An eventful practice session at Pocono Raceway saw two of the pre-race favorites go for single-car spins. Many drivers anticipated the “Tunnel Turn” being tricky due to a set of bumps leading into the corner. It collected Kyle Larson during Group A of practice, and Tyler Reddick spun off Turn 1 in Group B. The No. 45 machine still held the fastest overall time, nearly a tenth of a second better than Martin Truex Jr. in second. Those two Toyotas paced the field on 10-lap averages. Aside from the speed of Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman and William Byron, there aren’t many notable changes in my lineup compared to earlier this week.
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Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Denny Hamlin
Starter 2: Martin Truex Jr.
Starter 3: Kyle Larson
Starter 4: Tyler Reddick
Starter 5: William Byron
Garage pick: Alex Bowman
NEXT IN LINE: Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell
RISING: I’ve used Gibbs plenty over the last couple of months and only have two starts remaining with the No. 54 team in the regular season. It feels like a matter of time before the 21-year-old finds Victory Lane. It’s believable to think it could come on Sunday. If you’ve got at least three starts remaining with Gibbs, it might be worth utilizing him in your lineup this weekend. Not only did Gibbs win his second career pole, but the No. 54 Toyota also was fourth in 10-lap averages.
As noted earlier in the week, 13 races have passed since Logano tallied his most recent top-five finish at Pocono (2016). Team Penske, in general, has struggled in Long Pond, though Blaney has had some shining moments. The No. 22 Ford was scored 13th in practice and made the final round of qualifying. Pocono is the exact opposite of short tracks — Team Penske’s wheelhouse this year — so I’m still not considering Logano for my lineup.
FALLING: Bubba Wallace came into the media center, declaring he was a new man starting this weekend. Gone are the days of being unhappy at the race track. That was put to the test immediately as the No. 23 wiggled during its qualifying lap and will start deep in the field in 29th. Wallace believes he will be able to drive through the field at ease on Sunday, but almost certainly, a new strategy will need to be formulated by his crew chief, Bootie Barker, in order to score stage points. This is why he’s dropped from my lineup.
Elliott has dropped from my lineup in place of Byron, his Hendrick teammate. The No. 24 car looks to have race-winning potential in it. All four HMS cars were competitive, but Elliott was on the lower end, based on practice and qualifying.
FEATURED MATCHUPS:
Alex Bowman vs. Bubba Wallace: Momentum can be a beautiful thing, and the No. 48 Chevrolet was fast on Saturday at Pocono. Coming off his win at the Chicago Street Course, Bowman will start from sixth position, giving him a 23-spot advantage on Wallace at the start of the race. With how fast the Toyotas are, Wallace, who was fourth quickest in practice, will likely be in the mix. Hendrick Motorsports showed up with comparable speed. I’m flipping to Bowman, who does have a recent victory at Pocono (2021).
Tyler Reddick vs. Ty Gibbs: For the second time in his young career, Gibbs will lead the field to the green flag for a Cup Series race. He had a car that could contend for the win based on practice, too. As does Reddick, who was quickest in practice despite the Turn 1 spin and ranked in the top three on five- and 10-lap averages. This might be one of those weeks where you choose blindly out of a hat, but I’m sticking with Reddick, who will start seventh.
Kyle Busch vs. Ryan Blaney: Another week, another race where Busch believes his No. 8 Chevrolet lacks grip compared to the field. The No. 8 car was 21st on single-lap speed in practice and was still struggling despite Randall Burnett making three adjustments. Blaney led the way for Team Penske in qualifying and was 14th in practice. Aside from picking up his first win at Pocono, Blaney’s numbers aren’t particularly flashy. But as he noted on Saturday, he dropped a cylinder while leading last year. Rolling with the No. 12 Ford on Sunday.
Christopher Bell vs. Kyle Larson: It’s rare that Larson is ever the slowest of the Hendrick Motorsports bunch, but he will start the deepest in the field of the four teams in 12th. As noted earlier, he went for a spin in Turn 2 during practice but still ranked eighth. Bell, meanwhile, was the slowest of the JGR cars in qualifying and will start right behind the No. 5 car in 13th. These two will likely slice their way through the field, but my gut tells me to go with Larson because he’s typically in the mix to win at Pocono.