POCONO RACEWAY (2.5-MILE TRIANGLE)
LOCATION: LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 14 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 1 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 7 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 35 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
8th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finish
5 top-10 finishes
38 laps led
Career
409 starts
17 wins
26 pole positions
85 top-five finishes
151 top-10 finishes
4,579 laps led
Pocono Career
22 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
5 top-five finish
8 top-10 finishes
217 laps led
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kasey Kahne currently ranks fourth in laps in the top 15 (3,481), fourth in fastest speed in traffic (8.615 average rank), fifth in fastest drivers late in a run (7.636 average rank), sixth in green-flag speed (7.636 average rank), seventh in fastest drivers on restarts (11.308 average rank), seventh in fastest drivers early in a run (8.545 average rank), eighth in driver rating (94.8), eighth in quality passes (955), eighth in average running position (11.817) and 10th in fastest laps run (154).
TWO-TIME POCONO WINNER: In August 2013 at Pocono, Kahne started from the 18th position and led 66 laps en route to his second career victory at “The Tricky Triangle.” Kahne also won there in June 2008 after starting from the pole position and leading a total of 69 laps. In his Cup career at Pocono, the driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS has completed 98.4 percent of laps attempted and has led 217 laps at the 2.5-mile track.
POCONO LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data in the last 20 races at Pocono, Kahne is third in fastest laps run (306), fourth in speed in traffic (161.174 mph), fifth in fastest drivers late in a run (161.628 mph), fifth in laps led (213), sixth in green-flag passes (1,643), sixth in green-flag speed (162.436 mph), seventh in fastest drivers early in a run (163.797 mph), seventh in quality passes (804) and 10th in average driver rating (92.1).
POCONO CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Sunday’s race at Pocono. Most notably in 2014, Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving the chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and raced it at Pocono in August, where he started 12th and finished 10th. In 2015, Kahne drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, where he ran inside the top three for the majority of the race. However, he was involved in a late-race incident when a competitor sent him toward the wall on a restart. He ultimately finished 17th. Most recently, Kahne drove the chassis at Kansas Speedway, where he qualified second.
SPEEDWAY STATS: In 120 starts on tracks two miles or longer, Kahne has posted 25 top-five finishes and 47 top-10s. In addition, he has collected four of his 17 career Cup wins and six of his 26 pole positions at those tracks. Kahne has won at both of the Cup circuit’s two-mile tracks, finding Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway and the Fontana, California, oval in 2006.
FARMERS INSURANCE / FARMERS RACING ART SERIES: Farmers Insurance will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Pocono, and will be the primary sponsor on the car for five more Sprint Cup Series races this year: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26), Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 16), Darlington Raceway (Sept. 6), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 27) and Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 8). This year, Farmers has partnered with Paseo Academy High School in Kansas City, Missouri, to create a series of racing-related autograph cards and posters that are being designed by the school’s art students. Farmers is making a donation to the school’s art program. Through ThankAmericasTeachers.com, Farmers has been committed to recognizing teachers and providing resources for educational initiatives throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/FarmersRacing.
THE DRIVE: Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson and Kahne selected the Strong Against Cancer initiative to be the beneficiary of The DRIVE, a private charity concert, auction and celebrity-amateur golf event scheduled for June 29-30 in Cle Elum, Washington, at the Suncadia Resort. Fans are encouraged to join Wilson and Kahne to support Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Strong Against Cancer initiative. To donate, please visit . Together, with help from fans, they will raise awareness and valuable funds for research that supports immunotherapy — a medical treatment that harnesses the power of a child’s immune cells to fight cancer. For more information on The DRIVE, please visit http://kaseykahnefoundation.org/.
No. 24 Axalta/Penn State Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
9th in standings
13 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
161 laps led
Career
774 starts
92 wins
80 pole positions
322 top-five finishes
462 top-10 finishes
24,825 laps led
Pocono Career
44 starts
6 wins
2 pole positions
19 top-five finishes
31 top-10 finishes
1,037 laps led
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta/Penn State Chevrolet SS, is scheduled to visit the Pocono Raceway media center at 2:30 p.m. local time Friday.
