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Sprint Cup Preview: Pocono

AP Photo

Kasey Kahne celebrates winning the season's first race at Pocono two months ago.

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The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

Kasey Kahne won the season's first race at Pocono two months ago. That was his second victory in three weeks, and it was followed by a second at Michigan, but Kahne has been fairly quiet since then. Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon are other recent winners at Pocono. Tribune motor sports writer Tony Fabrizio takes a look at what's topical this weekend:

Is Ryan Newman headed to Stewart-Haas Racing to team with driver/owner Tony Stewart next year?

It appears that way, but nothing is finalized.

ESPN.com reported this week that Newman, who recently announced he isn't returning to Penske Racing, has reached a verbal agreement to drive Stewart's No. 4 Chevy next year. The story said the deal could take a month to complete. This year's Daytona 500 winner has been considered the favorite for the second Stewart-Haas ride since Stewart announced he has acquired 50 percent ownership of Haas CNC Racing three weeks ago.

What's this about Jimmie Johnson driving for Randy Moss in a Craftsman Truck Series race?

Moss, the New England Patriots' All-Pro receiver, acquired a 50 percent stake in Morgan Dollar Motorsports four weeks ago, and the team was renamed Randy Moss Motorsports. Johnson has agreed to drive Moss' No. 81 Chevy at Bristol on Aug. 20. The two-time defending Sprint Cup champion has never competed in the truck series, but his brother, Jarit, made two truck starts in 2005.

Kyle Busch hasn't won in, well, two weeks. Will he return to fop form at Pocono?

The points leader hasn't been anything special this year on flatter tracks. Pocono, with three distinctly different corners, fits into that category. Busch had a terrible Pocono race in June, crashing in practice and in the race, and finishing last while also competing in the truck series race at Fort Worth and the Nationwide race at Nashville on the same weekend. Although the oddsmakers list Busch as the favorite Sunday, his teammate Hamlin and last week's winner, Johnson, are more logical picks.

There are only six races left before the cutoff for the Chase. Who's looking good and who's nervous?

Busch is a virtual lock with a 253-point lead over second place and 644 points ahead of 13th place. In fact, he can get ultra-aggressive the next few weeks and go for more of the 10-point bonuses drivers get for each win going into the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Johnson, Carl Edwards and Gordon all are in good shape. After that, only 110 points separate seventh-place Greg Biffle from 13th-place Kevin Harvick. And below Harvick, David Ragan, Brian Vickers and Newman are still in the mix.

Will Goodyear have enough tires for Pocono?

Yes. None of the 800 tires earmarked for Pocono that were transported to Indianapolis last weekend to supply an emergency reserve were used. Goodyear is eager to put last week's nightmare at Indy in the past as quickly as possible. Figure that its tires will last more than 10 to 12 laps they were good for at Indy this weekend.

Keeping Up With The Locals

Zephyrhills' David Reutimann will do an international commute, shuttling between the Sprint Cup race at Pocono and the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Clint Bowyer, Edwards and Ragan will do the commute as well.

"Traveling back and forth is the easy part," Reutimann said. "The track at Montreal is a very tough, trick, technical road course."

Reutimann has positioned himself comfortably in the top 35 in the Sprint Cup owners standings, but he hasn't had a top-25 finish in 10 consecutive races. He finished 36th at Pocono in June.

In the Nationwide Series, he is fourth in the standings with one pole, no wins and seven top-five finishes.

Veteran road racer Chris Cook will practice and qualify Reutimann's No. 99 Toyota at Montreal.

Tony Fabrizio

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