Buescher tried and true in trucks

Not many drivers can claim a better performance kick than James Buescher’s most recent run in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He leads the series with three wins this year, including two of the last three races.

If not for a crash-related 30th-place night while leading at Iowa, Buescher might very well be riding a three-race win streak into Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 125 (1 p.m. ET, SPEED) at Pocono Raceway. No other driver in the series has multiple wins this year, but it’s Buescher’s not-so-tight grasp on consistency that has placed him fourth in the points, 35 behind series leader Timothy Peters.

The other grasp Buescher and the rest of the field will need is on the new asphalt at Pocono, which will host the truck series for the first time since its repaving job.

“Pocono Raceway is a very unique track,” Buescher said. “Each corner is very different, which makes it challenging for the drivers and crews. You have to give up a little at one end in order to really get your truck to turn on the other. We are bringing our best truck this weekend and are hoping to continue to build momentum as we continue to battle for the championship.”

Peters, who capitalized on Buescher’s misfortunate to win at Iowa, is one of just three drivers to complete all 1,674 laps in the series’ 10 races this season. Not surprisingly, the other two rank right behind him in the standings — rookie Ty Dillon is second, 23 points back, and Justin Lofton is third, 35 off the top spot.

Sprint Cup stars Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski will do double-duty at Pocono. Hamlin, who has four Cup victories at the 2.5-mile track, will drive the No. 18 entry for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Keselowski, the Cup winner at Pocono in August 2011, will drive his own truck in search of his first win in the series.