Monday, Aug. 3, 2009 | 8:19 p.m.
The rain-delayed Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 was two races in one. A majority of the laps provided the same follow-the-leader racing we’ve come to expect from the triangle-shaped track. With the benefit of clean air, the lead car would pull so far ahead of the rest of the field that spectators could grow a beard during the break in the action between the first-and second-place cars.
And then there was the other Pennsylvania 500 brought on by the double-file restarts, late-race cautions and different pit strategies. This produced some of the best racing I’ve seen in some time from Pocono. The new restart rule resulting in some three-and four-wide racing. There were a few laps that briefly looked like a race at Talladega. But that excitement would only last for about 10 laps before the field would fall back into a string of cars chasing the leader.
The double-file restarts are a good thing and it has certainly added an element of excitement to the races since the rule was implemented. Nevertheless, the race we witnessed on Monday isn’t enough to convince me that Pocono should continue to have two races in the Sprint Cup schedule. Given the way the COT performed at Infineon earlier this season, I would rather see a another race on a road course.
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Is Richard Childress Racing starting to rebound? Clint Bowyer finished third at Pocono and Kevin Harvick finished 12th. Harvick had a sixth-place finish at the Brickyard. “We’re making progress over the past few races, so that’s encouraging,” said Harvick after the race on Monday. Maybe he should remain with Childress for a while instead of thinking about dumping the No. 29 car as if it were a candidate for the “cash for clunkers” program.
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Reader poll
An earthquake, a tsunami and a meteor shower could simultaneously attack a race, but the No. 48 team would still manage to pull a respectable finish out of its hat. I know I’ve mentioned their prowess before, but their performance in the face of adversity seems to be a headline every week. The cool, calm and collected demeanor of the team is one of its greatest advantages. I bet this message isn’t lost on Kyle Busch who recently stated that he wants to have a better attitude and better communication with his teammates.
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