Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR released a statement on Sunday revealing that Kurt Busch of 23XI Racing would miss the Cup Series’ M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). Busch was involved in a single-car wreck during Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, and he revealed via social media that he was still experiencing concussion-like symptoms.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Video of Busch’s wreck

NASCAR’s statement read: “This morning, Kurt Busch met with doctors in the infield care center for further evaluation following his accident during yesterday’s qualifying session. Following the evaluation, Kurt Busch has not been cleared to race in today’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway.”

23XI Racing announced that Ty Gibbs, an Xfinity Series regular for Joe Gibbs Racing, would fill in for Busch on Sunday. Gibbs will be making his Cup debut.

Busch responded by adding that the reason for his absence was because of concussion-like symptoms.

Busch entered the race 14th in the points standings with a provisional playoff berth thanks to his win in May at Kansas Speedway. A NASCAR spokesperson has confirmed that Busch will receive a playoff waiver if he qualifies for the postseason.

Posted on by Nick Giffen

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

I usually write up outright, manufacturer or top positional bets for these race-day articles because they tend to offer slightly better expected value than matchup bets.

However, the best value bets I see for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA) both lie in the head-to-head matchup department.

Both bets rely on the same reasoning and are backed up by my statistical model, so let’s jump right in.

NASCAR at Pocono Picks

*Odds as of Sunday morning

Alex Bowman (+120) Over Joey Logano

Bowman has struggled as of late, which is likely why books are making him an underdog to Logano in this matchup.

However, if we dive deeper than simply a recent cold streak we’ll see Bowman should be at worst a coin-toss, and at best slightly favored here.

In practice, Bowman had the ninth-fastest time while Logano was 0.6 seconds slower in 16th place. In fact, no Ford driver cracked the top 14 in practice times, showing how far behind the Blue Ovals unloaded off the haulers.

Yes, Bowman starts behind Logano, but their recent track history is a toss-up, with Bowman winning the last four matchups and five of eight overall.

My model has Bowman as the 52.9% favorite, which is well above the 45.5% implied odds at +120 that DraftKings is giving us.

The Bet: Bowman +120 over Logano | Bet to: EVEN

Erik Jones (-120) Over Aric Almirola

In this battle, one Erik should prevail over the other Aric pretty clearly.

Pocono is one of Jones’ best tracks throughout his career.

In seven of his eight incident-free starts before joining Petty GMS, Jones finished inside the top eight at the 2.5-mile flat ovals of Pocono and Indianapolis.

That includes five top-three finishes and six top-five finishes.

Meanwhile, Almirola has just four such finishes better than eighth in 11 races with Stewart-Haas Racing.

In addition, Almirola drives a Ford. As I pointed out with Logano, the Blue Ovals have struggled to find speed this weekend.

Jones was 0.7 seconds per lap faster than Almirola in practice over five consecutive laps. That’s not even close.

Jones starts 34th thanks to a brush of the wall in his qualifying lap, which is the only thing keeping this matchup close at DraftKings.

However, the bigger picture should be in play here.

My model accounts for that and gives Jones a 61.8% chance of finishing ahead of Almirola. That certainly outpaces the 54.5% implied odds we’re getting at -120.

The Bet: Erik Jones -120 over Aric Almirola | Bet to: -140

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Of late, Toyota has been stout at flat race tracks. Case in point, Joe Gibbs Racing dominated last weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Add in that four of its drivers have combined to win 15 races at Pocono Raceway and all six of its drivers posted qualifying laps that were among the top 11 quickest on Saturday, and it could be another commanding day at the office on Sunday at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

RELATED: Kurt Busch ruled out for Sunday’s race

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Kyle Busch
Starter 2: Denny Hamlin
Starter 3: Kyle Larson
Starter 4: Ryan Blaney
Starter 5: Martin Truex Jr.
Garage pick: Bubba Wallace

NEXT IN LINE: Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, William Byron, Daniel Suárez

RELATED: Betting odds for Pocono | Set your Fantasy Live lineup

CARS TO THE REAR: Nos. 1, 24, 31, 43, 51 for unapproved adjustments; 45 for backup car.

