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Who is hot, who is not ahead of the Cup race at Pocono Raceway

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Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, and even Kyle Busch are among big names still on the playoff bubble. The crew breaks down how each can still get in.

If you like parity in NASCAR, then you might like Pocono Raceway.

The track hosts its second NASCAR Cup race this weekend and in recent years it’s been hard for drivers to earn multiple wins at the “Tricky Triangle.”

Outside of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sweep of the Pocono races in 2014, no driver has won multiple times there in the last 12 races.

The last two visits to Pocono have been defined by first-time winners in the Cup Series, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher. Additionally, four of the last five Pocono winners got their first win of the season, including the last three, which began with Kurt Busch in June 2016.

With Pocono there are only six races left in the regular season and four spots left in the playoffs.

Here are the drivers who are “hot” and “not” ahead of the Overton’s 400.

Who is Hot

Kyle Busch

• Been passed for the win five times this season.
• Led the most laps five times this season but is still winless.
• His 1,040 laps led in 2017 are the second most this season and the most ever through 20 races in a season without a win.
• Had four wins at this point in 2016.
• Pocono is one of two tracks where he is winless (Charlotte).
• Top 10 in the last two Pocono races, won the pole in June and led the most laps before finishing ninth.

Kevin Harvick

• Sixth at Indianapolis, top 10 in 11 of the last 14 races.
• Pocono is one of three winless tracks, three-time runner-up including in June.
• All three Pocono runner-up finishes were in the last seven races.

Matt Kenseth

• Finished fifth at Indianapolis, back-to-back top fives for the first time in 2017.
• Best finish this season is third at Atlanta
• Earned stage points in every stage but one in the last nine races.
• Top 10 in four of the last five Pocono races, finished 10th in June.

Martin Truex Jr.

•Finished in the top 10 13 times this season, tied for the most.
• Won a series-high 14 stages this season.
• Led a series-high 1,260 laps, including more than 100 in five of the last 10 races.
• One Pocono win (his first with Furniture Row Racing) in 2015
• Finished sixth at Pocono in June.
• Started on the front row in the last two races at Pocono.

Who is Not

Jimmie Johnson

• Finished 27th at Indianapolis, DNF accident in two of his last three races.
• One top 10 in his last five races.
• Three top-five finishes this season, all wins.
• Has not finished in the top 10 in last three Pocono races, finished 36th in June after a crash.

Erik Jones

• Finished 31st at Indianapolis after crash.
• DNF the last two weeks due to wrecks.
• Finished a career-best third at Pocono in his only Cup start at the track.

Ryan Newman

• Finished third at Indianapolis.
• Only two top-10 finishes in the last seven races.
• Only four top fives in 2017, but one was a win at Phoenix Raceway.
• Fourteen Pocono top 10s but no finishes better than 12th in the last five races at the track.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• Finished 35th at Indy after a crash.
• Hasn’t finished better than 14th in three races since Daytona win
• Only two top 10s in the 10 races since he won at Talladega.

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