LONG POND, Pa. – The NASCAR Cup Series makes its annual stop at Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400.
Four Spots Remain
With Alex Bowman’s victory last week at the Chicago Street Course, only four spots remain up for grabs in the Cup Series playoff picture.
Bowman was the 12th different winner in 20 races this season, breaking an 80-race winless streak dating back to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in spring 2022. His victory bumps Bubba Wallace out of the top 16.
Ironically, the two found themselves in a feud at Chicago. Bowman got into Wallace at the beginning of Stage Two and sent him around, and in retaliation, Wallace pinned Bowman into the wall in the cooldown lap.
Bowman said after the race that Wallace’s payback was deserved, but NASCAR didn’t agree. Likely in part because Bowman’s window net was down, the sanctioning body fined the 23XI Racing driver $50,000.
Wallace sits 45 points below the cutline with Chase Briscoe (-88), Kyle Busch (-98) and Todd Gilliland (-121) behind him. Martin Truex Jr. (+125), Ty Gibbs (+84), Ross Chastain (+53) and Chris Buescher (+45) are the four drivers currently in a qualified position based on points.
The Regular-Season Championship Is Wide Open
With six races remaining until the playoffs, the regular-season championship remains wide open.
Kyle Larson leads Chase Elliott by 11 despite both struggling in Chicago. Kyle Larson missed turn six after the rain delay and crashed, while Elliott got tagged by Daniel Suárez on the final lap and spun. He finished 21st — his worst result of the season.
Tyler Reddick lurks in third (-23) after nearly coming home with wins at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and Chicago. His team co-owner, Denny Hamlin (-42), is fourth after a rocky stretch, while Martin Truex Jr. (-70) is fifth. William Byron (-72), who’s flown under the radar since his Martinsville (Va.) Speedway win in April, is sixth.
Larson leads in points despite missing the Coca-Cola 600 to race in the delayed Indianapolis 500. He’s looking for his second regular-season title.
Denny’s Domination
Pocono provides a unique set of challenges with three very different corners, but Denny Hamlin has mastered it over his future Hall-of-Fame career.
Hamlin has seven victories at Pocono, including last year’s race after controversially forcing Kyle Larson up the track during the closing laps. The 43-year-old from Chesterfield, Va., has taken the checkered flag first in both Next Gen era races, but got disqualified in 2022. NASCAR deemed that the team made a parts modification by adding tape to the front fascia, resulting in an addition of horsepower. Kyle Busch, who drove for Joe Gibbs Racing at the time and finished second, also got disqualified.
Hamlin also swept the 2006 races and picked up victories in 2009, 2010, 2019 and 2020. He’ll look to extend his track record on Sunday.
Stewart-Haas Faces In New Places
As Stewart-Haas Racing plans to shut down at season’s end, its drivers are beginning to find new homes.
Last week, Josh Berry announced he’ll join Wood Brothers Racing in 2025, while on Wednesday, Noah Gragson announced he’ll join Front Row Motorsports.
FRM is a confirmed recipient of one of SHR’s charters. The organization will sell two more, while the final charter will go to Haas Factory Team – which will be led by SHR co-owner Gene Haas.
FRM will be Gragson’s fourth Cup team in as many seasons. He ran a part-time slate for Kaulig Racing in 2022 while still battling for the Xfinity Series championship with JR Motorsports. In 2023, Gragson joined LEGACY Motor Club full-time, but the sides parted ways in August after he liked a racially insensitive post online.
After a suspension from NASCAR, Gragson was cleared to join SHR in 2024, where he’s by far had the most success. Through 20 races, he has six top 10s and an average finish of 18.3. His team got hit with a 35-point penalty early in the season for an issue with roof air deflectors.
Now, he’ll join an organization that’s been on the rise over the last several seasons.
“I feel like I can compete (in Cup). If you would have asked me that question in January, I would have said there is no way,” Gragson said during the announcement. “Having a good group around me this year with Drew Blickensderfer (crew chief) and the rest of the team at Stewart-Haas, they have provided me the opportunity and the tools and resources to become a better driver.
“I look back at my first year in Trucks, I struggled a bit trying to figure it out. The second year, I had a lot more speed. Xfinity, struggled the first year a little bit and came back and won races my second year. Had a lot more speed, and the last two years at JR Motorsports, I was able to lead laps, win stages and win races consistently. I kind of see similar stuff.
Last year, I was trying to get my feet under me in the Cup Series, trying to figure it out. This year, I am a lot more competitive, and I have a much better understanding of the vehicle, the Next Gen car.
“You have to change up your techniques. The habits that you had in the Xfinity Series do not necessarily translate to the Next Gen car. I continue to push myself to learn and grow as a race car driver.”
Rodney Childers, crew chief for Berry, also announced he’ll crew chief for Corey LaJoie next season at Spire Motorsports.
Race Information
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at The Tricky Triangle is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The scheduled distance around the 2.5-mile circuit is 160 laps with stage breaks at laps 30 and 95. The purse is $7,776,907