tim Richmond, although Richmond has nearly three times the number of starts there.
Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be Hamlin's sixth start at Pocono and 100th of his Cup career.
• 1on1: Hamlin speaks on tires, Pocono and his NBA potential
Pocono Prowess
Drivers with more than one start
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 300 | 5.2 | 2.8 |
| Davey Allison | 13 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 182 | 12.9 | 9.8 |
| Tim Richmond | 14 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 310 | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| Skip Manning | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 | 10.0 |
| Jeff Gordon | 31 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 870 | 11.6 | 10.3 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 334 | 7.8 | 10.3 |
| Mark Martin | 43 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 377 | 8.8 | 10.7 |
Back in Time
June 10, 1984Cale Yarborough wins the Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500, one of his three victories in just 16 starts that season. David Pearson earned the pole, but he did not start the race.
10 Key Facts
1Finish better than 20th in the last four Pocono races for Kasey Kahne, which happened to be his victory in the June race. It was one of three top-10 finishes in nine starts at the track.
2Top-10 finishes for Kyle Busch in seven Pocono starts. He was fourth in his inaugural race at the track in 2005 and eighth in the 2007 June race. Busch finished 43rd at the track earlier this year.
2.8Average finish for Denny Hamlin in five career starts at Pocono, the best among all drivers.
6Season sweeps have occurred at Pocono, including two in the last four seasons: Jimmie Johnson (2004) and Denny Hamlin (2006).
11.8Average running position for Brian Vickers in his last seven Pocono starts, second-best in the Cup Series. Vickers finished second in the June race.
23.8Average finish for Clint Bowyer in five Pocono starts, the worst among drivers ranked in the top 12 in points. Bowyer is in 12th, just two points ahead of 13th-place Kevin Harvick.
53Career starts at Pocono for Terry Labonte, the most among drivers entered in the race and second overall behind Ricky Rudd's 55. Kyle Petty ranks third on the list with 50 starts but is not entered this weekend.
88Laps led at Pocono by Bobby Labonte, who has three victories at the track. Dale Jarrett also had three victories there but led 524 laps.
377Laps led by Mark Martin in 43 starts at Pocono, the most by a driver without a victory there. Martin has finished second six times at the track, most recently in 2004 to Jimmie Johnson.
1,509Points scored by Kurt Busch in the last 10 races at Pocono, 103 more than second-place Jimmie Johnson. Busch has two victories and two second-place finishes in the last six Pocono races.
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Pocono Raceway
Active drivers, based on victories
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Elliott | 47 | 5 | 14 | 22 |
| Jeff Gordon | 31 | 4 | 15 | 21 |
| Bobby Labonte | 31 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Terry Labonte | 53 | 2 | 7 | 21 |
| Kurt Busch | 15 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Kasey Kahne | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Carl Edwards | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tony Stewart | 19 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| Ryan Newman | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Note: Includes only drivers on entry list
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 5.2 | 2.8 |
| Jeff Gordon | 31 | 11.6 | 10.3 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 7.8 | 10.3 |
| Mark Martin | 43 | 8.8 | 10.7 |
| Brian Vickers | 9 | 8.8 | 13.0 |
Cup Series News
- Hendrick indicates deal in the works to secure Knaus
- Wingo named crew chief for Ragan, No. 6 team
- Hendrick turning attention to getting Junior on track
- NASCAR files motion to keep France docs private
- Victory has Hamlin ready to fight for Cup title in 2010
- Martin can't mount charge needed to push Johnson
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