Don't expect easy Pocono gold for Rainbow Warrior

If you get a strong feeling of déjà vu this weekend, you're not alone. Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono International Raceway comes only eight weeks after the Nextel Cup Series' last visit back in June.

Jeff Gordon won that rain-shortened race with some brilliant pit strategy by crew chief Steve Letarte, who saw the ominous weather on the horizon and pitted earlier than usual for tires and fuel.

Jeff Gordon's 371-point lead over Denny Hamlin gives him breathing room. (Getty Images)

That move gave Gordon the track position needed when Mother Nature finally did dump a summer thunderstorm on Pocono. The 24 car was just in front of Ryan Newman and made its 79th trip to Victory Lane.

"We had a good car here last time, but a little bit of luck never hurts," Gordon said. "We pitted off sequence knowing everybody else would have to stop for fuel before the halfway mark. Luckily, the rain came when it did because it was going to be tough to hold off Ryan.

"That calculated risk -- or maybe you could call it a gamble -- certainly paid off."

Since that victory, Gordon has firmly held control of the top spot in the series point standings and brings a hefty 371-point advantage over Denny Hamlin into Sunday's race.

But don't expect Gordon to coast.

With six races to go for drivers to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, which will be seeded based on the number of regular-season victories this year, Gordon has added incentive to go out and try to garner more points and win more races.

"Any one of the 12 drivers can win the championship with the Chase format," he said. "Every point is crucial during the final 10 races, so any bonus points you get before the Chase begins is a huge benefit.

"And it's all about the bonus points for us right now, so we can be risky. We can afford to lose some points by taking bigger risks and possibly getting those bonus points. With wins comes momentum."

Tony Stewart can certainly attest to that.

The two-time series champion has the most momentum on the series right now, with two consecutive victories, capped by the second of his career at the Brickyard last weekend at Indianapolis.

It's just another example of Stewart's habit of going on a roll during the summer months of the Nextel Cup schedule.

"This time of year, it seems like we get hot," Stewart said. "We've even tried to sit down and figure out what we're missing in the spring -– why we can't do then what we're typically able to do now. It just seems like when the tracks get hot and slippery that it suits my driving style and the setups Zippy (crew chief Greg Zipadelli) puts on the car."

Two seasons ago, Stewart rode five victories in seven races to his second championship, and many feel his latest run already makes him this year's title favorite.

"There's still a lot of racing to go," he said. "There are no guarantees. But I do feel like we're doing what we need to do to put ourselves in championship contention. And like I've always said, you go out and try to win races and the points take care of themselves. It's what we've been trying to do all year, and it's paying off now."

Things are definitely not paying off right now for defending series champion Jimmie Johnson.

Last week's fiery exit at Indianapolis capped a two-week stretch of 37th and 39th place finishes for Johnson, who has tumbled from fourth to ninth in the series standings.

Johnson, who is still without crew chief Chad Knaus (sitting out his six-race suspension from June's rules infractions at Sonoma), is trying to stay positive about the situation as the start of the Chase looms.

"If we weren't running strong, I'd be more concerned," Johnson said. "But the cars have been good. We've been running up front when things have gone wrong. We've had blown tires, accidents that weren't our fault and some parts failed.

"When luck changes, you can pile up some low finishes and lose a lot of points. We've just had some crazy luck. This is just our turn to kind of go through that."

Denny Hamlin could use a little turnaround in the luck department himself. Although second in the standings, the sophomore was pegged for a pit road speeding penalty at Indy last week, ruining his chances for a good finish despite having one of the stronger cars on the track.

"We've had some off weeks by our standards but we still feel we are in good shape heading toward the Chase," said Hamlin, who swept both Pocono races a year ago. "We would like to get a win or two to help with the bonus situation heading into the Chase, but we feel competitive and really good about the schedule. Jeff has a big lead built up and there are a bunch of guys, Tony especially, who seem to be hitting their strides right now. That's just what really good teams and drivers do this time of the year, and we want to make sure we're on the same plan."