This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
CRC Brakleen 150
Location: Long Pond, Pa.
Course: Pocono Raceway
Format: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 60
Race Preview
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Pocono Raceway this Saturday as the march to the playoffs continues. John Hunter Nemechek sits atop the championship standings with four victories so far this year. Last week, it was Ryan Preece who took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway, however. Unlike last week's race, the return to Pocono sees on-track practice and qualifying slip to the wayside again. Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith will start the race on the front row, with Ben Rhodes and Austin Hill one row behind. Brandon Jones won last year's visit to Pocono over Hill, but it was Sheldon Creed who won the two opening stages of that race. All 11 series races at Pocono have been won by someone starting in the top 10, and Kyle Busch is the only multiple-race winner with two to his credit. He is entered again this weekend and will start Saturday's race 22nd.
Key Stats at Pocono Raceway
- Number of races: 11
- Winners from pole: 4
- Winners from top-5 starters: 9
- Winners from top-10 starters: 11
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 136.813 mph
Previous 10 Pocono Winners
2020 - Brandon Jones
2019 - Ross Chastain
2018 - Kyle Busch
2017 - Christopher Bell
2016 - William Byron
2014 - Kyle Busch
2013 - Austin Dillon
2012 - Ryan Blaney
2011 - Joey Coulter
2010 - Kevin Harvick
Pocono Raceway is a unique circuit for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The 2.5-mile circuit has three unique turns connected by long straights. Setting the truck up to exit those turns at maximum velocity will enable drivers to make passes at the end of the straights. Handling and tire wear throughout fuel runs will also enable the fastest trucks to distance themselves from the rest of the field, and the teams that get the settings correct early in the day will hold that advantage throughout the race distance. Teams do have the option to go off strategy, though. Pitting under green will not mean automatically losing a lap, and making a stop early in the window could put a driver back on track with less traffic. The timing of cautions could disrupt those strategies, but teams will have to plan to be flexible if timing is not in their favor.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Busch - $15,000
John Hunter Nemechek - $11,000
Sheldon Creed - $10,500
Todd Gilliland - $10,300
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ryan Preece - $9,800
Grant Enfinger - $9,600
Zane Smith - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Bayley Currey - $8,700
Tanner Gray - $8,400
Matt Crafton - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Josh Berry - $7,500
Johnny Sauter - $7,300
Carson Hocevar - $6,900
Derek Kraus - $6,500
My Picks
John Hunter Nemechek - $11,000
Todd Gilliland - $10,300
Tanner Gray - $8,400
Matt Crafton - $8,000
Derek Kraus - $6,500
Austin Wayne Self - $5,800
John Hunter Nemechek enters this weekend's race with the championship lead in hand and four wins under his belt. He starts inside the top 10 after last week's 10th-place finish at Nashville and finished fourth in his last Pocono start in the series. Todd Gilliland is your pole sitter, and he heads into this week on the heels of four consecutive top-10 finishes and a win from the road course in Texas. He finished inside the top 10 in all three of his series starts at this track and was fourth in last year's visit. Tanner Gray grabbed his first top-10 of the year two weeks ago at Texas and was 18th last week at Nashville. That ended a three-race slump where he failed to finish in the top 20. He'll start 17th this week with a good chance of snagging a top-15 finish if all goes well. Veteran Matt Crafton remains winless this season and has never won at Pocono. He will start fifth Saturday. Last year's DNF in this race due to a crash ended a three-race run of top-10 finishes at the track. He has finished inside the top 10 at Pocono seven of 11 times. One of two top-10s from Derek Kraus this season came three weeks ago at Charlotte. He stumbled at Nashville last week and will start 24th this week as a result. However, he finished 10th at this race last season and should be a confident selection for a top-15 contender this weekend. A crash ended Austin Wayne Self's Pocono race last season, which was his first time finishing out of the top 20 there since his debut at the circuit in 2016. He sits just outside the playoff positions in the standings and will be angling for a top-15 to help his cause again this week.
