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NASCAR Cup drivers to watch at Pocono Raceway

NBC Sports
·3 min read
15

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s race (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network).

This race is the lone date at the 2.5-mile track. Chase Elliott won there during the 2022 season after Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch failed post-race inspection.

Six races remain until the Cup playoffs begin. Here is a look at the drivers to keep an eye on Sunday afternoon:

FRONTRUNNERS

Kyle Busch

Points position: 5th

Best finish this season: 1st (Fontana, Talladega, Gateway)

Past at Pocono: Busch has been successful at Pocono with four wins since the 2017 season and 18 top-10 finishes in 35 career starts. Now he drives the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which finished fourth at Pocono with Tyler Reddick behind the wheel last year. The entry moved to second after officials disqualified Denny Hamlin and Busch.

Denny Hamlin

Points position: 4th

Best finish this season: 1st (Kansas I)

Past at Pocono: Hamlin has won six times at Pocono during his Cup career, including his first two starts in 2006. He and Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon have the most Pocono wins in Cup history. Hamlin has led 818 laps while delivering an average finish of 11.8. Toyotas have regularly been strong at Pocono.

Martin Truex Jr.

Points position: 1st

Best finish this season: 1st (Dover, Sonoma, New Hampshire)

Past at Pocono: Truex has two wins at Pocono Raceway (2015, 2018) and an average finish of 14.5. This is the third-best among active full-time drivers. Only has two DNFs in 33 starts – one for a crash and one for an engine failure. Truex moved to the top of the point standings after a win at New Hampshire.

Kevin Harvick

Points position: 9th

Best finish this season: 2nd (Darlington I)

Past at Pocono: Harvick has one win at Pocono Raceway (2020), but he also has top-10 finishes in 22 of his 43 starts. Has the most runner-up finishes at Pocono Raceway among active drivers (five). Was in a position for a top-10 finish in 2022 before getting collected in a caution started by Hamlin and Ross Chastain.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

Brad Keselowski

Points position: 11th

Best finish this season: 2nd (Atlanta I)

Past at Pocono: Only has one DNF in 25 career starts. Won for the first time in 2011. Has four runner-up finishes at Pocono, the second-most among active drivers behind Harvick. All of Keselowski’s top-10 finishes at Pocono were with Team Penske. Finished 14th in his first season with RFK Racing.

Alex Bowman

Points position: 20th

Best finish this season: 3rd (Las Vegas I, Circuit of the Americas)

Past at Pocono: Only one top-10 finish in his first nine starts. Has three more since the 2020 season with one win. Finished 11th in the first Next Gen race at Pocono with no stage points. Pocono could represent another solid opportunity as Bowman recovers from missing multiple races with a back injury.

Daniel Suarez

Points position: 17th

Best finish this season: 2nd (Atlanta II)

Past at Pocono: Won the pole and finished second in 2018 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, one of his three top-10 finishes at the track between 2017-2019. Finished 13th or worse in five straight races before placing third for Trackhouse Racing in 2022. Fell below the playoff cutline at New Hampshire after right rear issues on pit road.

Kyle Larson

Points position: 8th

Best finish this season: 1st (Richmond I, Martinsville I)

Past at Pocono: Consistent overall in his career at Pocono with nine top-10 finishes in 15 starts. Took the lead late from Bowman during the first doubleheader race in 2021 but finished ninth after blowing a tire in the final turn and hitting the wall. Has four straight top-10 finishes at Pocono but remains winless at the track.