LONG POND, Pa. – For what it believed to have been the first same-day qualifying and race schedule in NASCAR’s modern-era, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. seemed to embrace the abbreviated schedule, which included qualifying nearly three and a half hours before Sunday’s Overton’s 400 at Pocono Raceway.
While some drivers elected to participate in Friday afternoon’s fan fest at the 2.5-mile triangle, others and a majority of the Cup teams spent an extra day at home with their families, something that both drivers pointed out was important for not only themselves but their team members in a grueling 36-race schedule.
“I thought this weekend was really good just the way that the schedule was laid out for the teams,” said Harvick.
“I know how much the guys appreciate being able to stay at home. That’s really what it’s about, it’s about quality of life for the team guys, giving them an extra day. If we can add that up 10, 15, 20 weekends, that’s two or three weeks that you can keep those guys at home and let them spend some time with their families and kids and wives. I thought it went well.”
Third-place finisher Truex noted the schedule was a little unfavorable for his Denver, Colorado-based team based on their time zone, but felt the change overall was a big deal.
“I think it’s definitely a big deal,” he said. “One day doesn’t sound like a lot, but especially for our guys being all the way out in Denver, having to load cars a day earlier than the teams here on the East Coast.
“I thought the schedule was really good. Cole said it was a little tough getting to the track yesterday at 3:30 mountain time, a.m., but I definitely think it was worth the extra day at home just to get more things done, you know, have a little bit more family time, especially on those travel days.”
Like Pocono, next weekend’s schedule as Watkins Glen International is similar. The Cup Series garage won’t open for activity until Saturday, Aug. 4 for practice, with time trials again expected again within hours of the green flag on Aug. 5.
Harvick even mentioned that it can be difficult for teams to find employees who want to accept a traveling position with the team knowing the demand it entails.
“Everybody is just gone so much, it’s almost becoming harder and harder it is becoming harder and harder to hire people because it is such a grind.”
Race winner Kyle Busch also didn’t mind the new Sunday tradition but said it’s not necessarily about the easy lifestyle for the drivers, but rather the crews.
I thought today was great,” offered Busch. “I didn’t have any qualms about it whatsoever. I’m up at 8, 9 o’clock in the morning anyway. Might as well be doing something. So qualifying at 11:30 wasn’t bad. Getting a bite to each for lunch, a drivers meeting, changing our clothes, going back to a traditional schedule, was not that big a deal.
“If you’re a driver that has a lot of hospitalities, a lot of different sponsors, things like that, it’s going to be difficult to balance that on some weekends. But for me today, it was pretty easy. I wouldn’t mind more days like that.
“You’d have to ask the crew guys what they feel about shortened schedules because I know last week’s was pretty touch with really long days, long hours in the garage area, then being back early in the mornings again. Totally different lives. I’m all about the crew guys, not necessarily about the drivers.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