RISING: Quietly, Pocono suits Daniel Suárez’s driving style. Don’t ask him why; he’s not sure of the answer, other than it having similar technicalities to a road course. Suárez has a runner-up finish at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ in the past, and was quick on Saturday. The No. 99 Chevrolet ranked third in practice and will start ninth.

In Fantasy Fastlane earlier this week, there was no mention of Kyle Larson despite having a solid outing in both races at Pocono last year. The No. 5 car came up one corner shy of winning the first race, before blowing a left front tire. Larson showed speed again on Saturday and will start from the second row.

FALLING: Kevin Harvick’s recent success at Pocono speaks for itself, with 10 top fives in his last 15 races. But the No. 4 team has missed the setup this weekend so far, running just the 30th-quickest lap in practice and will start the 400-mile race from a disappointing 24th position.

Prior to wrecking in the final round of qualifying, Kurt Busch was among the quick Toyotas in the field. But the No. 45 team must revert to a backup car for Sunday, moving Busch to the rear of the field. And while he’s certainly not ruled out of potentially having a good finish, having no track position at the start is going to hurt his chances.

FEATURED MATCHUPS

Christopher Bell vs. Kevin Harvick: Throw past stats at Pocono out the window – Harvick said as much in his media availability on Saturday – Bell is the easy choice this weekend. No doubt, the tenacity of the No. 4 crew will likely result in a finish better than expected. But with a lack of speed in practice and qualifying, it’s hard to see Harvick outrunning Bell this weekend.

Aric Almirola vs. Erik Jones: Jones is another one of those underrated drivers at Pocono, earning five top-five finishes in 10 career starts at the track. Even with finishes of 22nd and 31st in 2021, his average finishing position is still 14.4. The starting lineup might not be in Jones’ favor, but the No. 43 car was sixth in practice to Almirola’s 27th. The 34th-place starting position isn’t indicative of the speed for Jones, as he scraped the wall on his qualifying lap.

Austin Dillon vs. Brad Keselowski: Ah, old friends. There’s no love lost between Dillon and Keselowski from their New Hampshire – and previous incidents – run-in last weekend. In practice, the No. 3 car turned the 18th best time and the No. 6 Ford slotted in 22nd. This is a tossup, but with past success at the track, give the nod to Keselowski.

Kyle Busch vs. Denny Hamlin: Look at this, the battle of the front row! Either driver could win the race on Sunday, as the two JGR drivers are the winningest active drivers at Pocono. Both happen to be among the best cars in practice, too, as the No. 18 team was one of just four cars to make a 10-lap run. Whichever car finds clean air late will likely finish ahead of the other. But with M&M’s sponsoring the race, this feels like a KFB weekend.

Posted on by Brandon White

The 2022 edition of the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway proved to be equal parts similar and different to the first leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.

While no massive pileup took place in the closing laps like during the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at South Boston Speedway, a slew of cautions during the second half of the Hampton Heat 200 dramatically slowed the pace and altered the tire conservation strategy many drivers were utilizing.

Jared Fryar promptly took advantage of the late cautions to pull away from the rest of the field and win the Hampton Heat in his third attempt. In doing so, he became the 10th different driver to claim Langley’s crown jewel in as many events.

RELATED: One hot night at the Hampton Heat 200

With his victory, Fryar also established himself as a contender for the Virginia Triple Crown heading into the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway on Sept. 24 following an evening that saw several drivers atop the standings endure struggles of their own.

Below are the key takeaways from the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway on Saturday evening.

Consistency guides Jared Fryar to victory

Ever since his career began, Jared Fryar has had a reputation of being one of the most consistent drivers on track.

Consistency was a vital part of Fryar’s victory in the Hampton Heat at Langley on Saturday, as he had to properly manage his tires to maintain solid track position before taking control during the second half to obtain one of the biggest victories of his career.

“I’m speechless honestly,” Fryar said. “We checked all the boxes and did everything right during the race, but we also made all the right adjustments. We weren’t that good when we unloaded, but we kept working on it and that allowed us to get this win. I’ve had a lot of good runs [at Langley] and it means so much to finally win here.”

Driving the same car that was badly damaged in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200, Fryar knew that he had to put down a solid lap in qualifying for him to be a factor and avoid any potential chaos with 32 cars on track.

