Denny Hamlin displayed his hypocrisy on aggressive racing, Austin Dillon chucked his helmet at Tyler Reddick and NASCAR found itself in a lose-lose situation at the finish.
So without further adieu, let’s dive into the Three Big Stories of the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.
1. Denny Hamlin hypocritically unleashes the aggression
LONG POND, Pa. – JULY 23: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tires and Brakes Toyota, celebrates in victory lane, after winning the NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2023, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Photo: Kirk Schroll/SpeedwayMedia.com
As Hamlin climbed out of his car, the crowd in attendance showered him with boos and middle fingers. Five minutes earlier, he side-swiped Kyle Larson and took the lead. While Larson hit the wall in Turn 1.
“I’m not here to defend anything,” he said. “I put both those guys, (Alex Bowman) and 5, in an aero situation. Didn’t touch either one. How can you wreck someone you don’t touch?”
He went on to say he put Larson and Bowman in an “either let off the gas and race side by side, or hit the gas and hit the wall” situation.
Now with Bowman, the replays showed they never touched. The No. 48 got loose and spun out.
With Larson, however, unless you want to take a page from the NFL and use an index card to find a gap, he clearly touched Larson’s car.
In fact, it’s the same move Hamlin used to pass Ross Chastain at Pocono, last season.
Now I personally saw nothing wrong with Hamlin’s move on Larson. They were racing for the win and he didn’t intentionally dump him into Turn 1.
What I have a problem with, however, is Hamlin talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Look, if Hamlin wants to be an aggressive driver, then embrace your inner Dale Earnhardt. If not, then embrace the ways of Mark Martin. And yes, sometimes, you’ll slip up and stray off the Martin path. When that happens, own up to it and apologize.
But don’t pretend you’re against people racing with a lack of respect, when you do the same.
2. Austin Dillon tosses his helmet (literally)
LONG POND, Pa. – JULY 23: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Breztri.com Chevrolet, hits the Turn 1 wall in the NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2023, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Photo: Kirk Schroll/SpeedwayMedia.com
As the field worked its way through Turn 1 under caution on Lap 107, Dillon chucked his helmet at Reddick’s car. Minutes earlier, Reddick put Dillon into the wall.
Except he didn’t.
Dillon came down across the nose of Reddick’s car and turned himself into the wall. Though even after watching the replay, he wasn’t convinced he messed up.
“I felt like I was holding my own,” he said. “He was at my left-rear going in there, and I knew we were three-wide. I think I’ve got the right to at least hold my lane. I’ve got to turn at some point to get down. Brad (Keselowski) was on my outside, maybe a half-lane up. But Tyler (Reddick) drove it in there, and obviously I feel like he drove it in there deep enough where he had to come up the track into me. We can look at the SMT and see the little fine movements that we make, but I felt like that was not the time to do that for the No. 45.”
I don’t understand why he expected Reddick to yield. It was just a case of two drivers going for the same real estate. And in this case, Dillon got the short end of the stick.
Then again, in the heat of the moment, you’re not always thinking clearly. So only time will tell if this racing incident spirals into something more.
Also, Dillon’s probably getting fined for walking onto a hot track.
3. NASCAR picked its poison
LONG POND, Pa. – JULY 23: A general view of racing
during the NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2023, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images
As the field came to the white flag, Ryan Preece spins and hits the inside wall on the short chute. So a caution comes out and we go to overtime, right?
Well, no.
NASCAR held the flag, waiting to see if Preece would get going.
Which he did, for a few feet.
When NASCAR realized this, it threw the caution. Since Hamlin took the white flag, that ended the race.
Now I know this contradicts what I said on Twitter, but after mulling it over for a night, I don’t know what else NASCAR could’ve done. Either it throws the caution right away and gets flack for not swallowing the whistle or this.
Unlike Richmond Raceway, Pocono is a massive track, where you complete laps in roughly 50 seconds. So it’s not unfeasible to hold the caution to see if Preece got going, again.
At the end of the day, it was a pick-your-poison situation that sometimes comes with the job of officiating.
1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin muscled past Kyle Larson on a late restart and held on to win the HighPoint.com 400, earning his 50th Cup series victory.
“For the record,” Hamlin said, “I did not cause Alex Bowman to wreck. And for once, I’m going to give Bowman credit, because he did that all by himself.
“Now, I did wreck Kyle Larson. And I understand the crowd’s displeasure with me. And I won’t deny the fans their boos, nor will I deny them their booze.”
2. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished third at Pocono as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin took the win.
“I think we all know that if Denny wants something bad enough,” Truex said, “he just takes it. I guess he doesn’t want a Cup championship that bad, then.”
3. Christopher Bell: Bell started fifth and finished sixth at Pocono.
“This race started with Austin Dillon throwing a helmet at Tyler Reddick,” Bell said. “And ended with Kyle Larson throwing shade at Denny Hamlin. I know the fans would rather see drivers throwing punches, but I guess they’ll have to be satisfied with anything being thrown.”
4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took fourth at Pocono, posting his fifth top 5 of the year.
“My car had the slogan ‘Break 4 Busch” all over it,” Harvick said. “That lets you know it’s for Busch beer. Now, with ‘Hunt Brothers Pizza’ on the car, that slogan would be ‘Break for the bathroom.’”
5. William Byron: Byron started on the pole and led 60 laps, finishing 14th in the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono.
“You would think I would be an expert at a place called the ‘Tricky Triangle,’” Byron said. “After all, I’m sponsored by Liberty University, where the ‘Tricky Triangle’ is Jerry Falwell, Jr., his wife, and the pool boy.”
6. Kyle Larson: Larson was leading late, but hit the wall battling Denny Hamlin for the lead. The damage slowed Larson’s No. 5 Chevy considerably, and he finished 21st.
“I don’t know what Hamlin was thinking,” Larson said. “I thought we were friends. If he apologizes, I guess we’ll still be friends. If he doesn’t, we won’t. If he wrecks me again, well, that’s another story. So, it’s a case of friend or foe, or mo fo.’”
7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 21st at Pocono.
“Pocono is a far cry from Mexico,” Busch said. “Speaking of ‘far cry,’ that’s what I did as I wept thousands of miles from home in a Mexican prison.”
8. Ryan Blaney: Blaney suffered a power issue past the midway point of the race, and lost track position and any chance of winning. Blaney was able to stay on the lead lap and finished 30th.
“My car lost about 100 horsepower,” Blaney said. “That can also be accomplished by letting BJ McLeod drive your car.”
9. Ross Chastain: Chastain came home 13th in the HighPoint.com 400.
“Did Austin Dillon really throw his helmet at Tyler Reddick’s car?” Chastain said. “Is that really a useful way to voice your displeasure? If it was, I’d have the world’s largest helmet collection.”
10. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 at Pocono, but crashed on a Lap 36 restart, flattening all four tires. He was able to return for a few laps but retired on Lap 48, and finished 35th.
“All was going well up until that point,” Logano said. “My outlook matched the ‘check’ on my car indicating ‘Verizon.’ But that wreck ‘X’d’ me out.”
A year after having a record-breaking victory at Pocono Raceway stripped due to disqualification to his race-winning car, Denny Hamlin responded back with vengeance and reclaimed the title of holding the most victories at the Tricky Triangle by winning the HighPoint.com 400 on Sunday, July 23.
The three-time Daytona 500 champion from Chesterfield, Virginia, led twice for nine of 160-scheduled laps in an event where he rolled off the starting grid in eighth place, ran towards the front and accumulated an abundance of stage points by finishing in the top five during both stage periods. Amid various pit strategies and a bevy of caution periods amid on-track carnages, Hamlin, who methodically gained ground towards the lead and avoided a spin involving Alex Bowman with 12 laps remaining amid close-quarters racing, seized an opportunity for the lead during a restart with seven laps remaining as he drew himself alongside Kyle Larson.
In the process, Hamlin went up the racetrack and forced Larson out of the racing groove which resulted in Larson scrubbing the outside wall past Turn 1 while Hamlin rocketed away with the lead. Amid another ensuing caution period, where Larson bumped Hamlin to express his displeasure over the contact, Hamlin then managed to pull away from teammate Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick in a three-lap dash to the finish and just before an incident involving Ryan Preece concluded the event under caution to claim his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season and his all-time leading seventh triumph at the Tricky Triangle.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, July 22, William Byron notched his third pole of 2023 and the 11th of his Cup Series career after posting a pole-winning lap at 170.629 mph in 52.746 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Martin Truex Jr., winner of last weekend’s Cup event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 170.235 mph in 52.868 seconds.
Prior to the event, Chase Elliott and Todd Gilliland dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries after both spun during their respective qualifying laps on Saturday.
