Pocono is perhaps one of the most unique and challenging Oval tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Rightfully called the ‘Tricky Triangle’, it has long been a track where several drivers have struggled. Unlike a regular Oval, it has three turns with different banking angles on all of them. Navigating these turns perfectly is the secret to success on the track and according to Josh Berry, the final turn is the trickiest.
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Owing to the different banking angles, no car can set up perfectly for all three. Compromises have to be made somewhere as drivers lose time in corners that the car is not set up for. Reducing that loss and getting a good exit out of three onto the long straight will be the name of the game for Berry on Sunday. But it is not going to be easy to execute.
.@joshberry will pilot the No. 15 @vivaseltzer Ford Mustang this weekend @PoconoRaceway in the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 225!
Click the link below to read more ⬇️https://t.co/YwNglJbdmg
— AM Racing (@AMRacingNASCAR) July 8, 2024
“I think turn three is the most difficult because it is the last corner before the long straightaway,” he told Speedway Media. “If there was any corner to pick to have your car set up for, it would be that one for me. But they are all different and that’s what makes that place so hard.”
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver will run in the Xfinity Series race at the venue on Saturday. For a track as tricky as Pocono even the slightest advantage will go a long way.
Will the Xfinity Series race experience help Josh Berry on Sunday?
Finding that slight advantage will be Berry’s mission on Saturday. Speaking to the media, that is exactly what he said he was going to do. There is also a feeling of redemption that the former JR Motorsports racer believes he needs in the Xfinity Series after last season.
“Simulators can only go so far, so to be able to get track time and see how the surface evolves, what I need out of the car, and how to run lines that I think can work or develop is going to give me an advantage in how quickly I can adapt,” he explained.
It will be interesting to see how the driver of the #4 car races on the big occasion on Sunday. With some luck, he could earn a finish near the top of the pack or even better.