Fryar’s third-place qualifying effort allowed him to run at his own pace while the rest of his competition implemented different tire conservation strategies of their own. Despite facing plenty of challenges during restarts, Fryar was able to go maintain the lead during the final green flag run.

The win gives Fryar an average finish of 5.5 between South Boston and Langley. While Fryar will be among those battling it out for a Virginia Triple Crown title at Martinsville, he is more focused on winning the race itself by using the same patience and commitment that has yielded him numerous victories during the last few years.

“Our goal is to win the clock,” Fryar said. “If you win the clock, the Triple Crown will take care of itself.”

Mark Wertz puts up impressive run at home track

Two-time Langley track champion Mark Wertz fought valiantly to keep the Hampton Heat trophy in Virginia Saturday night.

After falling back early to save tires, Wertz methodically carved his way back through the field and briefly led the Hampton Heat before settling for second. While Wertz ultimately came up short of a victory, he was more than thrilled with the efficiency his team displayed through all 200 laps.

“What a great feeling for our team,” Wertz said. “I don’t know exactly where we’ll be [in the Virginia Triple Crown] standings going into Martinsville, but we did everything we needed to early on to preserve. We brought our car home in P2 and that feels like a victory for us.”

In 12 previous Hampton Heat appearances, Wertz’ best finish had been fourth, which he obtained in 2009 and ’13.

Since that last fourth place run, Wertz has only placed inside the Top 10 once in the Hampton Heat, but the Langley veteran has remained determined through the years to join an elite list of drivers who have won the event like C.E. Falk III, Lee Pulliam and Peyton Sellers.

Wertz felt that Saturday was his best opportunity to win the Hampton Heat in his career thus far. He credited his crew for their strenuous effort to make his car competitive, but admitted that he simply could not catch Fryar during the closing stages.

“I needed a little more turn through the middle,” Wertz said. “I ran as hard as I could during the last 25 laps to try and catch [Fryar], but I overheated the right front. The car cut through the middle good and we never lost drive off, but [Fryar] was better than me right through the center of the corner.”

Wertz’ second place finish is expected to put him in a tie with Mason Diaz for the Virginia Triple Crown points lead after Jacob Borst, who led the standings coming into the Hampton Heat, finished 30th Saturday night following a mechanical failure.

Late charge for Carson Kvapil comes up short

Carson Kvapil comes away from the Hampton Heat disappointed over what he believed was a missed opportunity.

The son of 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil was exceeding the lap times of leaders Fryar and Wertz during the final laps, but said that a relentless amount of cautions prevented him from showing just how fast his JR Motorsports Late Model actually was.

“All the caution laps killed us,” Kvapil said. “We were able to pass cars on the short run, but we could run the same pace with everyone else on the long run. There were only about 60 green flag laps during the second half with all the cautions. What we needed was more laps.”

Kvapil had plenty of advice to lean on during the Hampton Heat, as he was driving a car similar to the one that Josh Berry took to Victory Lane in the event last year.

The main thing Berry told Kvapil was to place a heavy emphasis on tire conservation. Kvapil felt that he executed that strategy perfectly during the first half of the Hampton Heat and was ready to charge towards the front with the aid of several green flag laps.

Instead, Kvapil was left to reflect on how the Hampton Heat could have played out with fewer cautions. Despite this, Kvapil carries plenty of optimism going into the rest of his busy Late Model Stock schedule that will include the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in a couple of months.

“I’d like to get a few more wins,” Kvapil said. “Everything has been going pretty good for us [with Late Model Stocks]. We’ve had a few tire issues over our past few races, but if we keep running like we are, we’ll get those wins.” 

NOTES:

  • Defending Virginia Triple Crown champion Bobby McCarty appeared poised to bounce back from a rough outing at South Boston by qualifying on pole for the Hampton Heat. McCary kept his track position for most of the night but fell to eighth by the time the checkered flag was displayed.
  • Three-time Virginia Triple Crown champion Peyton Sellers was never able to mix it up with the lead pack. Sellers’ tire strategy nearly saw him lose a lap during the first half of the Hampton Heat and he was only able to salvage a 14th place finish by the end of the night.
  • Brenden Queen, who had only lost one race at Langley all year, saw his hopes for a second Hampton Heat victory get derailed by a faulty battery that cost him two laps. Queen managed to get both of those laps back, but he could only fight his way back to 13th.
  • Justin Carroll was another Langley regular that put on a show for the home crowd. Carroll led most of the Hampton Heat’s opening stages and ended up finishing fifth after his tires started to fade during the final green flag run.
Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Ty Gibbs saw chance after chance slip away.