When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Byron and Truex dueled for the lead through the frontstretch and entering the first turn until Byron managed to use the outside lane to his advantage as he rocketed into the lead entering Long Pond Straight. With Byron leading, Truex retained second as Joey Logano muscled his way into third place over Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. With the field navigating its way through Turns 2 and 3 before returning to the frontstretch, Byron proceeded to lead the first lap while Truex, Logano, Harvick and Larson followed in pursuit.
Through the second lap and as the field continued to jostle for early spots, rookie Ty Gibbs scrubbed the outside wall entering Long Pond Straight and while running 17th. With Gibbs resuming under full speed and the race proceeding under green, Byron retained the lead with a reasonable advantage over Truex while Logano, Harvick and Larson remained in the top five. Behind, Bubba Wallace, who scrubbed the wall during his qualifying lap but rolled off the grid in 10th place, was in sixth ahead of Christopher Bell as Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick and Hamlin pursued in the top 10.
On the fourth lap, the first caution of the event flew when JJ Yeley, who was running towards the rear of the field, spun and slapped the inside wall on the driver’s left side at the Short Chute and just past Turn 2. During the caution period, some like Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer and Todd Gilliland pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.
When the race resumed under green flag conditions on the 10th lap, Byron and Logano, who moved up to restart alongside Byron on the front row after Truex elected to start behind Byron on the outside lane, dueled for the lead entering the first turn as the field fanned out. Then in Turn 1, Logano rocketed his No. 22 Verizon Frontline Ford Mustang into the lead as Byron went up the track and fell back to second. Then exiting Long Pond Straight and as the field continued to fan out, Byron was placed in a three-wide battle with teammate Larson and Harvick to retain second, with Larson gaining the spot as Truex fell back to fifth.
Three laps later and amid the early battles within the field, Corey LaJoie, who was running 12th, pitted under green after scrubbing the wall entering Long Pond Straight a lap earlier and reporting a flat tire to his No. 7 TD Bank Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, though he remained on the lead lap following his pit service. With the event remaining under green flag conditions, Logano continued to lead over a hard-charging Larson, who started to gain ground on Logano for the lead, while Byron settled in third and trailed the lead by more than a second.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Logano retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over Larson while Byron, Harvick and Truex were running in the top five. Behind, Christopher Bell occupied sixth ahead of teammate Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Reddick and AJ Allmendinger while Michael McDowell, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Ty Gibbs and Alex Bowman were in the top 15. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski was in 16th ahead of Justin Haley, Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher and Erik Jones while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, rookie Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola were mired in the top 30.
Five laps later, Logano stabilized his advantage to nearly half a second over Larson while third-place Byron trailed by more than a second. By then, the top-10 field that included Harvick, Truex, Bell, Hamlin, Blaney, Reddick and Allmendinger were trailing the lead by under six seconds. Another lap later, Kyle Busch, who was running 18th, pitted his No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under green. A bevy of names that included Larson, Byron, Harvick, Bell, Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Bowman, Austin Cindric, Keselowski, Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would pit during the proceeding lap under green and just as pit road closed with the first stage’s conclusion within sight.
When the first stage concluded on Lap 30, Logano captured his third Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Truex, the regular-season championship leader, followed suit in second while Hamlin, Reddick, Allmendinger, Michael McDowell, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley, Chris Buescher and Erik Jones were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, a bevy of names led by Logano, including those who remained on the track during the first stage’s conclusion period, pitted while the rest led by Cole Custer and Byron, including those who pitted prior to the first stage’s conclusion, remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Hamlin exited first followed by teammate Truex, Reddick, Logano, McDowell and Allmendinger. Custer would then pit a lap after remaining on the track, which enabled Byron to cycle back into the lead.
The second stage started on Lap 35 as teammates Byron and Larson occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out entering the first turn, the caution quickly returned when Logano, who was running in the middle of the pack, received a bump from McDowell that caused Logano to get loose and bounce off of Reddick before he spun backward and hit the outside wall, with the driver unable to drive away due to flat-spotting his tires and needing a wrecker to tow his car back to pit road. At the same time, McDowell, who was turning left to avoid Logano, made contact with Wallace, which proceeded into Wallace clipping Suarez as Suarez also spun sideways and slapped the outside wall head-on. The incident not only left a huge dent to Suarez’s front nose of his No. 99 Jockey Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, but it also implicated his ensuing battle to make the top-16 cutline for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs as he came into Pocono trailing the cutline by a single point. The damage, however, was enough to terminate Suarez’s event in the garage.
