Regan Smith, Sam Hornish Jr. and Michael McDowell all ran the June race at Pocono Raceway and each of them is happy to be back for this Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.
"Last night, I was getting ready to go to sleep and thinking about today and different things about the racing and what I'm going to be looking for out of my race car," Smith said Friday. "Last time, when we came here, I had no idea what to expect."
Smith qualified fourth in June, but wound up 28th, while Hornish qualified 41st and crashed out in 42nd and McDowell started 39th and finished 27th.
Pocono is the first in a series of tracks where all three rookies will get a second chance to race before the end of the year.
"We had an opportunity to go to Dover last year and try to qualify for the race," Hornish said. "I think we practiced like 38th fast and then went out to qualify and, I think, ended up 47th out of 49 car that were there that day. We were pretty disappointed about that.
"But then we go back there (in June) and we qualified 16th and we got a top-20 run (18th) at the end of the day," Hornish added. "I think that just shows how much easier it is the second time you go to a track and just know what to expect out of these cars and what you're looking for out of the car."
McDowell missed the first five races of the season before beginning his Cup career with Michael Waltrip Racing, so everything is still relatively new to him.
"Obviously, coming back (to a track) for me is just experience and gives you confidence," he said. "But, as a team, we're working through this new car, and being able to come back with a baseline starting point is only going to help us to improve our performance."
McDowell said the toughest part of going to a new track is having so little practice time before qualifying.
"You get an hour and then you qualify, and where you qualify really dictates how your weekend is going to go," he said. "Not having to worry about figuring out the (racing) line and figuring out what you need to do that first hour and be able to just go out there and work on the car and work on your qualifying trim is going to be a big thing."
Regan, leading the rookie standings, said, "The unknown of what to expect from the new car as the races go on is going to be a little bit less now (that we're) going back the second time to these places."
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BREATHING EASIER: A.J. Allmendinger has had his struggles this season, failing to qualify for several races before his Red Bull team replaced him briefly with veteran Mike Skinner.
But the former Champ Car star has made each of the past 12 races and is coming off a career-best 10th-place finish at Indianapolis after a solid 13th-place showing two weeks earlier at Chicago.
The recent success has settled Allmendinger's nerves, particularly in qualifying, where he still has to make the races on speed because he isn't in the top 35 in car owner points.
"Last year, I couldn't even breathe getting in the car (for qualifying) because it was so nerve-racking for me," he said. "Now I have the confidence in the team that we have a fast enough car to just go out there and put a lap down and not just make the race, but qualifying in the top 10 and run up front.
"It's definitely a lot better, but I don't want to do it much longer," added Allmendinger, who is 37th, 63 points behind 35th-place Scott Riggs heading into the weekend.
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JUST RIGHT: While some drivers complain that the 2.5-mile Pocono trioval is too rough, Carl Edwards is just fine with it.
"This is auto racing," he said. "The track is fine, it's perfect. It's the same track for everyone."
Edwards, who has one win and three top-10 finishes in seven races here, added, "The more bumps and the more patches and cracks and character it has, I think, the better. That's my take on racetracks is that they're not supposed to be perfect."
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STILL PUSHING: Greg Biffle is seventh in the season standings and, with just six races to go until NASCAR's postseason, well on his way to a berth in the 12-man Chase for the championship.
But the Roush Fenway Racing driver doesn't want to get overconfident.
"We're worried about being in the Chase," Biffle said. "We think about it every week. ... Top-10 finishes are what we need to do to secure our spot in the Chase and go to New York (for the postseason awards ceremony) and all that. We're working hard at it."
Biffle has solidified his chances with finishes of fourth and eighth in his last two starts, giving him nine top-10s for the season.
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SPARK PLUGS: Series points leader Kyle Busch finished last here in June and has only one top-five and two top-10s in seven starts at Pocono. ... Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon has the best record among active drivers at Pocono, with four wins, 15 top-fives and 21 top-10s in 31 races at the Pennsylvania track. ... There have been 14 different race winners in the 17 races since Bobby Labonte swept both events in 1999. Jimmie Johnson also won both races in 2004, as did Denny Hamlin in 2006. Kyle Busch won the July race in 2005 and 2007. ... Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 11 Pocono victories.
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