Hunting Noah Gragson for his fifth win of the season, Gibbs caught the No. 9 Chevrolet numerous times Saturday at Pocono Raceway — including on the final lap entering the ‘Tunnel Turn’ — but the 19-year-old fell 0.396 seconds short to his rival.

MORE: Xfinity results | At-track photos

It was a strong result, his first top-20 finish since winning at Road America on July 2, but Gibbs couldn’t help but lament losing Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

“I didn’t put myself in position to get past him so my fault. All my fault and I take responsibility,” Gibbs said. “I feel like I put myself in a weird position through ‘Tunnel Turn’ which I probably could have waited and packed air on him off the corner and got underneath him into Turn 3, but I just made a mistake and I apologize to my whole team and my crew.”

Gibbs wheeled his No. 54 Toyota to Gragson bumper plenty of times, able to pull alongside Gragson down the Long Pond Straightaway on the event’s final circuit. But Gragson maintained the edge on the outside lane as Gibbs bobbled, allowing Gragson to score JR Motorsports’ seventh victory in the last 11 races.

“We were faster,” Gibbs said. “I feel like it was surprising how good we were even on a tire disadvantage, which I feel like shows how good our car was. Just couldn’t get clean air. I feel like it’s just really hard to pass here, but that’s just the nature of this place.”

While Gibbs kicked himself for what he didn’t do, others praised him, including the man who beat him.

“That was probably the hardest I’ve ever worked in a race car trying to hold someone off,” Gragson said. “Really gotta respect the way he raced us and hopefully we put on a show.”

Gragson’s boss, JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., also commended Gibbs for his drive, racing Gragson hard but not in an overaggressive manner.

“I was so impressed by Ty,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He was in a situation where it would’ve been easy to use up Noah a little bit and race him even a little bit harder without any real repercussion. And he raced real clean, so I was just pretty taken aback by that and think now it’s on Noah when they’re in that same situation to give him that same amount of respect.”

Gibbs’ team owner and grandfather, Joe Gibbs, told NASCAR.com he wasn’t surprised at the level-headed but fierce racing and appreciated the fight to the finish.

“It was a great battle. They did a great job, both of them,” Joe Gibbs said. “Noah got him. I thought it was a great battle.”

The younger Gibbs, though, just wishes he made the winning decisions instead, admitting it was “not really” a conscious decision to avoid further contact with Gragson.

“I just didn’t put myself in the right position,” Gibbs said. “You can say I’m building maturity and sportsmanship, but I just didn’t win and we’re all out here to win.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LONG POND, Pa. — Denny Hamlin is in the midst of a couple good weeks.

Hamlin wheeled the No. 11 FedEx Toyota to the pole Saturday at Pocono Raceway ahead of Sunday’s M&M Fan Appreciation 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Pocono schedule | Sunday’s starting lineup

The pole run comes on the heels of an excellent run a week ago for the team he co-owns, 23XI Racing, which saw drivers Bubba Wallace (third) and Kurt Busch (10th) escape with two top-10 finishes at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. And oh by the way, that run came days after the team announced the surprise signing of Tyler Reddick for the 2024 season.

“That was a good sign for us,” Hamlin said of the team’s Loudon performance. “Those mile tracks, when I think about Phoenix and the nightmare that that was for all the Toyotas and our team in particular, it’s a good sign to go back to Loudon that is similar, not exactly the same but similar to tracks that you’re gonna need to be good at in the playoffs. Short tracks and road courses have been big challenges for all the Toyotas. And to see those starting to change and be good, that’s a good sign for us.”

That optimism continued Saturday at Pocono, where both Wallace and Busch advanced to the final round of qualifying. Busch crashed on his final run, but Wallace posted the seventh-fastest lap. Wallace has especially shown speed in recent weeks, but the results had suffered until New Hampshire.