During the proceeding restart on Lap 41, teammates Byron and Larson dueled for the lead through the frontstretch and entering the first turn before the field navigated its way to Long Pond Straight. The caution, however, quickly returned when Austin Dillon, who was running 26th, got clipped by BJ McLeod as Dillon was sent spinning backward toward the outside wall in Turn 1.
The following restart on Lap 45 restart generated another caution period as Larson, who dueled teammate Byron for the lead through the frontstretch and entering Turn 1, received a bump from Bell that got Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sideways and spinning up the track backward toward the outside wall in Turn 1 while the rest of the field scattered to avoid him. During the caution period, select names that included Harvick, Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Cole Custer, Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland and Ty Dillon pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.
On the ensuing restart on Lap 50, where Byron and Bell occupied the front row, Byron surged ahead with a huge push on the outside lane to retain the lead through the frontstretch and entering Turn 1. With the field navigating its way through Turn 1 and Long Pond Straight, Ty Gibbs was up in third behind Blaney, who surged his No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang into second, followed by Keselowski and Bell, who lost a handful of spots during the restart, while teammates Elliott and Alex Bowman battled for sixth. Truex would join the battle involving Bowman and Elliott during the following lap along with Hamlin while Reddick was in 10th ahead of a battle between Wallace, Kyle Busch, Cindric and Buescher.
By Lap 55 and amid a series of on-track battles ensuing within the field, Byron was leading by six-tenths of a second over Blaney while third-place Ty Gibbs trailed by more than a second. Byron would continue to lead by nine-tenths of a second over Blaney at the Lap 60 mark while Ty Gibbs, Keselowski and Bell remained in the top five. With Elliott, Truex, Hamlin, Reddick and Bowman running in the top 10, Wallace was in 11th ahead of Buescher, Allmendinger, Haley and McDowell while Kyle Busch, who went up the track and nearly scrubbed the wall a few laps earlier, had fallen back to 16th in front of Ryan Preece, Cindric, Aric Almirola and Stenhouse. By then, Larson was mired in 24th in front of Harvick, Ross Chastain was in 27th and Chase Briscoe was in 30th.
On Lap 63, Bowman and Kyle Busch, who were running 10th and 16th, respectively, pitted under green. Stenhouse would pit during the proceeding lap before Allmendinger pitted by Lap 65. By then, Kyle Busch was lapped by Byron amid a 17-second pit stop. Wallace would then pit under green on Lap 68 as Byron continued to lead through the Lap 70 mark.
By Lap 72, Hamlin, who was running on fumes amid a shortage of fuel due to leaving his pit stall early while fueling his car during his previous pit stop under caution, pitted his No. 11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota TRD Camry under green while running 11th. His driver Reddick would pit during the following lap as Byron retained the lead by more than a second over runner-up Blaney and more than two seconds over Ty Gibbs through the Lap 75 mark. Byron would extend his advantage to more than two seconds over Blaney and more than three seconds over Ty Gibbs by Lap 78. By then, Buescher and Chastain pitted under green as Keselowski would follow suit.
Then on Lap 79, Byron surrendered the lead to pit his No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 followed by Blaney, Bell, Cindric, and Almirola as Ty Gibbs cycled into the lead. Elliott and McDowell would follow suit on Lap 80 as Ty Gibbs pitted his No. 54 He Get Us Toyota TRD Camry on Lap 81 along with teammate Truex and Ryan Preece. By then, Larson cycled into the lead as Austin Dillon pitted his No. 3 BREZTRI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under green on Lap 83.
Just past the Lap 85 mark, Larson was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Harvick while Erik Jones, Ty Dillon and LaJoie were in the top five. Behind, Byron cycled his way up to sixth while Harrison Burton, Bowman, Hamlin and Reddick were scored in the top 10 ahead of Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Wallace, Bell and Truex.
With the event reaching its Lap 90 mark, select names like LaJoie and Erik Jones pitted under green. Harvick would then surrender the runner-up spot to pit his No. 4 Busch Light Peach Ford Mustang on Lap 91 along with Harrison Burton as Larson continued to lead. Then on Lap 91, the caution flew when Bell got loose and spun his No. 20 Yahoo! Toyota TRD Camry exiting Turn 1. The caution for Bell’s incident was enough for NASCAR to conclude the second stage scheduled to conclude on Lap 95 under caution as Larson, who was about to pit prior to Bell’s incident and was running low on fuel, coasted to his third Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Ty Dillon emerged in the runner-up spot while Byron, Hamlin, Bowman, Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Blaney, Wallace and Truex were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, some led by Larson, including a mix of competitors who had yet to pit prior to the stage’s conclusion and who pitted early from the stage’s conclusion like Hamlin, pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.
