The Sprint Cup Series heads to Pocono while the rest of NASCAR’s top series and the IRL are in action this weekend.Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 @ Pocono Raceway – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The series will visit the track for their second time in 2009. Last time we were here Tony Stewart won the race on fuel mileage with Carl Edwards and David Reutimann rounding out the top-3. Weather was an issue in June, and it looks like it will be an issue again this weekend with qualifying being rained out this afternoon.
What will we see this weekend? I’m expecting Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and Jimmie Johnson to all run up front here. Over the last two years here, Edwards and Johnson have been the best at Pocono. I’m also expected to see a good top-10 run for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The car was quick and he and Lance McGrew seem to be beginning to click. Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon should also make appearances near the front.
Prediction: Carl Edwards is your winner, becoming the first Roush Fenway Racing driver not named “Matt Kenseth” to score a victory in the Cup Series in 2009.
Kroger 200 @ Iowa Speedway – NASCAR Nationwide Series
This will be the first time that the Nationwide Series will be visiting Iowa Speedway as it replaced Mexico City on the schedule this season. The track has been a fixture on the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the NASCAR Camping World East and West Series schedules for a few years now, so a handful of drivers have experience on the track. Steve Wallace won here in an ARCA car in 2006. Kyle Busch won here in the Camping World East/West race here earlier this year. Justin Allgaier has experience here as well.
What will we see this weekend? More of the same. Everyone will once again need to deal with the duo of Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Though Edwards hasn’t see the track in race conditions before, he’s a good race car driver behind the wheel of a great car. Busch and the Gibbs guys are always a force to be reckoned with in the Nationwide Series. I think though we will see some unknowns come through in what ESPN likes to term as their opportunity races. Justin Allgaier, Mike Bliss, Steve Wallace and Michael McDowell all could be factors for top-5 finishes. I’d expect Allgaier and Bliss to contend for the win.
Prediction: I’ll go with the hope-for pick and select Justin Allgaier to finally break through an win.
Toyota Tundra 200 @ Nashville SuperSpeedway – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
One thing is for sure for this weekend’s race at Nashville, and that is that there will be a first time winner at Nashville. Everyone else on the Truck Series winner’s list at Nashville won’t be there. Ron Hornaday has been the best Truck Series driver there over the past two races, Erik Darnell, and Todd Bodine are in behind him.
What will we see this weekend? The Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner show will just move locations. Ron Hornaday and the KHI team are unparalleled in the Truck Series. It’s good to see Randy Moss Motorsports stepping up to challenge KHI’s dominance, but no other team is up to the level that Kevin Harvick has gotten the team up to. I expect Hornaday to win, but he’ll have to fend off challenges from Mike Skinner and Todd Bodine to do it.
Prediction: Ron Hornaday to win.
Meijer Indy 300 @ Kentucky Speedway – IndyCar Series
After a Penske 1-2-4 at Edmonton, they look like they’ll return to just a two-car team as Will Power will once again take a seat after his win at Edmonton. I expect the Ganassi/Penske battle to continue here. Helio Castroneves has the best career average finish here. If one of the Ganassi guys has bad luck tomorrow night I expect Helio to try to capitalize and get his way back into the thick of the championship battle, but if they don’t, I’m expecting him to play the good teammate and help out Ryan Briscoe.
Kentucky has not been nice to Briscoe or Franchitti in their careers, so I’m expecting this one to break the championship battle wide open.
Prediction: Scott Dixon stakes his claim to the 2009 IndyCar title.