“I mean seeing him put a whole race together last week to be able to start up front, stay up front, get mixed to the middle and then drive back to the front is all a good sign,” Hamlin said. “It’s what we wanna see out of him going into the future as well. So I think that certainly, he does kind of go with the emotions of his results, but we’ve seen some positive change overall with him in the last month or so.”

That change stemmed from a verbal blow-up over the radio, when pit crew issues at Nashville Superspeedway turned an apparent top-10 run on its lid. Wallace still rallied to a 12th-place finish, but a change to the pit crew was made two weeks later.

Hamlin utilizes pit crews from Joe Gibbs Racing, for which Hamlin competes in his No. 11 Toyota. But he admitted Saturday that he is considering a change to that plan in the near future.

“I think we’re on our path to trying to get our own pit crews,” Hamlin said. “I think we’re on a good path to start that next year so we’re in the recruiting process so if anybody wants to come on over, give me a call.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Two of the most determined, talented, young drivers in NASCAR put on a show for the ages in the closing laps of Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway with 24-year-old Noah Gragson ultimately holding off Ty Gibbs by the blink of an eye to take the victory.

RELATED: Official results | Photos from the weekend

Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet crossed the finish line at the storied 2.5-mile track by a mere .281-seconds ahead of Gibb’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – the last 15 laps the duo staying within .3-seconds of one another.

Gibbs earned three of his four race wins this season on a last-lap pass, but Gragson didn’t allow it Saturday – so happy with the effort he climbed out of his car and joined his team scaling the fencing in front of a boisterous and approving crowded frontstretch grandstand.

“That was probably the best I’ve ever driven there,” said the Las Vegas native Gragson, whose three wins this season already ties his single-season high mark. “I’m worn out. Working my ass off out there to keep the 54 back. He’s pretty fast.

“I had to work for it,” Gragson said still catching his breath from climbing the fence. “It was tough. Kept getting tight, tight, tight and with 15 to go I didn’t think I could hold him off. But we just keep digging.”

That summed up a dramatic ending to an action-packed day.

Gragson’s JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier started from pole position and led the first 23 laps to win Stage 1. Gragson was seventh and Gibbs was fourth in the opening run. But Gragson took the lead on the ensuing pit stop and won Stage 2 – his seventh and the JR Motorsports series’ best 21st stage win of the year.

Ultimately, good pit strategy made the difference for Gragson, whose Chevrolet was able to benefit from a four-tire and gas stop with 38 laps to go. He re-started sixth – behind Gibbs’ who did not take tires – and worked his way forward, taking the lead for good with 22 laps to go.

“It definitely hurt us giving him a tire advantage,” Gibbs said. “But I was so surprised to be able to hang with the 9 (car) when he was on [fresh tires]. Had a great car, just didn’t put it together. I just made some mistakes and we’ll come back next weekend.”

Gragson’s teammate Berry finished third, followed by Xfinity Series driver standings leader Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger and Richard Childress Racing’s rookie Sheldon Creed.

Two more JR Motorsports drivers, Sam Mayer and Allgaier finished sixth and seventh – a particularly impressive comeback for Allgaier who was penalized for speeding on pit road during his last pit stop.

RCR’s Austin Hill, Kaulig’s Daniel Hemric and NASCAR Cup Series regular Cole Custer rounded out the top 10.

It was a dramatic race from start to finish, including a red flag period during Stage 2 for a high-speed accident involving five cars. Santino Ferrucci’s car got loose exiting Turn 3 and was hit from behind by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. whose car catapulted toward the pit road wall, colliding with Jeb Burton’s car, spinning and flipping Burton’s car over on its hood.

RELATED: Burton, Stenhouse crash | Xfinity standings

The NASCAR AMR Safety Crew immediately responded, checked that Burton was okay and then carefully right-sided his car back onto its tires. Burton climbed out un-assisted and the wreckage was cleaned up. The red flag lasted a little more than eight minutes and the race resumed.

“Man, that was not good,” said Burton, driver of the No. 27 Our Motorsport Chevrolet. “Hate if for my guys, those guys work hard on these race cars.

“But appreciate the safety crew, they got to me fast,” he added. “It’s been a tough year, but we’ll keep digging.”

