Time on pit road can be critical for Pocono spots (cont'd)

"We ran second most of the day, third, led some of it, and then didn't have good enough fuel mileage to make it to the end, so we had to make an extra stop," Biffle said. "We finished 11th still, but we had to make an extra pit stop and give up that precious track position. So we've been working hard on mileage. There's nothing you can do if your car doesn't get the fuel mileage it needs."

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Because Pocono's three corners are different, in both radius and banking, and the track is bumpy and rough, teams have to use a compromise setup, hoping to strike a balance that makes the car driveable.

"Turn 1 [is tough] because of how rough it is and the bumps that are in the lower section of the race track," Kurt Busch said. "[Turns] 2 and 3 seem to be a bit more similar to each other, but Turn 1 is surrounded by the two longest straightaways. It's really a unique challenge to try and find the right combination."

Even though most Pocono races wind up having at least one long green-flag run, Busch suggests having a car that turns well in Turn 1 could be the key.

"With double-file restarts, I feel that Turn 1 is a little bit more important now because that can help you get a run down the Long Pond straightaway to try and gain more positions when everyone is bunched up together," Busch said. "It's not necessarily working on the long run any more. You have to have that short run balance as well with double-file restarts."

But in order to be in a position to take advantage of double-file restarts, you can't give away positions on pit road. That's where Edwards is somewhat helpless.

"I know there have been a number of races earlier in the year where I feel like we lost a lot of ground on pit stops, and I'm really proud of my guys for working on it," Edwards said. "But during those pit stops, when that jack's sitting up there, and you're just waiting for it to drop, those are the longest few seconds of my life.

"... That's what makes this a real team sport on race day. Those guys are just as much of a part of your success or your failure than the driver or the crew chief, and they've got a big responsibility."