This weekend will be the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series Double Header taking place on Saturday and Sunday at Pocono Raceway.
Pocono holds a special place in my heart since it was the first track where I saw a live NASCAR Cup Series race. Unfortunately, there will be no fans in attendance this weekend, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be exciting!
It’s a whole lotta laps in a really short time, which could leave some drivers completely exhausted and a little bit behind their game. Then again, some drivers might thrive on the pressure and have a fantastic finish both days!
Instead of posting two separate articles for my NASCAR expert picks this week, I’ll give you five Brilliant picks and five Bold picks to keep an eye on this weekend. These 10 drivers have the best chance of taking home a prize on either day.
The Bonkers picks will remain at three drivers to stay away from at Pocono.
Last week’s Bold Pick Ryan Blaney took home the prize at Talladega. How will he—and the other drivers—perform at Pocono Raceway this weekend?
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for both of the cup series races this weekend: The Pocono Organics 325 in partnership with Rodale Institute on Saturday and The Pocono 350 on Sunday.
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in Pocono
Ryan Blaney
Wins at Pocono: 1
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 4
There’s something to be said about a hot streak, and that something is: It only gets hotter. Blaney has been one of the hottest drivers since NASCAR returned to the track last month. Don’t let the fact that he only has one win fool you; he’s been in the top five in six out of the last seven races. I’m looking for at least one more win out of the No. 12 this weekend.
Brad Keselowski
Wins at Pocono: 1
Top 5 finishes: 10
Top 10 finishes: 12
Keselowski has been here before, and he’s done a pretty good job navigating this long (2.5 mile) intermediate track. He’s pretty tough when it comes to having the stamina to run two good races back-to-back, so be sure to put him in your lineup this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr.
Wins at Pocono: 2
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 11
Truex was the winner of the Pocono race I attended. And the way he ran that day, I’d be surprised if he didn’t have a repeat win on one of the days this weekend. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he won them both.
Kyle Bush
Wins at Pocono: 3
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 15
With three wins under his belt and a slew of top-ten finishes here in the last few years, there’s no reason why Rowdy can’t punch his ticket to the Chase this weekend. We have yet to see a winning run this season, but a doubleheader might be the game-changer he needs to get on a roll.
Denny Hamlin
Wins at Pocono: 5
Top 5 finishes: 11
Top 10 finishes: 18
And with five wins at Pocono Raceway, it seems like the No. 11 is a shoe-in to make it six come Saturday—or Sunday. Of course, the year I saw him there, he rolled his car into the garage by mid-race. As long as Hamlin has good speed and no mechanical trouble, expect to see him finish in a top spot this weekend.
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
William Byron
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 3
It’s bold, I know. As in really bold. But Byron has only been here four times in the Cup Series and he only finished outside the top 10 once. He’s shown promise on this long track and if he can get out in front when it’s the most crucial, I think he’ll hold the top spot all the way to victory lane.
Erik Jones
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 5
He’s a young gun and he’ll have the stamina to keep going on Sunday when other drivers might be reeling after the previous day’s race. Much like Byron, in six races here, Jones has only finished outside the top 10 one time. I have a sneaking suspicion that Jones is going to make something happen this weekend in Pocono.
Kevin Harvick
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 18
Yep, you read that right. Happy Harvick has never taken home the trophy at Pocono Raceway. He has two chances to make his own personal history here this weekend—and there’s a high probability that he will.
Chase Elliott
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 6
Elliott doesn’t have the best numbers here, but they aren’t half bad. He’s been on a warm-bordering-hot streak in the last few weeks so I think that if he can stay away from anything that could damage his car, either a wall or another driver, he has a good chance at getting his first Pocono win.
Ryan Newman
Wins at Pocono: 1
Top 5 finishes: 9
Top 10 finishes: 15
Sure it’s been a long time since that number-one finish at this track. But Newman has come through so much already this season, it seems fair to think that he could pull off something spectacular at one of the NASCAR doubleheader races this weekend. I believe in the No. 6, and I think he deserves a spot on the Bold list for Pocono.
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Aric Almirola
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 8
Yep – I already know that he has the pole for Saturday. But, in my heart, I know that there’s a big difference between where you start and where you finish. Almirola has terrible numbers at this track, and despite the fact that he finished third at Talladega last week, he’s been on a chilly streak. I just don’t see him holding that position long enough to beat one of my top-10 guys to the finish line.
Austin Dillon
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
Dillon has been here 12 times and you can see from the numbers that none of them was very successful. Keep Dillon away from your NASCAR fantasy list this weekend.
Clint Bowyer
Wins at Pocono: 0
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 11
I dig Bowyer just as much as the next guy, but I do not dig him at Pocono. It seems like no matter how hard he tries, he has a tough time getting out front and staying there. He’s had some sweet finishes here, but not enough to put him at the top this weekend.
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