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Tony Stewart's consistency with his new team has been super impressive, and it's one of the reasons he could get to Victory Lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, writes Johnny Benson of NBCSports.com.

Johnny Benson

Working in Stewart’s favor
Last year when Stewart decided to leave Joe Gibbs Racing, and become an owner/driver for Stewart-Haas Racing, many questioned the decision. And most thought there would be growing pains for the new venture. That hasn’t been the case as Stewart is on top in the standings, becoming the first owner/driver to lead in points since the late Alan Kulwicki did so at the end of the 1992 season.

In three of the last four Cup races, Stewart has finished second twice and third. He is so close to getting to Victory Lane. He’s been super consistent. He has the car and the horsepower to best the field at Pocono. And while Pocono may not be Stewart’s best track, with the way things are going for him and his organization, this is a great opportunity for him.

Stewart-Haas Racing is still learning things each time they run a race. They are improving week to week, but the one factor that stands out is how consistent they have been. They are as consistent as any other team, maybe even the most consistent on the circuit. That’s tough for any organization to achieve, never mind one in its first year of operation. The communication between Stewart and his new crew chief, Darian Grubb, has been tremendous, another reason the No. 14 Chevrolet has exceeded expectations.

In 20 Cup starts at Pocono, the two-time Cup champion has one win (2003), six top-fives, and 14 top-10s. His average start is 12.3, and his average finish is 13th. He has top-10 results in six of his last seven Pocono races. And he will start from the pole after rain washed out qualifying.

Other drivers to watch
Kasey Kahne comes off a sixth-place finish at Dover last week, and his No. 9 car is running new engines from Dodge so that could propel him to a real strong showing at Pocono. Kahne is pleased with the new motor, which has plenty of power, and is one of the reasons the team has made some really big gains in the last few weeks.

Kahne won the pole for this event, led for 69 laps, and got to Victory Lane. In addition to his win, in 11 Cup starts at Pocono, he has two poles, two top-fives, and four top-10s. His average start is 7.8, and his average finish is 16.6. He has led for 5.7 percent of the laps he has run.

Jimmie Johnson comes off a win last week at Dover, and the three-time defending Cup champion is on the move. He has climbed to third in the standings, 64 points behind Stewart.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has a solid history at Pocono with two wins, two poles, five top-fives, and nine top-10s. His average start is 7.4, and his average finish is 9.8. He’s led for 13.1 percent of the laps he’s run.

Pocono is a track where Mark Martin runs well, although he has never won there, coming home second six times. The veteran has four consecutive top-10 finishes at Pocono. This will be his first race at this venue for Hendrick Motorsports, which should only strengthen his chances at a win.

This will be Martin’s 45th Cup start at Pocono, where he has three poles, 19 top- fives, and 31 top-10s. His average start is 8.6, and his average finish is 10.7. He has led for 4.9 percent of the laps he has run.

The solid year Kurt Busch is having has him fourth in the standings. He has been running new engines this year in the No. 2 Dodge of Penske Racing, and that has made a difference. Busch finished fifth at Dover last week, and there was a point in the race where he felt he had the fastest car.

Busch’s Pocono resume is an impressive one. In 16 Cup starts, he has two wins, seven top-fives, and eight top-10s. His average start is 13.9, and his average finish is 15.7. He has led for 10.9 of the laps he has run.

My dark horse is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will be running his second race under new crew chief Lance McGrew. Junior finished 12th at Dover last week. At Pocono, Junior has not won, but has one pole, five top-fives, and six top-10s in 18 Cup starts. His average start is 15th, and his average finish is 16.3.