TOP-10 AT DOVER: Jeff Gordon finished 10th at Dover – his eighth top-10 finish of 2015 – to remain ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.
GORDON LIVE!: On Thursday, June 4, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta/Penn State Chevrolet SS is scheduled to appear on “LIVE! with Kelly and Michael.” Check local listings for time and channel.
FIRST AT POCONO: Gordon holds the record for most wins at “The Tricky Triangle” with six. The 43-year-old driver leads active drivers in top-five finishes and top 10s.
UP FRONT AT POCONO: The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has led 1,037 laps at Pocono Raceway during his 23-year career. That ranks Gordon first on the all-time list at the 2.5-mile track, 227 more than second.
AXALTA, POCONO, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND PENN STATE: Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings, and Pocono Raceway will host 100 Penn State University business and engineering students June 6-7 during the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 race weekend. As part of the program designed to drive awareness and support for STEM and business education, the weekend includes special learning opportunities featuring Axalta, Pocono Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR executives along with Gordon and the No. 24 team.
POCONO CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-914 for Sunday’s race. The chassis has been raced three times – twice in 2015 at Kansas and Atlanta and once in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At Kansas, Gordon finished fourth while he finished 41st at Atlanta after being involved in an incident on Lap 264 while running in the top 10. In the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon led 161 laps from the pole position en route to a 10th-place finish.
No. 48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
3rd in standings
13 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
8 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
387 laps led
Career
484 starts
74 wins
33 pole positions
201 top-five finishes
301 top-10 finishes
17,538 laps led
Pocono Career
26 starts
3 wins
4 pole positions
10 top-five finishes
17 top-10 finishes
738 laps led
Jimmie Johnson will be available to members of the media at 10:30 a.m. local time in the media center at Pocono Raceway.
DOUBLE DIGIT AT DOVER: Jimmie Johnson led the final 23 laps of the 400-mile event at Dover to capture his 10th career Cup victory at the one-mile concrete oval. Johnson is now just two wins away from matching Earnhardt Sr.’s 76 career wins for seventh on the all-time wins list. The victory marked Johnson’s fourth win of the 2015 season and was manufacturer Chevrolet’s fifth consecutive win at the track.
IN GOOD COMPANY: Johnson became the fifth driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to have 10 or more Cup wins at a single track, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Sr.
POCONO STATS: In the last 20 races at Pocono Raceway, according to NASCAR loop data, Johnson has the second-best driver rating of 106.9. He has an average starting position of 10.5 and has led 738 laps around the track, logging three wins along the way. In 2004, Johnson won both events for the season sweep. Johnson’s latest win came in 2013 when he won from the pole position.
JOHNSON LENDS VOICE TO ANIMATED SHOW: Recently, Johnson lent his voice to an upcoming episode of Nickelodeon’s preschool animated show “Bubble Guppies,” premiering Thursday, June 4, at 11 a.m. ET. In the episode titled “The New Doghouse!” Johnson plays a red lobster named Jimmie, the host of “Extreme Doghouse: Neighborhood Edition.” When an accident destroys Bubble Puppy’s doghouse, the Guppies team up with the entire neighborhood to build Bubble Puppy’s dream home, the most tricked-out doghouse Bubbletucky has ever seen. Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show.
SPECIAL PAINT SCHEME: For the 10th year, Lowe’s has generously donated its space on the No. 48 Chevrolet SS to promote the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. This year, the scheme features the programs and activities of the foundation, including the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope, the Champions Grant program, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge and Team Up For Technology.
SPECIAL HELMET OF HOPE: In addition to the special paint scheme, Johnson will wear the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope this weekend. The helmet is a program that recognizes education-focused charities voted on by fans to receive a $25,000 grant. To date, the BBHOH program has donated more than $801,000 to 81 different charities. This year’s charities include: 9 Dots, (Los Angeles), BackPack Beginnings (Greensboro, North Carolina), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland (Sioux City, Iowa), Carolina Raptor Center (Charlotte, North Carolina) and The Be Kind People Project (Phoenix).
