NASCAR Cup Series: Will Kyle Busch win his third consecutive Pocono race?

Kyle Busch has won both of the last two NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway. Will he win his third consecutive race at the track this Sunday?

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch won the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season’s second of two races at Pocono Raceway late last July, and he won the June race at the track this season. As a result, he is set to go for his third consecutive victory there in this Sunday’s race, the Gander RV 400.

The last race at the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Pocono Raceway triangle in Long Pond, Pennsylvania that was won by a driver other than Busch was the June race at the track in the 2018 season, which was won by Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. Busch, meanwhile, finished in third place in his #18 Toyota.

In the July race at Pocono Raceway in the 2018 season, the Gander Outdoors 400, Busch started in 28th place. He led 52 of the race’s 164 laps and took the checkered flag by 1.788 seconds over teammate Daniel Suarez, who finished in second in his #19 Toyota.

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This race featured a total of 13 lead changes, and nine drivers aside of Busch led at least one lap of the race. Busch’s laps led total was the highest among the laps led totals of all drivers.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, Suarez, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Jamie McMurray and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski led 30, 29, 14, 11, 11, 10, five, one and one lap(s), respectively.

In the June race at Pocono Raceway earlier this season, the Pocono 400, Busch started in second place. He led 79 of the race’s 160 laps and took the checkered flag by 2.224 seconds over Keselowski, who finished in second in his #2 Ford.

This race featured a total of 13 lead changes, and eight drivers aside of Busch led at least one lap of the race. Busch’s laps led total, once again, was by far the highest the laps led totals among all drivers.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson, Byron, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Keselowski, Richard Childress Racing’s Daniel Hemric, Elliott, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer and Hamlin led 35, 25, nine, four, three, two, two and one lap(s), respectively.

Will Busch earn his third consecutive victory at Pocono Raceway in this Sunder afternoon’s race, or will a driver other than Busch find victory lane at the track for the first time since Truex Jr. did so in June of 2018?

In the last five races at Pocono Raceway, Busch has led 318 of the 804 laps, and in only one of these five races has he led fewer than 52 laps. He has competed in a total of 29 races at the track, and in his first 24 starts, he led only 86 laps, so he has clearly found his stride there. He hasn’t finished lower than third place there since he finished in ninth in the June race in the 2017 season, a race of which he still managed to lead 100 of 160 laps.

Additionally, Busch has earned three victories at Pocono Raceway, and he has earned all three of these victories in the last four races there, so a victory at the track this weekend would be his fourth victory there in the last five races.

He will almost certainly be a contender to win this Sunday afternoon’s race, and he will justifiably and undoubtedly be the runaway favorite to do so. He also hasn’t won a race since he last won at Pocono Raceway in early June, so he will be extra hungry to get back to victory lane.

Will Kyle Busch earn his third consecutive victory in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway by winning the race at the track this Sunday, July 28? This race, the Gander RV 400, is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.