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13 stats you need to know for Sunday’s Pocono 400
By Staff Report | Published: May 30, 2019 14
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
NASCAR.com gets you ready for Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 by taking a deep dive into these keys stats for the "Tricky Triangle," courtesy of Racing Insights.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Hendrick Motorsports has gained momentum over the past four races. The organization leads the way in a few key categories during that span, including poles (two), second-place finishes (three), top-five finishes (seven), top-10 finishes (12), laps led (416) and average finish (9.13). Hendrick also holds the longest active streak for having at least one car finish in the top five in those four races, as well.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Hendrick Motorsports also leads the league in Busch Pole Awards for 2019, earning five pole positions so far this season. It's the sixth time in the organization's history with five or more poles in the first 13 races of a season.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Halfway through the regular season, 15 of the 16 drivers currently in playoff position were in the Playoffs last year, with the only swap being William Byron. Austin Dillon currently finds himself on the outside looking in.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Joe Gibbs Racing will look to continue its hot streak on the “Tricky Triangle," as the team's current drivers have won four of the last five poles and the past three races.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Alex Bowman has rocketed up the driver points standings over the past four races. After Richmond, Bowman was in 21st place, but three runner-up results and a seventh-place finish at Charlotte has earned him a 91-point swing up to 10th place.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Kyle Busch has been the most successful Joe Gibbs Racing driver at Pocono recently, winning two of the last four races, while also leading the most laps in three of those events.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Four of the last six Pocono winners have earned their first victory of that season, including Kyle Busch (2017), Ryan Blaney (2017), Chris Buescher (2016) and Kurt Busch (2016).
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
It's not all about being fast at the start of the race at Pocono as seven of the last 10 winners did not lead a lap until after the halfway point.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Only three tracks remain where Kevin Harvick has failed to record a victory over the course of his Monster Energy Series career, including Pocono (Kentucky and the Charlotte Roval are the others). Harvick has racked up the second-most runner-up finishes in history without a win at Pocono, finishing second on four occasions in 36 starts.
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Jerry Markland | Getty Images
If you're hoping Jimmie Johnson finally snaps his winless streak, don't hold your breath this weekend at Pocono. In the last nine events, Johnson has no wins, four DNFs and has only led two circuits. Compare that to the first 25 events, where he drove to three wins, no DNFs and led 738 laps.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
With wins at Richmond, Dover and Charlotte so far this season, Martin Truex Jr.'s win total through the first 13 races in 2019 is the highest of his Monster Energy Series career.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Ryan Blaney continues to be atop the chart for most laps led in 2019 without a win, pacing 359 circuits in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Kevin Harvick is second with 282 laps led.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Chevrolet has failed to find Victory Lane the last five Pocono events, with the last win coming in 2016 with Kurt Busch. The manufacturer has won at every race track on the circuit at least once (sans the Charlotte Roval) since its last Pocono victory.