POCONO CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-891, which last raced in March at Fontana for a ninth-place finish. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono in June 2014.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
5th in standings
13 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
107 laps led
Career
554 starts
24 wins
13 pole positions
134 top-five finishes
232 top-10 finishes
7,954 laps led
Pocono Career
30 starts
2 win
1 pole position
9 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
178 laps led
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, will be available to members of the media on Friday at 3:15 p.m. local time in the Pocono Raceway media center.
POCONO THREE-PEAT: Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured his first career Pocono Raceway win last spring and followed it up with another victory there in the fall to sweep the track. He will attempt to take the checkered flag for the third consecutive time on Sunday. Just two other drivers have won three in a row at Pocono: Bobby Allison (1982-83) and Tim Richmond (1986-1987). Talladega is the only track where Earnhardt has won three or more consecutive races. He has four straight wins (2001-03) at the Alabama track.
AT POCONO: In 30 Sprint Cup starts at Pocono Raceway, Earnhardt has completed 97.3 percent of all the laps he’s attempted (5,436 laps of 5,587 total) and has led a total of 178 laps at the 2.5-mile track. Earnhardt, the most recent race-winner at Pocono, has had an average finish of 2.5 over the last four races.
POCONO POLE POSITION: Earnhardt earned his first and only Sprint Cup pole position at Pocono in August 2007 and went on to lead eight laps there for a second-place finish.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-924. Earnhardt most recently raced the chassis to a sixth-place finish at California in March.
PEPSI HEADQUARTERS: PepsiCo’s Purchase, New York, headquarters is located 125 miles east of Pocono Raceway. The company, which sponsors Earnhardt’s car with its Diet Mountain Dew and AMP Energy brands, has been located in Purchase since 1970.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT POCONO: Hendrick Motorsports has fielded a winner in at least one race at Pocono in each of the past four years, including season sweeps in 2013 — thanks to Johnson and Kahne –and 2014 — thanks to Earnhardt. In total, Hendrick Motorsports has 17 wins, 12 pole positions, 62 top-five finishes and 109 top-10s at the 2.5-mile triangle.
FIVE IN A ROW: With the season sweeps in 2013 and 2014 in addition to Gordon’s win in August 2012, Hendrick Motorsports has won five consecutive events at Pocono Raceway. All four full-time Hendrick Motorsports drivers have contributed a win in the streak. It is the second-longest win streak at a single track in organization history behind six consecutive wins at Phoenix International Raceway — season sweeps in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 236 victories, 203 pole positions, 961 top-five finishes and 1,592 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,534 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“I love going to Pocono. Brandon (Igdalsky, CEO and president at Pocono Raceway) and his staff have done an excellent job there, and the fans are awesome. It is definitely the ‘Tricky Triangle’ with three distinct turns. The track is all about compromise to find the best total speed possible. The best part about the races there of late is the multiple strategies that the teams employ to try to get ahead of one another. It is very exciting on top of the pit box.”
No. 5 team crew chief Keith Rodden on racing at Pocono
“I like the challenge that Pocono Raceway presents the teams – it really is tricky. Compromise in the setup is key with the three unique corners.”
Jeff Gordon on racing at Pocono
“Supporting STEM education and future business leaders is vital to our future. I depend on the mechanical engineers on my team to make sure that my race car is in top form for every race. Linking STEM education to the technology behind successful racing is important. I’m proud to partner with Axalta and Penn State on this exciting program.”
Gordon on his Axalta/Penn State paint scheme and supporting STEM
“For me, I love the speed factor at Pocono. It’s not an easy track, and trying to figure out how to pass someone or get by someone, there’s something in that, that gets me going. Again, I always race better than I qualify here so that is something we are focusing on. Outside of the track, there are some great riding areas and just nice scenery. It’s a great place to go.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at Pocono
“It seems like guys that run well at Pocono can sustain it. I’ve seen guys sweep there and we were able to do it last year. I like the track, and we have run well there since the repave. I anticipate us being competitive again and hopefully getting three in a row.”
Earnhardt on racing for three consecutive wins at Pocono