Gragson’s victory marked the seventh win in the last 11 races for JR Motorsports, which is enjoying a summer of success. And Allmendinger now leads Allgaier by 16 points atop the series driver standings.

The series’ next race is Saturday’s Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Austin Cindric is the defending race winner.

Contributing: Staff reports

NOTE: Inspection is complete in the Xfinity Series garage with no issues, confirming Noah Gragson as the race winner.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR assessed L1-level penalties to both Petty GMS Racing cars in the Cup Series on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. The No. 42 Chevrolet of Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet of Erik Jones were both found to be in violation of Sections 14.6.5.E of the NASCAR Rule Book (rocker box assemblies).

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Pocono schedule

As a result, both teams lost 35 owner and 35 driver points and both crew chiefs (Jerame Donley and David Elenz) were ejected. Jones entered the day 154 points beneath the playoff cutline, and Dillon was 305 points back.

Jones qualified 34th for Sunday’s M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) while Dillon was set to line up 27th.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway
(⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 USA Network, NBC Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, the 21st regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.

 

Race-day info 📝

Where: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Approximate start time: 3 p.m. ET | Full weekend schedule
TV/Radio: USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $6,828,051
Forecast: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. ET. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 160 laps | 400 miles
Stages: 30 | 95 | 160
Pit-road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph
Pocono 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start
Pit stalls: Where drivers will pit
UPDATE: Kurt Busch out of Sunday’s race
Cars to the rear: Nos. 1, 24, 31, 43, 51 for unapproved adjustments; 45 for backup car.

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Each of the last five winners at Pocono Raceway has led fewer than 50 laps, dating back to Kyle Busch’s 79-lap performance in 2019. This falls right in line with what we have seen so far in the inaugural Next Gen season. Rarely in races has a dominant driver gone on to win the checkered flag. In fact, 13 of the 20 races have seen a pass for the lead in the final 10 laps. Pocono races have most often been about strategy and timing to navigate the 2.5-mile track with precision. Tire strategy, fuel management and timing will be important for the expected long green-flag runs. | Analysis: Late-pass trend could continue at Pocono | Read more

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

For a driver who has proven his talent at almost every track, Pocono struggles have plagued 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott. Since posting a 10.9 average finish in his first seven starts at the track, the No. 9 team has limped their way to a 21.2 average in the last five — very uncharacteristic for a team that has proven consistency. Elliott finished 12th and 27th in last season’s doubleheader, leaving question marks about how he will perform this time around. Luckily, he is on fire heading into Sunday, bringing with him four straight top-two finishes and a pair of wins. Based on the No. 9 team’s speed and dominant form, expect Elliott to buck the recent trend and continue marching towards the regular-season title. | Cup Series standings

Is Sunday where Kyle Busch re-ignites his form in pursuit of a third championship? Over the last five races, Busch has zero top 10s and four finishes of 20th or worse — very uncharacteristic for the two-time champ. But his Pocono run-of-form tells another story. Busch has mastered the “Tricky Triangle,” picking up four wins and only one finish outside the top 10 in his last 11 trips to the uniquely-shaped track. This included a runner up and impressive comeback win last season. Though he has a win, Busch and the No. 18 team have taken a back seat to some of the other title contenders — and rightfully so based on recent results. But as the season begins to wind down and his contract status remains unclear, Pocono is the perfect time for him to reassert his dominance.

Driving under the radar

Since his historic win at Sonoma Raceway, Daniel Suárez has surprisingly been flying back under the radar. But looking at the numbers, he is in one of his most impressive stretches of 2021. Since his win, Suárez has only one finish outside the top nine. His speed and consistency have been right up there with the best of them … well, maybe not Elliott’s incredible top-two streak, but you get the point. Not many drivers this season have put together as solid of a run as Suárez is putting together right now, but his biggest challenge continues at Pocono where he has five-straight finishes of 13th or worse.

