Welcome to The Pace Lap, your catchall preview post! Every Friday before race day, we'll get you started with a metric truckload of stats, facts, opinion and innuendo.
The race: The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway
The specs: 200 laps on a 2.5-mile course, 2:18 p.m.
The TV: ESPN
Defending champ: Carl Edwards. Remember when he was winning all kinds of races last year? Yeah, it's about time for him to get started on that again.
The standings leaders:
The history: Longtime NASCAR fans know the story with Pocono -- three distinct turns, each requiring a different setup, which means that crew chiefs are working on a best-guess approach rather than an analytical one. And while Pocono is often derided, by both drivers and fans, as a dull track, it's also the only one in such close proximity to population centers of the Northeast, which means it's not going anywhere.
The appropriate video: From 2000: Jeremy Mayfield bumps Dale Earnhardt in the final turn to win. Presented without further comment:
Guy with the most to gain: David Reutimann. He needs a good run this weekend to keep himself in the Chase hunt and put pressure on the fellow bubble-lurkers around him. A strong performance by Reutimann this weekend could turn the entire Chase run on its head.
Guy with the most to lose: Kyle Busch. He's teetering on the edge of missing the Chase, and one more bad run and he could be looking at an almost insurmountable challenge. If Kyle starts off with problems, look out ... and listen for his radio transmissions. Just keep the kids out of the room.
Our pick to win: Edwards. He hasn't been running too poorly this year -- dude is in fifth and closing hard, after all -- but he's still without a win. Now's the time for him to start gearing up for the Chase.
Fun Pocono fact: Pocono is one of only two tracks on the Sprint Circuit, Indy being the other, that doesn't have a supporting Nationwide or Camping World race.
All right, you're up. Who's your pick to win?
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