Observe: Pocono RacewayLocation: Lengthy Pond, Pa.Observe size: 2.5 milesWhen: 1 p.m. ETWhere to tune in: Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioRace purse: $11,233,037Race distance: 160 laps | 400 milesSegments: 30 | 95 | 160|
Factors battle tightening up with tough checks forward
Pocono Raceway’s three distinctive corners supply one of many greatest annual checks on the Cup Sequence schedule. This season, Pocono begins a prolonged stretch of asymmetry for the sphere with the “Difficult Triangle” previous subsequent week’s debut at Naval Base Coronado, a visit to the windy Sonoma Raceway, a return to Chicagoland Speedway for the primary time since 2019, the always-treacherous EchoPark Speedway, the primary points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996, and at last, the crown jewel Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Protected to say, the factors coming into Sunday versus what they are going to seem like in the course of the closing week of July will seemingly be dramatically completely different.
And all of it begins as Denny Hamlin, who’s received two races in a row, is chasing down Tyler Reddick for the highest spot within the standings.
Reddick, who held a 129-point benefit over his 23XI Racing co-owner Hamlin only one month in the past, has now seen it shrink to simply 51.
“Actually, it’s loopy whenever you’re on the high, you suppose, ‘OK, we’re good. We’re completely satisfied.’ You’re capable of simply solely deal with setting your self as much as win races and so we’ll need to be just a little bit extra aware of factors for a bit right here except we’re capable of pull again away once more,” Reddick mentioned. “I might say we’ve simply been capable of simply focus solely on bringing actually quick race vehicles and probably not worrying about attempting anything, which has been good. Just a little bit extra stress now, however hopefully I can deal with it.”
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Toyota has been the dominant producer on monitor to this point in 2026, and Hamlin is now blooming as the principle beneficiary with triumphs at Nashville and Michigan — the place he’s needed to come all the way in which from the rear of the sphere each occasions.
The win streak hasn’t been straightforward for the 45-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver, however the confidence could also be at an all-time excessive for Hamlin even when he’s not dominating these races.
“That is definitely the height of that,” Hamlin mentioned of the No. 11 staff’s energy. “There’s been different occasions the place we’ve had loads of success over a stretch such as you’re speaking about, however not as dominating. I don’t know that we actually dominated the previous few weeks. After we wanted to, we might, and that’s been the distinction this time round versus earlier. I really feel very assured in the way in which that I’m approaching every race monitor, the way in which that I must get velocity out of the vehicles, what I would like out of them in site visitors, all these issues. I really feel fairly dialed in with that proper now.”
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With the variation within the coming weeks, Hamlin mentioned his week-to-week course of and the way his expertise has allowed the transitions to completely different tracks probably not have an effect on how he approaches sure race weekends.
“The method begins just a little bit sooner,” Hamlin mentioned. “You want extra laps, extra reps at a monitor like San Diego versus someplace like right here at Pocono. So, I don’t actually deal with it any in another way. My benefit proper now’s simply merely that the laps that I’ve obtained in any respect these tracks. Any of those tracks that I’ve been profitable at, or had wins, or run actually robust, I do know what that really feel is, and so I simply go in there and I attempt to replicate that really feel again and again and over.
“It’s in truth been straightforward after we’re coming to those race tracks the place I’ve had success or had wins. It’s tracks like San Diego the place I don’t know what the precise really feel is. I don’t know the place I’m at on the race monitor. That’s the place the problem actually is available in, however all the opposite tracks is fairly straightforward at this level realizing what I would like out of the automobile. Not straightforward to get the end result. The method is just not straightforward, nevertheless it’s definitely straightforward to know what I would like.”
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 14: A basic view of the
Within the particulars …
After Pocono, simply 10 races stay till the beginning of The Chase, and because the common season continues to sail alongside, each level and end result has a big impact on the standings towards the cutline.
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Right here’s a take a look at 4 drivers who’re making a climb up the standings within the final month of motion:
DRIVER
MOST RECENT LOW
AFTER MICHIGAN
GAINED TO CUT
Daniel Suárez
+18 after Watkins Glen
+89 to chop
71 factors in three races
Chase Briscoe
-6 after Watkins Glen
+41 to chop
47 factors in three races
Joey Logano
-38 after Watkins Glen
-3 to chop
35 factors in three races
Erik Jones
-69 after Watkins Glen
-18 to chop
51 factors in three races
Velocity reads
Race-day necessities:
• Pocono hub: Key info, pit stalls, further outcomes | • Sunday Setup: What the crew chiefs are saying | • Paint Scheme Preview: New colours set for Pocono | • Hauler Discuss: Bell’s Michigan crash was the toughest in Subsequent Gen period | • Energy Rankings: New No. 1 going into Pocono race | • NASCAR Classics: Contained in the video vault from Pocono |
Contributing: Zach Sturniolo
