Around the Track: Previewing the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono

LONG POND, PA ( CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE ) — Pocono Raceway is loved by some drivers and revered by others. But for fans, it’s near the top of the list for racing.

There’s not a lot of banking at this track, which is ironic because of the elevation in the mountains, but there are plenty of bumps that drivers will have to navigate through to find a groove and the proper line to gain maximum speed.

Pocono is home to the longest straightaways in NASCAR, which means plenty of opportunities to pass if you can through the gears.

Drivers will race 160 laps around the 2.5-mile asphalt tri-oval to total 400 miles. Qualifying is very important as 41% of drivers who start in the first three rows have gone on to take the checkered flag.

There are nine past winners in the field this weekend but Denny Hamlin leads them all with seven victories in Pocono.

Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway starts at 2:30 p.m. This will be the 91st time the Cup Series has hosted a weekend in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

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