This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Alabama for the second restrictor plate race of the year.  Coverage of the Pocono Organics 325 in Partnership with Rodale Institute starts with NASCAR RaceHub at 3 p.m. EDT on FOX.  Race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. with the green flag around 3:50.  Coverage of Sunday's Pocono 350 will start with NASCAR RaceHub at 3:30 on FOX Sports 1.  Race coverage starts at 4 p.m. with the green flag around 4:15.  Both races can be heard on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Records and facts

In last year's Pocono 400, Kyle Busch was the best driver all day. leading 79 of 160 laps.  He took the lead for good with 20 laps to go, then held on during one last restart to hold on for the win.  Brad Keselowski was second, followed by Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Clint Bowyer.

The Gander RV 400 was somewhat similar, although the race came down to a Green-White-Checker restart.  Denny Hamlin was able to hold on to take the victory over Jones.  Martin Truex Jr. completed a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2-3 finish.  William Byron was fourth, while Kyle Larson was fifth.

Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin has the most victories at Pocono with five.  They include a sweep during his rookie year in 2006 and the aforementioned August race last year.  The Busch brothers and Jimmie Johnson are tied with three apiece. 

All-time, Jeff Gordon stands alone with six career wins at Pocono for the most all-time.  Hamlin and Bill Elliott have five wins, then you have Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip and Tim Richmond with four each.  Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Geoff Bodine and Bobby Allison have three each.

Track Facts

Track / Race Length: 2.5-mile tri-oval, 130 laps (325 miles) Saturday, 140 laps (350 miles) Sunday
Banking: 14 degrees in Turn 1, 8 degrees in Turn 2, 6 degrees in Turn 3.
Frontstretch: 3,740 ft., flat

Long Pond Straightaway: 3,055 ft., flat

North Straight: 1,780 ft., flat

Grandstand Seating: 70,000
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Pace Car Speed: 65 mph
Opened: 1971 (first Cup race in 1974)

Website: http://www.poconoraceway.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poconoraceway

Twitter: http://twitter.com/poconoraceway

Say What?!

"I think, overall, it’s going to be a fun weekend. I really enjoy racing at Pocono. I think it’s one of those racetracks we go to that’s cool to race at but is also really tough to get around. The restarts are really difficult and usually pretty treacherous. It’s important to have good, clean and consistent restarts there. You also need a good long-run car that turns well to make speed. Now adding in back-to-back races there, I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to bring a new challenge, and I think we’re up for it. We’ve ran well at Pocono in the past, so this is a chance for us to really capitalize." - William Byron

"It’s a tough track to get around. I think everybody loves it because it’s a challenge. It’s a place where no corner is the same, they’re all really difficult corners and one of those styles of tracks you haven’t seen a bunch before. It’s a triangle and you don’t ever race at other tracks shaped like that. There’s nothing like it." - Cole Custer

"Pocono is a challenging track to start with and it's hard to get your setup right in all three corners even when you do have practice and qualifying. It will be interesting to see how everyone approaches the weekend, but our Front Row Motorsports team has done a great job getting our cars ready at the shop. Luckily, we'll have two chances to try to get to Victory Lane." - John Hunter Nemechek