The other Pocono upset: Regan Smith snags third for TBR

Regan Smith and Tommy Baldwin Racing played the same strategy game as the surprise race winners, but their third-place finish deserves just as much praise.

Prior to Pocono, Smith had just one top 20 finish this season (eighth in Daytona 500), so to finish third today was a huge achievement for the single-car operation.

"I was actually just in the motorhome talking to Tommy (Baldwin), and I said, for every 10 times you try something like this, it works once or twice, and it's even more rare that it works to the level it did today. Usually you pick up a spot here or there.

"I'll be honest, I'm kind of surprised more guys didn't stay out that long and stretch it just a little while like we did when I realized we were running second, and quite honestly our only mission was just to try and lead a lap before we pitted."

The other driver to take the gamble was Chris Buescher, who secured his first ever Sprint Cup win today with Front Row Motorsports. But it was fog, not rain that stopped the race. But the rain eventually came after a lengthy delay, sealing the fate of the race.

"The cloud kind of came at just the right time for us," said Smith. "We were within five or six laps of having to pit, but it's a credit to my guys for seeing the opportunity to do that strategy, and when you're a small team working hard to try and go up against some of the bigger teams that we do, you've got to take the opportunities when they present themselves, and today and this weekend in general, just kind of had that feeling to it with the rain on and off all weekend long, and we were able to make the most out of it, and it's something I'm proud of them for doing, and happy for Tommy.

"Tommy has done this for a long time, and his strategy is second to none. He's as good as anybody when it comes to calling a race and playing the strategy game, and he's had this team for, what, 10, 12 years now, whatever the number is, and has grinded it out."

For TBR, this is just their second top five finish in 377 races, earning another third-place finish in the fall Talladega race in 2011. They may not have gotten the trophy like Buescher, but these underdogs certainly pulled off an upset.