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For the first time in NASCAR history, this weekend will feature a doubleheader with fans in attendance. Remember, due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year there were three weekends that featured doubleheaders, but none with fans.
Prior to the 2020 season beginning, NASCAR had scheduled its lone doubleheader of the year at Pocono Raceway, where the tour stops at this weekend. By adding a second Cup race in the same weekend, it condenses the NASCAR calendar by one week, while packing a lot of racing into a three-day span (ARCA race on Friday). It's honestly a win-win for everyone.
But Pocono typically features the same drivers up front. Of course, we'll highlight some of those, along with some names that may ring a bell as far as value selections. But let's be honest, Hendrick Motorsports has been untouched for the last seven weeks, so choose wisely.
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Kyle Larson
(DraftKings $12,500 | FanDuel $14,500 | DK SportsBook +215)
Speaking of HMS, look no further than Kyle Larson. The No. 5 team has been on a roll like we haven't seen in quite some time. Sure, Kevin Harvick won nine times a season ago, which included five in a nine-race span during the summer. But Larson has won three straight points-paying races, and add in $1,000,000 for winning the All-Star Race two weeks ago.
On Saturday, Larson will look to become just the ninth driver to win four consecutive races in the modern era and the first since Jimmie Johnson in 2007. And the No. 5 car will start from the pole, meaning there's a good chance he breaks away early and leads some laps.
Larson has finished in the top 10 at Pocono in 50% of his starts (six times). He has a best finish of second, coming in 2018 when Martin Truex Jr. scored the victory. If you want to go with the favorite this weekend, Larson is your guy.
Chase Elliott
(DraftKings $11,000 | FanDuel $11,000 | DK SportsBook +900)
But if you want to go out on a little bit of a limb, you can choose Larson's teammate, Chase Elliott. Because the No. 9 team got disqualified for five loose lug nuts following last week's race at Nashville Superspeedway, Elliott will start deep in the field: 29th.
With the No. 9 team rolling off 29th, of course his price will be bumped up. But at $11,000 apiece on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Elliott's a good choice to center your team around, especially with the way HMS has been running. Prior to Nashville, he had four straight top-three finishes.
Also, Elliott's always ran respectable at Pocono. In his debut at the track, he paced the field for 51 laps and looked to be in prime position for a win until fog entered the equation. On that day he finished fourth, which he has done three times at the Tricky Triangle. His seven top 10s in 10 starts has me sold that he's a good pick to come from the back on Saturday.
Ryan Blaney
(DraftKings $10,200 | FanDuel $10,300 | DK SportsBook +1500)
Admittedly, Pocono will always have a special place in Ryan Blaney's heart. Flashback four years ago, he picked up his first Cup victory at the track, holding off Kevin Harvick.
Since then, though, it's been hit or miss for Blaney in Long Pond, Pa. In the last seven races at Pocono, he's led a total of 32 laps and finished 10th or 12th a combined four times. His best finish came in the spring 2018 race, placing sixth.
As for Blaney's 2021 numbers, he -- and Team Penske -- need a momentum boost. Since winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, the No. 12 team has yet to score a top-five finish and has consistently been a 10th- to 12th-place team. Lining up 27th on Saturday, Blaney's a good value pick for at least the first race.
Denny Hamlin
(DraftKings $9,700 | FanDuel $13,500| DK SportsBook +750)
Speaking of first career wins coming at Pocono, Denny Hamlin's first two Cup victories came at the Tricky Triangle. Since then, he's piled on four more, including winning two of the last three races. His six wins are tied for Jeff Gordon for the most victories at Pocono. Quite simply, Hamlin could probably drive a boat around the Tricky Triangle and still make it fast.
But 2021 has been an odd season for Hamlin. The No. 11 team fired out of the gates strong, in contention to win multiple races, including eight top-five finishes in the opening nine races. But over the last eight event, Hamlin has one such finish, which was rounding out the top five at Darlington Raceway.
An 8.5 average finish is the definition of consistently consistent, but with Larson's hot streak, he's dwindled the regular season championship lead down to 10 points for the No. 11 team. Hamlin needs a strong run this weekend, beginning the 325-mile race from 10th.
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Kevin Harvick
(DraftKings $9,300 | FanDuel $12,000 | DK SportsBook +850)
Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, Kevin Harvick has been the model of consistency at Pocono. In the last 13 races at the Tricky Triangle, the No. 4 team has six top-two finishes. Unfortautently for them, just once have they visited victory lane (first race of last year's doubleheader).
Until last June, Harvick had lost races at Pocono just about any way possible. But he was able to pull through, despite having nine top fives since 2014. He nearly went back-to-back, expect Hamlin was just a tad better in Sunday's race.
What I'm saying is, odds are Harvick is going to be fast this weekend, and could get into the win column for the 2021 season. Pocono has become one of Harvick's best tracks on the circuit, and despite the speed SHR has shown for the majority of this season, last week was a step in the right direction.
The No. 4 Ford will start from third and probably be a player all race long.
Kurt Busch
(DraftKings $8,400 | FanDuel $8,500 | DK SportsBook +5000)
Up until two races ago, I'm not sure I would have suggested Kurt Busch anywhere. And that's even despite him being severely underrated as a racecar driver and Pocono being one of his best tracks on the tour.
But coming off an eighth-place finish at Nashville, Busch has consecutive top-10 finishes, and just 24 points outside the playoffs. And Pocono is a track that the driver can make up for some of the speed.
Busch will start eighth on Saturday, his best starting position since Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early March. For that reason, you might be tempted not to put him in your lineup. However, he is one four current drivers that have multiple victories at the track, with the last coming in 2016. In four starts at Pocono since joining Chip Ganassi Racing, the 2004 Cup champion has a best outing of 11th.
Daniel Suarez
(DraftKings $6,500 | FanDuel $5,800 | DK SportsBook +15000)
Through the opening 17 races of the 2021 season, Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing has been a bit of a surprise. Sure, the team sits just 21st in points, but has shown pleasant speed for a first-year team. The No. 99 crew has three top 10s thus far.
Furthermore, Suarez has been really good at Pocono in the past, though it was driving with powerhouse race teams in Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas. In four starts at the track for JGR, he had two top-10 finishes, including a career best second, losing out to Kyle Busch in 2018 on a late-race restart. His other top 10s are finishes of seventh and eighth, respectively.
Last weekend at Nashville, Suarez had a respectable finish in seventh. Due to that, the No. 99 car will start 14th on Saturday. Expect him to at least break even on the scoreboard come the end of the race, but if you need a driver that has potential, he might be the guy, sitting at $6,500 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel.
Ryan Newman
(DraftKings $5,800 | FanDuel $5,300 | DK SportsBook +20000)
Someone else that's underpriced at Pocono is Ryan Newman. Sure it was nearly two decades ago, but the guy does have a win at the Tricky Triangle (2003).
In 38 career starts at Pocono, Newman has finished outside the top 20 just six times. And since 2005, just three times. So he'll likely finish better than his 19th-place starting position, which he did in both races last year, despite it statistically being the worst year of his career.
Newman is the right guy to round out your lineup this weekend, as he's finished inside the top 10 in 39.5% of his starts at Pocono.
