|
 But Earnhardt, who turned Friday's fourth-fastest practice lap in
preparation for Sunday's Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 (1 p.m. ET,
FOX Sports 1), knows three in a row is a lot to ask.
"It's difficult to win one," Earnhardt said. "We won those two races
by having some great pit strategy. Steve (former crew chief Letarte)
got real aggressive on his pit calls and I think that's what
definitely is going to put you in position to win."
Earnhardt says the nature of racing at Pocono gives crew chiefs with
cars strong enough to lead the race, the option of employing unusual
pit strategies. This year, those calls will be up to his first-year
crew chief Greg Ives.
"You kind of call this race in reverse," Earnhardt said. "The tires
are pretty tough here and durable, so there's not a whole lot of
fall-off and you can call a race sort of like a road course: Put
yourself up front and it makes it pretty difficult to get around you
if you've got a good car.
"Still, everything's got to fall in the right place to allow you to
make those choices. It worked out great for us last year. (But) we
also had a fast car. We ran pretty well, but there were about eight
of us in either of those races who could have won."
If any factor is in Earnhardt's favor, it's Hendrick Motorsports
recent run of success at Pocono. Hendrick has won the last five
Sprint Cup events on the 2.5-mile triangle with Jeff Gordon (2012),
Jimmie Johnson (2013), Kasey Kahne (2013) and Earnhardt (2014
sweep).
"We've got four fast cars," Earnhardt said. "This is a horsepower
race track where engines can make a difference and I feel like over
the last several years, we've had one of the best engine programs in
the sport. Your car really, really shines here and we've got some of
the best equipment in the garage."
Seven drivers, including Johnson (2004) and Denny Hamlin (2006) have
won both Sprint Cup events at Pocono in the same season. But success
one season hardly ensures success the next. Johnson went nine years
after his sweep at Pocono and Hamlin has been up and down since
2006, although he did post consecutive victories in 2009 and 2010
Sprint Cup races.
"I kind of put sweeping here in the same box as sweeping at Daytona
or Talladega," Johnson said. "There are just so many circumstances
out of your control at this track. ... There are always long
green-flag runs and varying strategies. The teams that don't have
the raw speed to race for the win will roll the dice. There are a
lot of moving targets. It's not just a straight-up downforce-style
race and I think that increases the difficulty to win here
regularly."
Drivers' Council offers in-car perspective
Johnson said the NASCAR's rules package remains the "hot topic" for
the Drivers' Council that met with NASCAR officials for the first
time last weekend at Dover.
He says that although NASCAR has "lots of simulation and technology"
to determine how cars will respond and compete on track, "we (the
drivers) are living it inside the car. We just want to make sure our
voice is heard and that the people that make the decisions know what
is really going on in the car."
Although Johnson is not one of the eight driver representative,
Earnhardt is.
"I think it's awesome because you've got all the NASCAR guys
(together) that you want five minutes with," Earnhardt said.
"Everybody's in the room to work together and everybody wants the
same things -- a healthy sport, racing as good as it can be and as
safe as it can be."
One thing Earnhardt doesn't think will be left up to the drivers is
changes to the race schedule. He sees that as a matter left to
NASCAR's governing body, teams owners and tracks. "I don't expect to
be in that conversation," he said.
[to top of second column] |
Stewart-Haas locks up Childers
Kevin Harvick's championship-winning collaboration with crew chief
Rodney Childers will continue for the foreseeable future.
Stewart-Haas Racing announced Friday that it has signed Childers to
a multiyear contract extension.
In 2014, their first season together at SHR, Childers and Harvick
won five races and the NASCAR Sprint Cup title, becoming only the
third Sprint Cup team to lead more than 2,000 laps in a season since
2000. The success has continued this season as Harvick has opened a
commanding 44-point lead in the point standings, thanks to nine
first- or second-place finishes in the first 13 races. Only Bobby
Allison (1972) and Cale Yarborough (1977) had as many top-twos to
start a season.
Childers, who will turn 39 on Sunday and already had a contract
through next season, says he had a sense that things would pay off
when he left Michael Waltrip Racing to join SHR.
"I knew when I came to Stewart-Haas Racing that this was a special
opportunity," he said. "Kevin's skills have always been evident, and
his hunger and desire to be the absolute best he can be in every
practice, qualifying session and race motivates our entire team. We
have great leadership at Stewart-Haas Racing along with a deep
commitment toward success, excellent people and strong partners. If
you want to win, this is where you want to be, and I'm happy to be
here for a long time."
SHR co-owner Tony Stewart called keeping Childers and Harvick
together a "high priority."
"Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick set a new standard of excellence
in 2014 that they've carried into this season," Stewart said. "We're
obviously very happy to have the two of them at Stewart-Haas Racing
for many years to come."
Pocono improves the view
Pocono Raceway announced that it will install two new 60-foot video
towers, each with two high-definition video screens to provide fans
with enhanced views of live action, entertainment and real-time
statistics.
"The video displays will provide new views of the race and
leaderboard information which previously were not available," Pocono
Raceway president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky said. The 24.15 x 30.45
inch screens from ANC Sports are expected to be operational for the
July 31-Aug. 2 Pennsylvania 400 race weekend.
Dillon meets real horsepower
If thoroughbred American Pharaoh wins Saturday's Belmont Stakes, Ty
Dillon jokes that he deserves the credit. Dillon came face to face
with the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner while doing a track
promotion for Kentucky Speedway.
"We met the assistant trainer," Dillon said. "He let me go back
there and feed him some carrots and (we) watched him walk onto the
hauler as he was leaving to go to New York and hopefully win the
Triple Crown. If he wins, I'm going to take all the credit."
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