Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch: Pocono

How many turns does Pocono Raceway have? The famous triangular shape of the speedway has left many to ponder whether their 3-turn status is true or not. On one hand, there are 3 distinct turns across the triangle. However, Turns 1 and 3 resemble traditional corners on every other oval. At those tracks, those corners are labeled as multiple turns. Why is Pocono any different. If those corners were considered the same as every other track, then the tunnel turn would then give the Pennsylvania raceway 5 turns in total. Have race fans been lied this entire time? Or is this a giant waste of time to even debate? While you ponder that, check out the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch this week’s action at Pocono.

Pocono will mark the final weekend of Amazon Prime’s coverage of the Cup Series. The move to TNT next week is essentially only a network transition, as the same broadcasting personnel will be making the move. Thus far, Prime’s coverage has been stellar. While there can be gripes and nitpicks, the overall package has been a breath of fresh air. Though the choice to broadcast on a streaming service may irritate certain fans, what is being produced is certainly worth the cost of Prime. Hopefully, FOX and NBC have learned from what Prime has been able to do. While they cannot replicate the coverage 1-to-1, there are certainly things they can takeaway and implement into their broadcasts.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Once Ricky Stenhouse Jr arrives to Pocono, everyone needs to be on shorts watch. If Stenhouse is seen wearing the same shorts from last year’s North Wilkesboro, he is on the hunt for Carson Hocevar. After tangling in Nashville early in that race, a bit of bad blood existed between the two. However, that hit a boiling point after Hocevar spun Stenhouse out in the stadium section of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Once the race was over, Stenhouse quickly strolled to Hocevar’s 77 car, leaned into the driver’s window, and kindly informed him that there was a beating waiting for him back in the states. All this transpired in front of an on-looking Josh Berry.

Outside of the Hocevar drama, Ricky Stenhouse Jr will be one to watch to see if he can turn his season around. After the Coca-Cola 600, Stenhouse would have pointed his way into the playoffs. Sitting 13th, the 47 had been steady in their results and keeping themselves in the playoff bubble conversation. Since then though, Stenhouse has fallen out of the playoff picture. Now he sits 21st in points, 61 points behind the cutline. Pocono could be a favorable track for Stenhouse to recover. It is a lengthy one, where Stenhouse can avoid trouble with other drivers. Outside his DNF last year, Stenhouse has finished inside the Top-20 in his other Gen7 starts. However, he will have more adversity to overcome as a new spotter will be in his ear.

Noah Gragson

What to make of Noah Gragson’s 2025. On paper, it is a continuation of the solid season he had in 2024. Through 16 starts, Gragson holds a Top-5 finish with 3 Top-10s and an average result of 23.2. His points situation is less than stellar though, as his 30th place finish at Mexico City dropped him to 33rd in points. What seems to be the story is that when Gragson is good, the 4 team produce solid results. When it goes bad though, it has been ugly. Over the past 3 weeks, it has been ugly (average finish of 31.7).

With his precarious position in the points, Noah Gragson will have to be in “must-win” mode. A chance at pointing his way into the playoffs has certainly passed. Could Pocono be a track where Gragson can pick up that win? Most likely not. Front Row has demonstrated some surprising speed at times this year, but never race-winning speed. Where Gragson could steal a Pocono win would be on strategy. These races usually play out with long green flag runs where fuel strategy is key. If the 4 team can play their cards right, there is a chance they could find their way fuel saving their way to a good finish. That might be unlikely, but it is something to consider.

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Taylor Gray

Taylor Gray has been the Xfinity king of heartbreaking finishes. Arguably, the Joe Gibbs Racing rookie should have 2 wins banked already. Martinsville was stolen from him after Sammy Smith decided trying to make the last 2 turns was not necessary. Following up with last week where Gray lost a battle with Daniel Suarez on the road course. Until the final caution, Gray was steadily catching Suarez and would have had time to make the pass for the win. No guarantee that it would have happened, but it was a better chance than a restart late in the race.

Looking ahead to Pocono, Taylor Gray should feel good about his chances. Last year, Gray made the start for the 19 team in the Pennsylvania mountains. He started and finished inside the Top-5. This could be another opportunity to pick up his first career NASCAR national series win (not including ARCA). Joe Gibbs Racing usually bring good speed to the Pocono, as evidenced last year by Gray’s strong run. This season though, Gray has struggled on intermediates. Will Gray be able to break that streak this weekend?

Jesse Love

After an impressive rookie season, Jesse Love is picking up where he left off in 2025. Through the first 15 races of this year, Love holds the same average finish as he did last year. Only once this season has he finished worse than 18th when the checkered flag waved (37th at Martinsville). Love’s performance has found him receiving seat time in the Cup Series for a few spot starts in RCR’s third entry. Overall, it is difficult to not be excited for this prospect’s future in NASCAR.

However, Pocono was a minor blemish on the record last year. While it was not a disastrous race, it demonstrated a noticeably weakness in Love’s arsenal. He finished outside the Top-20 and only factored near the front during a green flag pit cycle. Throughout the entire race, Love was a nonfactor. It was his first start at the Tricky Triangle, so there is a chance that he has learned from his rookie start. His teammate won last year’s race, so maybe some wisdom was passed down from Austin Hill. In theory, Jesse Love should be a contender for the race win. However, the feeling is that it could be another struggling race for the 2 driver.

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Chandler Smith

The last time Chandler Smith raced a truck at Pocono Raceway, he left a winner. While that was with a different team 3 years ago, there is no reason to think that he cannot do it again. Smith’s 2025 has bee a strong one thus far. Through 13 races, he already has racked up 2 wins and sits second in the standings. Granted, that second is a distant one from current points leader Corey Heim. Still, the move by Front Row Motorsports to expand to two fulltime teams has been a fruitful one.

The big question surrounding Chandler Smith is whether he can compete with Corey Heim. As mentioned, he sits second to Heim in standings. But that margin between the two is whopping 131 points. 131 points down from Smith is Ben Rhodes in 11th. While Smith’s name is in the running, there has yet to be a driver to established himself as Heim’s top competitor. Honestly, Heim’s biggest rival is his own team. Numerous Heim wins have slipped through his hands due to mechanical or pit road issues. That said, Front Row took until late last year to find their groove. Despite the 2 wins, Smith (and Layne Riggs) could be late bloomers in 2025.

Connor Jones

Welcome back Conner Jones. Jones will be making his second start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season. Despite only competing in one other NASCAR sanctioned event this year, Jones’ name has been featured frequently in motorsports news. Why? Well, Jones has demonstrated his immaturity both on and off the race track. Driving the CARS Tour, the young driver has built up a reputation for junking other drivers on the track. When confronted, things do not end so peacefully. Despite his tendency to be on the giving end of a spin, Jones was displeased with how another driver raced him recently. Oh, the irony.

This part of Jones’ reputation was already established in the Truck Series. However, his first race back could be a bad omen for the competition. Jones will be piloting the 44 Niece Motorsports entry. That truck has been a fast one with a variety of drivers behind the wheel. Not only has Ross Chastain made that truck competitive, but Bayley Currey has put that thing inside the Top-5 and 10 before. If Jones can bring the true speed out of that truck, he could be rubbing elbows with formidable names in the Truck Series. That might end poorly for Jones though depending on who he potentially angers.

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