Saturday, August 6, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR
Pocono Raceway Good Sam RV Insurance 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
KEYS FOR SUCCESS: Good Sam RV Insurance 500
LONG POND, Pa. (Saturday, August 6, 2011) – Each race weekend, selected Dodge Motorsports engineers, Penske Racing engineers and crew chiefs, drivers or engine specialists give their insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week, Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering, provides the keys for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.
Track: Pocono Raceway (Race 21 of 36 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
Race: Good Sam RV Insurance 500 (200 / 500)
Trivia Question: Only one driver has been in the top 10 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings all 20 races this year. Who is that driver? (Answer Below)
HOWARD COMSTOCK (Dodge Motorsports Engineering)
Fuel Economy: “It’s Pocono; you have to figure fuel economy is a key. In recent years, we’ve seen fuel economy play a big part in the strategy and the outcome of the race. (The fuel window for Sunday’s race – approximately 30 laps)
Driveline Durability: “We saw some driveline failures during the June race by some of the top teams. That’s put everyone on alert that going back to shifting this year at Pocono has made a big difference on the driveline and also on the driver.
Driver Fatigue: “When we raced here without shifting, the long straights provided the driver time to relax a little, catch his breath, and get through the corner and onto the next straightaway. Now, with up-shifting and down-shifting, it has added another element. When the drivers got out of their cars after this race in June, they were worn out. Driver conditioning, the temperature of the day, there’s lots of factors that are going to play into whether you are successful or not.
Tires: “We haven’t seen an issue with tires here in a long time. That ends up pushing the fuel economy to the forefront. With tires not an issue, teams stretch the run until they need fuel. That’s when you run into trouble at this place, two-and-a-half-miles, you can’t run out (of fuel), you just can’t run out.”
Trivia Question Answer: Kurt Busch, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T
