Pit Box: Pocono

By Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(July 30, 2010)

For a third straight season, Sporting News’ Reid Spencer, Roger Kuznia and Bill Marx are matching wits in the Pit Box. The format is simple: They can pick a driver only once during the season. But for good measure, each also will pick his favorite to win the race.

Reid’s pick: Sam Hornish Jr. As tempted as I am to pad my lead by picking polesitter Tony Stewart, my better judgment tells me to go with Hornish, who seems to have gotten the hang of the Tricky Triangle. Hornish has finished 10th, fourth and 11th in his last three races there. Any one of those results on Sunday would delight me.

Who Reid really thinks will win: Tony Stewart. I don’t have to save him in the real picks.

Roger’s pick: Tony Stewart. I’ve mapped out my strategy for the final 16 races, and this is where Stewart was slotted. Given my outstanding luck, he will trap himself in traffic on the final pit stop by taking four tires and accidentally collect Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a wreck after slamming the wall.

Who Roger really thinks will win: Denny Hamlin. He’s in the red after being fined by NASCAR, and a win puts him back in the black.

Bill’s pick: David Ragan. I am going to get clubbed again like one of those plastic gophers at Chuck E. Cheese, but what choice do I have? My strategy is to save my remaining top drivers for the Chase, and I am out of alternatives. A top 15 would be awesome, but at this point, I’d be happy with a top 20. Ford FR9, don’t fail me now.

Who Bill really thinks will win: Jeff Gordon. I could tell you I made the pick because of Gordon’s terrific record at Pocono, but anyone who has been following Pit Box this season knows I made a commitment to him earlier this season of picking him until he wins—for better or for worse, ’til end of season do we part.

Last week: Tough race for both Bill and Roger at Indianapolis , but an OK one for Reid. Roger’s tear ducts emptied when Juan Pablo Montoya hit the wall and finished 32nd after being caught in traffic late in the race. Bill encountered similar disaster with Robby Gordon, who finished 36th, but Bill had far lower expectations for the No. 7 car. Meanwhile, Reid nearly got a top 10 out of Mark Martin (11th) and now leads Bill by 178 points. In the real picks, both Roger and Reid felt the pain of Montoya’s wreck, while Bill’s pick of Jeff Gordon didn’t pan out this week. Gordon finished 23rd, ending Gordon’s string (and Bill’s) of consecutive top-five finishes at five.

Points standings

One and done: Reid 2,656, Bill 2,478, Roger 2,188.

Real picks: Reid, 2,834; Roger, 2,823; Bill, 2,692.