The one good thing about tracks that host two events during the year is that if things go bad the first time around, there is a chance to improve. Â Track conditions will be different, especially if one event is during the early spring and the second early in the fall, but it still is a chance for redemption.
Pocono is in a unique situation where their two races are not that far apart. Â The first is held in late spring, when the temperatures are still rising, while the second is held in mid-summer, when the heat is normally on.
But ask Kasey Kahne about Pocono and in the spring it was a situation where he would like to forget.
Hardly into the race, actually before the green even waved, his team experienced driveline problems in their No. 5 SS. Â It was a situation where the team pulled the car into the garage, replaced the drive gear, the driveshaft, and the transmission. Â The race to win was done, but they decided to go back out and see what they had to get ready for the next time they came to Pocono. Â Turns out, what they had was extremely good. Â He came back out and for majority of the time he was on track, he was running laps that were equal to or faster than the leader.
That meant they hit on something to use for later in the year.
Sure enough, come August and the Hendrick organization was again strong, and Kahne was among the top contenders all race long. Â Had it not been for Jimmie Johnson cutting a tire and getting into the wall, there likely would have been a sweep of the Pocono races this year. Â But, keep in mind that Kahne was faster than him during the spring race, and if he was on the lead lap probably was one of a few cars that could compete with him on that afternoon.
Come this weekend, Kahne got the chance to show his hand, and made it count. Â It would be his second win of the year, putting him into 10th in the standings, still in the hunt for the Chase and also a top contender for the wild card spot should he fall outside that threshold.
This weekend for Kahne, it was officially a redemption victory for him and his team.
RESULTS:  1-Kahne  2-Gordon  3-Kurt Busch  4-Newman  5-Earnhardt Jr.  6-Keselowski  7-Logano  8-Kyle Busch  9-Stewart  10-Biffle
NOTABLE FINISHES:  11-Edwards  13-Johnson  17-Harvick  22-Kenseth  35-Patrick  43-Hamlin
CAUTIONS: Â 9 for 35 laps. Â Lap 2-5 (#17, 20, 42 accident-T1), 16-18 (#11 accident-T3), 54-57 (#38 accident-T2), 78-82 (debris), 96-99 (#30 accident-T1), 104-107 (#32, 43 accident-T3), 111-116 (#10, 27, 31, 93 accident-T2), 150-152 (debris), 157-158 (#20 accident-T2).
LEAD CHANGES: Â 27 among 14 drivers. Â Johnson 1-33, Keselowski 34, Kurt Busch 35-41, Gordon 42, Earnhardt Jr. 43-44, Kenseth 45, McMurray 46, Johnson 47-53, Keselowski 54-57, Kahne 58-70, Newman 71-72, Johnson 73-75, Stewart 76-78, Kahne 79-82, Keselowski 83-88, Kahne 89, Keselowski 90-91, Kahne 92-95, Keselowski 96, Truex Jr. 97-103, Kahne 104-129, Kurt Busch 130-131, Almirola 132, Blaney 133-135, Ragan 136, Kahne 137-152, Gordon 153-158, Kahne 159-160.
TIME OF RACE: Â 3 Hrs, 6 Mins, 2 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: Â 129.009 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY: Â 1.392 Seconds
POINTS (Top-10, Wild Cards): Â 1. Johnson, 772 points; 2. Bowyer, -77; 3. Edwards, -84; 4. Harvick, -97; 5. Earnhardt Jr, -116; 6. Kyle Busch, -126; 7. Kenseth, -134; 8. Kahne, -160; 9. Gordon, -170; 10. Biffle, -173. Â WC1-Stewart (11th, 1 win), WC2-Truex Jr. (14th, 1 win).
