Just Sayin’: It Always Rains at Pocono Raceway

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By Jared Turner

Doesn’t it always rain at Pocono?

With all due respect to Pocono Raceway, there’s no track more undeserving of two annual Sprint Cup dates than the so-called “Tricky Triangle.” Aside from the fact that races at Pocono tend to be among the most humdrum on the schedule, there’s also the harsh reality that rain seems to be a factor virtually every time NASCAR visits the 2.5-mile track. This past weekend was no different from the norm as wet weather hampered the proceedings on Friday and Saturday and then on Sunday forced the first postponement of the 2016 Sprint Cup season. While it’s obviously impossible to dictate what Mother Nature does, it just seems like there might be a better and all-around more deserving track out there than Pocono. At the very least, NASCAR should consider moving one of Pocono’s race weekends elsewhere. There are no doubt plenty of tracks that would be more than willing to step up and fill the gap.

Brad Keselowski needs thicker skin

Following Monday’s rain-delayed race at Pocono, third-place finisher Brad Keselowski took aim at someone in his post-race comments. Curiously, the target of Keselowski’s criticism wasn’t a current driver. It was a former one. Keselowski accused Jeff Gordon – who retired from driving at the end of last season – for being biased in his commentary from the FOX Sports 1 broadcast booth where he’s worked this season alongside fellow announcers Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip. Even if Gordon IS biased, is it really Keselowski’s job to get out of his car and criticize a member of the media who wasn’t even in the race? It seems petty, and, frankly, childish. Who knows? Maybe Keselowski still isn’t over his memorable run-in with Gordon at Texas in the fall of 2014. But no matter his motivation for lashing out, “Bad Brad” would be better served to focus on his own team – or at the very least the drivers he’s actually racing.