Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Sprint Cup points leader Carl Edwards is talkative about the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) race in Pocono, Pa, but remains resiliently silent about whether he’ll stay at Roush Fenway Racing or defect to Joe Gibbs Racing.

A big bonus might be on Edwards’ mind this Sunday but for the other 42 competitors, the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway with 14 degree banking—winning is the focus. Some contracts besides the rumor-plagued scenario surrounding Edwards are in process too, but it appears racing may come first.

Regardless of “silly season” or contract negotiations, ESPN will televise the long Pocono race at 1 p.m. on August 7 for fans who can’t make it to Pennsylvania hills.

The top five in the point standings, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth have a combined 10 wins this season and will be eager to add one more victory to their total. None were shy to comment.

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Ford)

“I think Pocono has a bunch of challenges,” Edwards said. “Adding shifting to the mix is a whole other challenge. As a driver, you have to shift correctly. The guys who build the gear boxes and the engines have to realize that they’re going to have a ton more wear and tear.

“There are some tough decisions to be made in the race car that could have huge outcomes on the season, so I think it’s going to be an interesting race. It’s a test of patience and endurance for the car and the driver.”

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Chevrolet)

“Keys to winning there,” Johnson said. “The first thing that comes to mind is fuel mileage. It’s one or the other. You either have a really fast car and poor fuel mileage, not running so good, roll the dice, stay out, save fuel, take those two strategies. I’d rather have the better-driving racecar and fight for the finish.

“The shifting, I feel like it gave us something to do. I don’t know how it looked on television, what people thought of the racing. Again, as competitors, you want to have a chance to work on your equipment and try to find something before other people do. There were different straightaways that brought an element of something new, an area to work in for us. So from an engineering standpoint, a team standpoint, I like that side of it, felt like it was better.”

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

“It’s a fun racetrack to drive because you have options,” Harvick said. “With the racetrack being in the shape that it is, there’s a lot of opportunities to make a lot of mistakes with your car sliding, bouncing, the tires falling off, everything that happens. I think from a driver’s perspective, that’s a good thing because you have an opportunity to make your car handle better and have those options to pass people.”

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Toyota)

“The hardest part of the track, for me, is probably turn one, and then turn two is the second-hardest, and then turn three is the third-hardest –turn three, last year, because of the patch they laid down,” Busch said. “We couldn’t go down low and get underneath somebody and get a run on them because, when you come off the corner, you’re 8 to 10 mph slower than the guy on your outside, and they’re just going to blow right by you going down the straightaway.

“Most of your passing is going to be done probably through turn one and off of turn one and getting into turn two, if somebody can get a good run off of turn two, get back up high and get in line to get on that patch getting into turn three.”

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Ford)

“There are a lot of things about Pocono that we focus on heading into this weekend since it is such a different track than other places we race at,” Kenseth said. “Fuel mileage is a big deal because it is such a big track and you can’t run very many laps on fuel there. All three corners are very unique; Turn one is really rough and bumpy which makes it hard to find a good groove, and honestly, all three turns are a challenge to get through fast. The straightaway is really long and you tend to spend that time thinking about the corners. The corners are the biggest focus for me because it can be a challenge to get your car handling well in all three of them correctly.”

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Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained from official release materials provided by NASCAR and team representatives.

Photo credit: Dwight Drum racetake.com