Saturday sessions

Pre-qualifying inspection was not kind to a handful of drivers in the field, with five teams losing a crew member and pit-stall selection this weekend. In practice, it was all Trackhouse Racing, with Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez finishing in the top three. Chevrolet took seven out of the 10 spots on the lone practice leaderboard. Denny Hamlin took charge in the most meaningful session of the day — qualifying. The No. 11 car sprinted out to the fastest lap time in both rounds of qualifying, earning the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s race. Reigning Pocono winner Kyle Busch slotted in second before Chase Elliott, continuing his incredible form, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five. Qualifying went pretty smoothly, save for Kurt Busch’s hard wreck on his lap. They will move to a backup car. | Full qualifying and practice recap | UPDATE: Kurt Busch out of Sunday’s race; Ty Gibbs to fill in

A view of a Pocono sign through the trees.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

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

• Paint Scheme Preview: Pristine schemes for Pocono | Pick a favorite
• NASCAR betting: Odds for Sunday’s race at Pocono | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: Unknowns heading into Pocono | Top plays, sleepers
• Bubble Watch: Where drivers closest to the cutline stand | Read more

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• L-1 penalties: Petty GMS Motorsports penalized at Pocono | Full story 
• Windy City: Chicago street race on tap for 2023 season | Read more | Scenes from iRacing 
• Analysis: Late-pass trend could continue at Pocono | Read more
• Penalty report: Fine issued to No. 2 Team Penske crew for loose wheel | Read more
• Retirement?: Kurt Busch hits at possibly finishing career after 2023 | Read more
• Extension: Chase Elliott, NAPA secure long-term deal | Read more
• Another contract: Toyota issues update on Kyle Busch situation | Read more
• Best driver: Kyle Larson wins ESPY Award | Full story
• Summer Family Fun: Kid-friendly meals to make at the track | Read more
• Mark Martin: Driver talks about old feud with Earnhardt | Watch video
• eNASCAR: College iRacing Series back with four-race slate | Read more
• Truck Series: Bodine slated to make 800th national series start | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• The Action Network: How to bet Kevin Harvick vs. Christopher Bell | Expert insight
• PickUp props: Make your Pocono picks, enter to win prizes | More details
• Fantasy insight: Avoid a Chastain start at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ | Full video
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Time to get tricky ⚠️

Get to know all the NASCAR Cup Series history at the “Tricky Triangle.”

• In the lead: Top 10 lap leaders at Pocono | See the list
• Do you remember?: Memorable moments at Pocono | Pick a favorite
• Last race at Pocono: Kyle Busch overcomes transmission issue, wins at Pocono | Full recap
• Race Rewind: Busch battles rollercoaster day to earn victory | Watch highlights

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• The longest top-10 finish streak by a driver this year is six races by Ross Chastain, who has an active six-race top-10 streak.
• Chase Elliott won three of the last 10 races and finished top two in each of the last four.
• Five drivers without a win in 2022 have won at Pocono in the past.
• Four crew chiefs got their first Cup win in 2022: Randall Burnett, Travis Mack, Sam McAulay and Phil Surgen.
• The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 13 of the 20 races in 2022.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “When I started, that was just what you did at Pocono. You downshifted and it was just part of the process of Pocono. But that kind of went away as the teams kind of decided it was too expensive. So we went to spec transmissions and couldn’t shift, and then it went back to, ‘OK, you can shift,’ and now we’re going to shift in every corner. So, it’s definitely just kind of a piece of the puzzle that’s come with this new car, and at Pocono, I think we’re going to shift in every corner.” — Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

• “I think the track just fits my driving style and it’s a place I picked up on right from the first time there in my rookie season. It’s a great race track, very challenging and it’s tough to get your car balanced for all three turns. Obviously, I have been very fortunate to work with some great teams and crew chiefs throughout my career as well. That gives me a lot of confidence every time I go to Pocono. This week especially, it’s unlike anywhere we have been so far this season, but I feel like our team and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota have been working very hard and making gains throughout the year. I’m looking forward to getting on track Saturday and seeing where we stack up because I feel like it’s a place that we can take advantage of and hopefully pick up some more playoff points.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

• “None of this is possible without NAPA. I’m so thankful for their commitment to our team and their passion for what we do every weekend. I’ve been lucky to meet a lot of great folks from across the country who work for NAPA. All of us are really proud to represent a company that takes care of its employees and its customers and is driven to be successful in every aspect. I’m looking forward to what’s to come and celebrating more wins together.” — Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, on his extension with NAPA (Hendrick Motorsports.com)