The sixteenth spherical of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season at Pocono Raceway had a reasonably predictable ending, as collected his sixty fourth profession win and his eighth on the ‘Tough Triangle’ over championship chief .
However there was nonetheless loads to debate after 400 miles and 160 laps of motion across the distinctive observe. NASCAR will now head west to California for a road race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, after which a conventional highway course race at Sonoma Raceway.
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However earlier than we glance westward, let’s check out the largest winners and losers from Pocono Raceway:
WINNER: Denny Hamlin closes in on championship lead with one other excellent race
Watch: Trifecta! Hamlin celebrates third straight win at Pocono
Hamlin really appears to be like infallible in the intervening time after successful his third consecutive Cup Sequence race. , at the same time as he completed second on Sunday. Hamlin has roared previous , not too long ago joined the 50 poles/50 wins membership, and it looks like he can do no flawed. Now, the subsequent two weeks on road/highway programs are prone to make him look extra human as Hamlin is at his weakest when proper turns are concerned, however Pocono was simply the newest instance of how the 45-year-old is simply getting higher behind the wheel.
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Watch: Christopher Bell displays on late gas gamble
Lots of people thought Bell would not even be racing this weekend after a , however right here he was. It wasn’t an amazing race for Bell, however a daring fuel-save technique from crew chief Adam Stevens practically netted him a high 5 or high ten end, however he ran out of gas with one lap to go and needed to pit. That despatched him again to twenty sixth place, and now he faces a really tough problem resulting from his harm with San Diego and Sonoma forward of him.
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Watch: Nemechek happy with P4 end: ‘We’re working in the fitting route’
The Toyotas are very quick this yr, and we imply JGR, 23XI, *and* Legacy Motor Membership. After Erik Jones’ runner-up end final weekend, he positioned sixth at Pocono. Much more spectacular than that’s the truth that he wasn’t even the highest LMC driver! Teammate completed fourth for his first high 5 of the yr, main 42 laps — a career-high for Nemechek. In reality, he led extra laps on Sunday than his complete 2025 season mixed. Jones was additionally the largest mover in factors, leaping three spots and transferring simply above the Chase cut-off line. Legacy is changing into a real risk unexpectedly, and is prone to attain Victory Lane within the near-future in the event that they stick with it.
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Whereas Jones moved up into the highest 16, he changed Keselowski who fell beneath the Chase cut-line. The RFK co-owner has three straight DNFs with finishes of thirty fourth, thirty fourth, and thirty eighth at Pocono — useless final. He was caught up in a wreck he did not trigger, and now he sits seventeenth in factors with little to indicate for his efforts. With the latest misfortune that hit , RFK now has only one driver left within the Chase area, whereas all three have been wanting comfy nearly a month in the past.
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WINNER: leads the best way for FordChris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Whereas it was a tricky weekend for many of RFK Racing, Buescher continues to be the outlier. He completed seventh, which was first amongst all Ford drivers. Buescher has been the mannequin of consistency, and has bumped as much as seventh within the standings along with his eighth high ten within the first 16 races of the yr.
LOSER: makes expensive error whereas battling at the frontZane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports
Smith has been very spectacular in latest weeks, however Pocono was a misstep for the driving force of the No. 38 FRM Ford. Battling for third whereas on an alternate technique, Smith misplaced management and crashed into the within wall, ending his Pocono race after simply 66 laps. Nonetheless, there was a vibrant spot for Entrance Row Motorsports as Smith’s teammate Todd Gilliland earned his first-career stage win.
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WINNER: secures best-ever Pocono finishRoss Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
The No. 1 Trackhouse workforce has to take no matter positives they will discover proper now, and Sunday was a uncommon vibrant spot in an in any other case tough 2026 season. Chastain completed eighth, securing his best-ever end at Pocono and his first high ten on a non-drafting observe this yr. Chastain continues to be 61pts exterior of the Chase, however Sunday’s end result moved him eleven factors nearer to the cut-line.
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LOSER: Defending Pocono winner fails to capitalizeChase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Membership
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing, John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Membership
Briscoe’s acknowledged objective is to be inside the highest 5 within the standings by the point the common season ends, giving him an amazing shot at difficult for the title following the reset. And whereas he had a superb race, the No. 19 workforce has to really feel Pocono was a missed alternative. He entered this race because the defending winner, however he solely completed twelfth, and stays virtually 100 factors away from reaching fifth within the standings.
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BONUS WINNER: NASCAR and Prime Video for transferring up the beginning timeNascar prime brand
Nascar prime brand
NASCAR labored along with streaming companion Prime Video to proactively transfer up the beginning time of It was nice to have an early afternoon Cup race, however it was even higher to see how versatile Prime Video was with adjusting begin instances, guaranteeing all 160 laps have been accomplished with out a single delay.
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