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2018 ABC Supply 500 preview

By Brittany Frederick

LONG POND, PA - AUGUST 20: Team Penske driver Will Power (12) of Australia drives during the IndyCar ABC Supply 500 on August 20, 2017, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LONG POND, PA - AUGUST 20: Team Penske driver Will Power (12) of Australia drives during the IndyCar ABC Supply 500 on August 20, 2017, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Verizon IndyCar Series heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the tricky ABC Supply 500. Here’s what to watch for in IndyCar from Pocono.

The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to action Sunday after another break, but it won’t be an easy return, as teams are headed to Pocono Raceway for the 2018 ABC Supply 500. The track is called the “Tricky Triangle” for a reason.

Just four races remain in the 2018 IndyCar season, and Pocono could quickly help unmuddle the league’s very close title picture. Last year’s race winner was Will Power, who’s looking for every point he can get as he’s climbed back into fourth place in the championship standings. This is his place to do it, having won this race each of the last two years.

But who led the most laps in last year’s ABC Supply 500? Well, that would be Scott Dixon, who’s currently the IndyCar championship leader and always a force to be reckoned with. Dixon just won two races ago, and he’d obviously love to add another victory to his 2018 resume.

Plus, it’s another week with yet another driver change elsewhere in the field, so nothing’s quite for certain at a track that’s notorious for shaking things up. It’s not an event that IndyCar enthusiasts want to miss out on.

What should race fans look for this weekend? Let’s break the race down in our ABC Supply 500 preview:

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

  • The track: Pocono’s nickname is well-deserved. Its track shape is unlike any other on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, and the lack of a fourth turn is something that still does catch a driver out from time to time. Will this be another year when someone has a slip-up and costs themselves or somebody else?
  • The pressure: With the end of the season in sight, talk about the 2019 season has already begun, and many drivers are considered to be fighting for their jobs. Chip Ganassi publicly stated that Ed Jones isn’t confirmed for next year, and Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud may also be at risk. Will drivers battling for the future change how they race in the present?
  • Team vs. driver competition: This is also that time of the season where teams have to decide if they’re going to work together to help a championship come to their organization, or race for themselves. For example, Team Penske has two drivers in the Top 5. What will happen when they meet each other on the track? It’s always intriguing to find out how much strategy goes into the final races of the season.

THREE DRIVERS TO WATCH

  • Ryan Hunter-Reay: The man they call “Captain America” won the ABC Supply 500 back in 2015 and showed an ability to carve up the field when he went from last to third in 2016. If he can do something like that again, it will be huge because RHR is now a contender for one more IndyCar title.
  • Scott Dixon: It’d be foolish not to include Dixon on this short list for the rest of the season. He holds all the cards at the moment (including off-track, having signed a contract extension with Chip Ganassi Racing this week). He’s the title leader, has the league’s best pit crew and is a former race winner as well.
  • Conor Daly: What an odd week this has been for IndyCar’s fan favorite driver. The Indiana native has driven solidly for Harding Racing, but was reportedly removed from the No. 88 in favor of Zachary Claman de Melo. Then on Tuesday, reports changed to have Daly back in the car at the ABC Supply 500. Daly is always a gamer, but he’s now working with less time. And can he impress enough to get himself a seat somewhere next year? Here’s hoping.

Next. Read our interview with points leader Scott Dixon. dark

The 2018 ABC Supply 500 takes place Sunday, Aug. 19 at 1:30 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of the 2018 IndyCar season, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided.