Posted on by Staff Report

Ross Chastain found early trouble in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, exiting in a Stage 2 crash at Pocono Raceway.

Chastain started 19th in the 37-car field in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400. His No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet was running 21st before it broke loose in Turn 3 in the 53rd of a scheduled 160 laps, making significant right-side contact with the outside retaining wall.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Pocono

Chastain scraped the Turn 1 wall as he nursed the No. 1 Chevy back to pit road. His Trackhouse crew determined that the damage was terminal due to broken control arms in the right front, ending Chastain’s day.

Chastain was credited with a 36th-place finish, one spot ahead of Noah Gragson, who was the race’s first retiree in an opening-stage wreck.

“I just flat spun out,” Chastain said upon getting evaluated and released from the infield care center. “We’re all sliding around, but I just spun out.”

Chastain entered the 400-miler in 12th place in the Cup Series standings, with a 53-point cushion relative to the playoff elimination line. After Sunday’s event, he slipped below Chris Buescher to become the last driver on the provisional playoff grid, now unofficially holding just a 27-point edge over Bubba Wallace with just five races left in the regular season before the 16-driver postseason field is set.

Chastain emphasized his disappointment after simply sliding wide, his right-rear quarter panel catching the SAFER barrier before a right-front crunch.

“I’m just worried about why I spun out,” Chastain said. “I’m a race car driver in the Cup Series. I shouldn’t be doing that. You don’t see us do that too often. So when I do it myself, I’m as surprised as everybody else.”

Crew chief Phil Surgen told NASCAR.com that Chastain had warned the car was sliding and in need of an adjustment on the next stop.

“We started that run on those tires a little bit tight, and it built looser,” Surgen said. “So I think a couple of laps prior, he had said that the car’s freed up now and needs some right-rear grip, so it was on the loose side there. Just unfortunate.”

Chastain was not much concerned with the playoff picture while trying to come to terms with his second DNF in the past three weeks. Surgen, on the other hand, had his mind on what lies ahead.

“We’ll just have to evaluate after today what happened to the other guys,” Surgen said. “They might end up in a similar situation and it won’t be much different — or things could look altogether different if we get a flyer that is back in points to win or something. We’ll see what happens. Like you said, the mindset doesn’t change. You’re gonna show up every week, try to be as fast as you can, sit on pole, win the race.

“As we close in at the end of the regular season, depending on where we are relative to those cars we’re racing, that’ll probably change the amount of risk we take for a win. But it’ll be really situational. You know, we’re not gonna go out and just throw Hail Marys next week just because.”

The hunt for the playoffs continues on July 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the return of the Brickyard 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Contributing: Zach Sturniolo

Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for driver Kyle Busch was whisked from the starting grid as the team scrambled to address an oil leak before the start of Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Busch’s No. 8 Chevy dropped to the rear of the 37-car field for the start of the Great American Getaway 400 because of the unapproved adjustments. Busch’s car, which arrived on the grid just in time during pre-race ceremonies, was scheduled to take the green flag from 24th place.

RELATED: Pocono results | At-track photos

Busch finished 32nd in Sunday’s race after crashing with the only other car to drop to the rear for the start — the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Corey LaJoie. Their contact caused a multi-car calamity during a restart with 40 laps remaining.

Busch’s fifth DNF in the last seven races dropped him to 102 points behind the provisional elimination line in the Cup Series Playoffs picture. Five regular-season events remain.

Posted on by Alex Cadavid

Editor’s note: Race projection has been updated after Saturday’s practice and qualifying session. Notable changes include William Byron moving up from fourth to second, Ty Gibbs moving into the top 10 and Kyle Busch dropping out of the top 10.

The Cup Series returns to Pocono Raceway on Sunday after a wet and wild contest on the streets of Chicago that saw Alex Bowman beat the clock to end an 80-race winless streak.

The name to watch out for this week is Denny Hamlin. The No. 11 driver has won seven races at Pocono, and Racing Insights predicts he will extend his all-time record to eight wins this weekend in the Great American Getaway 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Hamlin has shown to be a master around the “Tricky Triangle,” leading laps in each of the last nine races at the circuit. He’s also the betting favorite to win outright.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live roster | Pocono schedule

Plus, Joe Gibbs Racing has had tremendous success at the Long Pond tri-oval, earning the most poles (4), race wins (7), runner-ups (4), top fives (22), and leading the most laps (789) at Pocono Raceway since 2017.

The cards are in Hamlin and JGR’s favor, but Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team are right behind at a projected third-place finish. The two drivers shared an aggressive battle late in the final stage at Pocono last year and continue to have run-ins throughout this season. With how well both teams have run at Pocono in the Next Gen era and the fact both are looking to be the first driver with four wins in 2024, it feels as though another Hamlin-Larson battle is coming.

MORE: Larson says on-track racing with Hamlin all about trust | History of run-ins

It’s also worth pointing out that Larson has finished second to Hamlin six times, and on each occasion, the pair has finished 1-2. Could he really stomach the feeling of being on the wrong side of a 1-2 finish with Hamlin again?

With six races left in the regular season, it’s also crunch time for the rest of the field to try to earn a spot in the playoffs. It leaves the door open for a new winner to be in Victory Lane on Sunday.

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH:

TY GIBBS: It’s almost a bit surprising Gibbs hasn’t won yet. He started the year finishing in the top 10 in five of the first seven races but has only added four in the 13 races since. He has an 84-point cushion but could find his way into trouble as the season winds down. As mentioned earlier, JGR comes to perform at Pocono, and four drivers have earned the first Cup win at the track. Could Gibbs become the fifth?

CHRIS BUESCHER: Five of the last eight races have been won by drivers who got their first win of the season. Three of those five entered the race as the last driver above the elimination line. Chris Buescher now moves to 16th place in the playoff standings after Bowman’s win in Chicago. He did score his first Cup win at Pocono, so it will be interesting to see if he can lock himself in and continue the trend.

BUBBA WALLACE: It sure is getting interesting below the elimination line. Wallace needs a turnaround at Pocono, a track where most Toyotas tend to perform better than the other manufacturers. Wallace should have a chip on his shoulder to score points to help his chances of making the playoffs for the second straight year.

TODD GILLILAND: Gilliland has put together consistent races in the thick of the season. He hasn’t finished outside the top 20 since Dover and is gaining more and more traction as a possible dark horse to surprise the field and score a win. He finished 15th at Pocono last year, and with the step forward he’s taken this year, that result should improve.

ERIK JONES: Pocono is one of Jones’ best tracks. He has five top fives — tied for his most at a track. Jones has also scored top-10 finishes in eight of the last 12 Pocono races, with his last two races there resulting in a pair of ninth-place finishes.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN GETAWAY 400 PRESENTED BY VISTPA.COM

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar NumberDriver
111Denny Hamlin
224William Byron
35Kyle Larson
49Chase Elliott
519Martin Truex Jr.
66Brad Keselowski
745Tyler Reddick
848Alex Bowman
954Ty Gibbs
1012Ryan Blaney
1120Christopher Bell
128Kyle Busch
1322Joey Logano
1423Bubba Wallace
1599Daniel Suárez
1643Erik Jones
1717Chris Buescher
1834Michael McDowell
191Ross Chastain
203Austin Dillon
2138Todd Gilliland
2216AJ Allmendinger
232Austin Cindric
2447Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2510Noah Gragson
2614Chase Briscoe
274Josh Berry
2821Harrison Burton
297Corey LaJoie
3041Ryan Preece
3151Justin Haley
3242John H. Nemechek
3331Daniel Hemric
3477Carson Hocevar
3571Zane Smith
3615Cody Ware
3744J.J. Yeley
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Chandler Smith and Sam Mayer had a difference of opinion after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Mayer hustled to a 10th-place finish and Smith 15th, but close-quarters action in the Pocono Mountains 225 left Smith frustrated with Mayer. After the race, Smith exited his No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and went directly to Mayer’s car, expressing said frustration with a raised voice while Mayer sat in his car unbuckling.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

The root of Smith’s anger stemmed from how he felt Mayer raced him.

“I mean he sat on my door in the ‘Tunnel Turn’ three times — about wrecked all three times,” Smith told NASCAR.com. “And then he wrecked the 97 (Shane van Gisbergen). He ain’t gonna mess with me anymore; I can promise you that. And if he does, I guarantee he won’t do it again. Hopefully, he got the message.”

Mayer was left surprised by how angered Smith was after the 90-lap matinee at Pocono — particularly before he could even get out of his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. He, instead, had van Gisbergen on his mind after a bump from Mayer entering Turn 2 sent SVG spinning from 10th with seven laps remaining.

“He can’t handle being raced hard, I guess; I don’t know,” Mayer told NASCAR.com. “I mean, that was the last person I expected to be upset with me today. Huge apologies out to the 97 guys. I just messed up. I drove in a little too hard. Brake pedal started fading a little bit and I didn’t account for that, so that’s on me there.

“But Chandler, I don’t know, man. Not my problem.”

Sam Mayer drives at Pocono Raceway.
Alex Daus | NASCAR Digital Media

Mayer saw nothing egregious from his side-by-side battles with Smith around the 2.5-mile triangular circuit, adding to his post-race surprise.

“He was saying that I put it on his door multiple times, which if you’ve watched racing, you know that that happens every lap,” Mayer said. “So not really too sure why he’s mad about that. Definitely frustrated to see him come in my window like that and not even give me a chance to talk back. Frustrating to hear that, but I’m also frustrated with myself for what happened with the 97.”

Smith said he and Mayer had raced against each other just fine over the years, but Saturday’s aggression was enough to be a tipping point for the 22-year-old Smith.

“I’ve never had anything go on with Mayer at all,” Smith said. “We’ve always raced each other clean, respectful, and I’ve had respect for him. I know a lot of other people in the garage never have really been on that same page with him. I’ve always had good run-ins with him, so I was like, ‘Oh it’s whatever, I guess. Just sucks to be you, right?’ But today, I got a glimpse of what they were talking about and I’m not gonna put up with that.”

While Mayer and Smith both walked away with top-15 finishes, van Gisbergen — a three-time winner this season in Xfinity competition — finished 31st after separate contact on the race’s final restart.

The Xfinity Series next races on July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Posted on by Holly Cain

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday, beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series win of the year.

Custer’s No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford took the lead from Allgaier on a restart with nine laps remaining and then held off the JR Motorsports Chevrolet by 0.670 seconds to secure his 14th career victory in a thrilling finish at Pocono Raceway. He becomes the first driver to win multiple Xfinity Series races at the historic 2.5-mile track — answering his 2019 win.

“You just try to manage it the best you can, but it’s kind of the luck of the draw who gets the best push,’’ a smiling Custer said of having to hold off perennial championship contender Allgaier and third-place finisher Cup Series regular William Byron in the closing laps.

“That was some Doug Yates horsepower right there. We definitely had it on the straightaways and man, I just can’t say enough about these guys. They’ve worked so hard this whole year and just haven’t had that final result. To finally get it, is so awesome.’’

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Allgaier led a race-best 30 of 90 laps with the 25-year-old Californian Custer out front for 25 laps — the two drivers each winning a stage. For Allgaier, his Stage 1 victory was a series-best 11th, but a pit-road penalty during the ensuing pit stop forced him to work his way back up through the field.

And even with all the impressive race statistics and compelling comeback story lines Saturday, it was missing out on the trophy after such a strong showing that stuck with Allgaier when he climbed out of his Chevrolet.

“Really proud of everyone at JR Motorsports, just really stinks to come out of here second,’’ Allgaier said. “Led so many laps here and feel like the same result every time, just not able to go to Victory Lane … just came up a little short and it’s going to sting for a little while.’’

This year’s Daytona 500 winner and the 2017 Xfinity Series champion Byron was making his third Xfinity Series start of the season and kept the field honest, leading 17 laps.  

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray rounded out the top five. Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman and JR Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer rounded out the top 10.

Custer extended his lead atop the Xfinity Series championship and now holds a 51-point advantage on Allgaier. With seven races remaining to set the 12-driver playoff field, Smith holds a 23-point edge over Ryan Sieg for that 12th position. 

The Xfinity Series returns to action next Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).  Ty Gibbs won the race last year on the Indianapolis road course. However, Kyle Busch won the last Xfinity Series race on the famed 2.5-mile oval in 2019.

Note: Post-race technical inspection was completed without any issues, confirming Custer as the race winner. The Nos. 17 and 18 will be taken back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for teardown.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Daniel Suárez received a gift he will never forget this week.

On July 12, Suárez revealed he was sent an American flag that was certified to have flown over the United States Capitol to commemorate Suárez’s recent U.S. citizenship.

The flag was sent via Jim Cassidy, a former executive at NASCAR who worked with the sport for over two decades, most recently as the sport’s chief international officer before departing in 2019.

“Not a lot of people know this, but I have a great relationship with Jim Cassidy, an ex-executive of NASCAR,” Suárez said Saturday at Pocono Raceway. “And he sent me this gift, which I had no idea exactly what it was. And then when I opened it and I read the paper on the flag where it was flown, it was very emotional, especially because I opened that gift and I opened a few packages I got and received at the house — and the very next package was my American passport.

“So I opened the flag and my American passport within a minute of each other. I got goosebumps right now because it was a special (moment). I was alone in the house, so nobody knew. Nobody knew what was happening but myself, so it was a special moment for myself.”

Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, was sworn in as a United States citizen on June 18, 12 years after coming to the USA to pursue his racing dreams. That the driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet was gifted such a unique and meaningful present — dated on his first Independence Day as an American citizen — only added to the meaning behind receiving the flag.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

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.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineups

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.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Bubba Wallace was fined $50,000 after the Chicago Street Race for contacting race winner Alex Bowman on the cool-down lap.

Nearly a week removed from the contact, Wallace entered Pocono Raceway on Saturday with a newfound perspective following the penalty issued by NASCAR on Tuesday.

MORE: Pocono schedule | At-track photos

“The penalty was probably the best thing to happen to me,” Wallace said. “I’ve been miserable for years walking around with a persona that I’m not proud of. I apologize. I need to apologize to a lot of people that are close to me. … Just frustrated and trying way too hard and not focused on the right things.”

NASCAR officials handed the fine to Wallace after his post-race door bump to Bowman, which stemmed from an incident in wet conditions at Lap 25. Heading to Turn 2, Bowman carried too much speed, locked the brakes on his No. 48 Chevrolet and slid into Wallace’s right-rear corner, sending Wallace spinning. Post-race, Wallace used his car to bump Bowman door-to-door. Bowman’s window net was down and also led him against the concrete barriers on the street circuit.

Wallace went on to finish 13th at Chicago, but road racing has never been his strong suit, he admits. That only added to last weekend’s frustration.

“I’ve been putting my heart and soul into getting better and spending time with the team in the sim and trying to be better showing up to Chicago,” Wallace said. “That was our best road-course race ever. And to have that wiped out in two corners when the conditions change over (Bowman) messing with switches … when that’s all ripped away, you feel some type of entitlement to show your frustration.

“Did I time it wrong? Sure, 100%. Window net was down, seat belts were off. Not an ideal situation. And you know, it’s the guy you’re racing with in the points and then he goes on to win the race. So it’s like icing on the cake, right? So it’s just three or four slaps in the face when you’re working your ass off to be better for the team and just ripped away. Not that I’m justifying it at all — but I’m a passionate guy and I let my frustration get the best of me.”

Bubba Wallace drives during NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono.
Alex Daus | NASCAR Digital Media

Wallace credited Kevin Harvick, 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and current FOX Sports analyst, for guidance midweek when Wallace was competing in the Summer Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harvick, in part, told Wallace “to show up with a smile on my face and accept it.”

“He also told me a lot of powerful things, to show up and and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week,” Wallace said. “I think that has been one of the most important things told to me that people don’t see who I actually am on Sundays. And that broke me, right? Because I always preach about being the same person on and off the race track.”

The 30-year-old father-to-be has long been an advocate for mental health and says he has been kept in check, but that he’s largely been “miserable” the last four years “just trying to carry this persona.”

“So I came into this weekend with a smile on my face and wanting to have fun,” said Wallace, who qualified 26th for Sunday’s race at Pocono. “And so that’s what I’m focused on. I did not have fun in qualifying. I about crashed. But it is what it is. You know, I think last week if this was right now, I’d be pissed off and didn’t want to talk to you guys. But you know, you roll with the punches. You roll with the $50,000 fine. You roll with a P26 qualifying spot. And it is what it is. You got another day to figure it out, go have fun, pass a lot of cars and that’s where my mind’s at.”

Bowman said during the winner’s press conference Sunday at Chicago that he didn’t believe the contact warranted a penalty and stood by his thoughts at Pocono.

“I mean, I don’t think my opinion of the whole thing really mattered,” Bowman said. “I didn’t feel like it was anything terrible on my end from where I sat and I certainly understood why he was mad at me. But it’s obviously NASCAR’s decision on what they’re going to do. I feel like stuff like that happens more often than the TV camera probably catches but yeah, it was one of those deals.”

Bowman attempted to apologize to Wallace during a rain delay at Chicago last weekend and the two exchanged texts Monday, settling any residual frustration.

“I texted him Monday sitting in our debrief,” Wallace said, “because he texts me: ‘Hey man, sorry. Immediately locked up.’ He didn’t mention anything about switches until TV. And he’s like, ‘If there’s any consolation, my (expletive) is destroyed too.’ And I text them after the race: ‘Yeah, ha. Real destroyed. Nice job on the win.’ So we’re good.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

The Great American Getaway 400

(⏰ Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET | USA Network | NBC Sports App | MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | NASCAR 101

Location: Long Pond, Pa.
Track length: 2.5 miles
Race purse: $7,776,907
Race distance: 160 laps | 400 miles
Stages: 30 | 95 | 160
—
Starting lineup: Ty Gibbs drives to pole position
Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
Defending winner: Denny Hamlin, July 2023

Key things to watch

Saturday sessions

Ty Gibbs rolled to his second career Cup Series pole, putting the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota through its paces at a speed of 170.039 mph. Both of his poles have come this season, with his first No. 1 starting spot arriving in May for the Coca-Cola 600. William Byron will start second in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, and the second row will be two more JGR Toyotas, with Martin Truex Jr. third and Denny Hamlin fourth.

Practice was an eventful stretch for the field, which was split in half for a pair of 20-minute sessions. Tyler Reddick topped the speed chart at 168.231 mph, but his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota spun during practice, avoiding contact with the wall. Kyle Larson was another spinner, looping his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet off Turn 2 during the first 20-minute stint. Byron was second-fastest overall in practice, with Truex completing the top three. | Full Saturday recap

Big story line

Playoff pressure still percolates as teams make their case

Alex Bowman’s victory last week in the Chicago streets did another number on the Cup Series Playoffs picture, but it also completed a four-team sweep for Hendrick Motorsports in terms of postseason eligibility. The only other organization with all of its teams in the provisional playoff grid is Team Penske, which converted with victories by Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano in a lucrative five-week stretch.

Which other organizations have the oomph to put all of their drivers in the field? There are a handful of likely candidates, and their drivers are all along the bubble.

Six races remain before the 16-driver grid of championship hopefuls is set, and that half-dozen includes Sunday’s 400-miler at the famously triangular track in the Keystone State. Twelve drivers have secured clinching victories in the regular season thus far, and three drivers — Bowman, Blaney and Logano — have extricated themselves from bubble limbo with breakthroughs in the last four weeks.

Joe Gibbs Racing has two drivers in the win column this year, with Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin snagging three apiece. The rest of their four-car fleet is still looking for that first 2024 victory, led by veteran Martin Truex Jr., a two-time Pocono winner and the top points-earner currently winless. Ty Gibbs is right behind teammate Truex in the playoff picture, and a win — which seems on the verge, especially given his best final-round speed in Saturday’s Busch Light Pole qualifying session — would be a Cup Series career first.

Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain is among those searching, aiming to join teammate Daniel Suárez in the win column. He’s plus-53 above the provisional elimination line and was in the late-race mix two weeks ago at Nashville Superspeedway. Chastain is still seeking his first Pocono top-10 finish.

Chris Buescher sits as the last driver above the bubble line, plus-45, and also on the cusp in his bid to meet RFK Racing owner/driver Brad Keselowski in the playoff fold. His first Cup Series victory came at Pocono as a rookie in 2016, and he got hot just before the postseason last year, winning three of five to close out the regular-season campaign.

History tells us…

Toyota drivers have their triangle tendencies. Recent results suggest with good reason that Toyota drivers have found favor in the Pocono hills, with eight victories in the last 11 races there. Leading that charge has been Denny Hamlin — the defending race victor and a record seven-time Pocono winner overall. Hamlin is the track’s laps leader among active Cup Series drivers with 827 circuits out front, though he’s finished outside the top 20 in his last five Cup Series races, including a 30th-place run at Chicago last weekend.

The most recent winners outside of the Joe Gibbs Racing umbrella have been Chevrolets driven by Hendrick Motorsports pilots Chase Elliott (2022) and Alex Bowman (2020). The last Ford win at Pocono was courtesy of Kevin Harvick, who delivered in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 4 on the front end of a weekend doubleheader in 2020.

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

ALEX BOWMAN. Last weekend’s Chicago victory might have exposed some of the under-the-radar nature of the No. 48 Chevrolet driver, but Bowman can still be had for 30-1 opening odds on the DraftKings board. He’s further down the list compared to other former Pocono winners, but three wins in the last five races on the 2.5-mile track indicate a level of consistency that’s worth a look. Bowman starts sixth Sunday.

Even further back on the board, Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Josh Berry and Chase Briscoe may not be auditioning for 2025 rides anymore, but they’re intent on finishing up strong as the organization bids farewell. They’re both overachievers setting off at an enticing 100-1, with Berry the higher qualifier in fifth to Briscoe’s 28th. | Pocono odds

Speed reads

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• On the move: Noah Gragson to join Front Row Motorsports in 2025 | Read article
• Crew chief transfer: Rodney Childers to head to Spire next season | Read article
• Electric company: NASCAR explores EVs: ‘We want to be in the driver’s seat’ | Read article
• Prototype preview: Closer look at NASCAR’s electric vehicle | Photo gallery
• Gala appearance: Ryan Blaney hits Hollywood for ESPY Awards | Read article
• Penalty phase: Bubba Wallace fined for Chicago post-race bump | Read article
• Spots getting scarce: Tension mounts along playoff bubble | Read article
• Power Rankings: Kyle Busch could find summer stride; see full Top 20 | Photo gallery
• Turning Point: Sizing up the latest bubble dweller to reach playoff potential | Read article
• Racing Insights: Full finishing order projections for Sunday’s 400-miler | Read article
• Field of 16: How the playoff picture shakes out for Pocono | Read article
• 36 for 36: Check out this week’s survivor pool picks | Read article
• Fantasy Fastlane: Strong signs for Hamlin, Larson, Reddick this weekend | Read article
• Fantasy Update: Toyota, Hendrick Motorsports lead charge| Read article
• NASCAR Classics: Head into the video vault with vintage Pocono replays | Read article
• Paint Scheme Preview: Fresh designs primed for Pennsylvania | Pick your favorite

Fast facts ⏩

Race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Team Penske has nine Pocono Raceway wins, but none since Brad Keselowski prevailed back in 2011
• Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick are tied for the most points earned (211) in the last six Cup Series races
• The Stage 2 winner has failed to win the overall race in the last 12 Pocono events