Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) and Penske Racing teammate Ryan Newman (No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge) have their teams moving in the right direction in the series standings currently 13th and 14th respectively. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) sits on the bubble, 13 points ahead of Busch and 59 ahead of Newman. Neither Newman nor Busch made the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup last season.
But this season may be a different story. Newman heads to Pocono with a 2003 win at the track and five top-five finishes, including a runner-up finish earlier this season. Newman - a. k.a ‘the Rocket’ - also has been known to put the No. 12 Dodge on the pole at Pocono, notching two in his career, including earlier this season. Busch has less ground to make up than his teammate, and he, too, has had success at Pocono with a win in 2005 and six top fives.
Earnhardt Jr. will have to be on his toes because the competition is closing in. This race could be the one Penske Racing uses to make a move because Earnhardt has only three top-five finishes in 15 starts at Pocono.
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