With 61 laps remaining, the final stage started as Byron and Blaney occupied the front row. At the start, Byron rocketed away with the lead on the outside lane through the frontstretch before the inside lane led by Blaney regained momentum as Blaney assumed the lead through Turn 1. Truex followed suit behind Blaney while Byron fell back to third.
During the following lap with 60 laps remaining, Truex attempted to draw even with Blaney entering Turn 1 in his bid for the lead, but he stepped off the throttle as Blaney retained the lead while Byron tried to regain ground on the two leaders. Truex would then succeed in gaining the lead through the frontstretch during the following lap as Byron followed suit. Soon after, Blaney lost spots to Ty Gibbs, Buescher, Wallace and Bowman as he was dropkicked to seventh. He would continue to lose more spots during the ensuing lap as he reported a power issue to his car.
With 55 laps remaining, the caution returned when Austin Dillon, who was vying for a spot in the top 10 and battling with Keselowski and Reddick, turned across the front nose of Reddick entering Turn 1 as Dillon spun up the track and pounded the outside wall hard. Compared to his previous incident in Turn 1, Dillon’s latest incident terminated his run with a wrecked race car and prompted the North Carolinian to toss his helmet at Reddick’s No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota TRD Camry to express his displeasure. At the moment of caution, Truex was leading ahead of Byron while Ty Gibbs, Buescher, Wallace, Bowman, Hamlin, Harvick, Elliott and Keselowski were in the top 10.
During the caution period, select names that included Blaney, Keselowski, Almirola, Cindric, Stenhouse, Kyle Busch, LaJoie, Todd Gilliland and Harrison Burton pitted while the rest led by Truex remained on the track.
As the race restarted with 50 laps remaining, Truex retained the lead amid a strong restart on the outside lane while Byron retained second in front of Ty Gibbs. Behind, Wallace carved his way up to fourth followed by Buescher while Bowman was in sixth ahead of Harvick and Elliott as the field cycled its way through Long Pond Straight, the Tunnel Curve and Turns 2 and 3.
Ten laps later, Byron surrendered the runner-up spot to pit under green along with Buescher, McDowell, Keselowski, Cindric and Larson, who only opted for two fresh tires to cycle ahead of his fellow competitors. By then, Bowman had pitted a lap earlier while Truex retained the lead. With 39 laps remaining, however, the cycle of green flag pit stops continue to ensue as Truex pitted his No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota TRD Camry from the lead along with Wallace, Elliott, Chastain, Allmendinger and Haley while Ty Gibbs cycled into the lead. Gibbs would then pit with 38 laps remaining along with teammate Bell as Hamlin cycled into the lead followed by Harvick and Reddick.
As Hamlin and Harvick both pitted for two fresh tires and fuel with 37 laps remaining, Reddick cycled into the lead while Larson, the first competitor running on two fresh tires and a full tank of gas, managed to cycle ahead of both Hamlin and Harvick on the track. With Reddick still leading with 30 laps remaining and despite having another pit stop within his horizon to have enough fuel to finish the event, Erik Jones trailed in the runner-up spot by more than three seconds followed by Stenhouse, LaJoie, Harrison Burton, Almirola, Gilliland, Yeley and Blaney, all of whom needing a pit stop to finish the event. Meanwhile, Larson, the first competitor running in prime position with his two fresh tires and a full tank of fuel, was in 10th followed by a hard-charging Hamlin while Truex, Bowman, Harvick, Byron, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Buescher and Wallace followed pursuit.
With 25 laps remaining, Erik Jones surrendered the runner-up spot to pit his No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under green as Reddick continued to lead by more than eight seconds over Stenhouse, who would pit his No. 47 Blue Buffalo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the proceeding lap. Reddick would then surrender the lead to pit under green with 22 laps remaining as LaJoie cycled into the lead.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, LaJoie was leading by more than five seconds over Almirola followed by Gilliland, all three of whom still needed to pit, while Larson cycled his way up to fourth despite trailing the top-three competitors by more than 11 seconds. Behind, a battle ensued between Joe Gibbs Racing’s Hamlin and Truex while Bowman, Harvick, Byron and Ty Gibbs were in the top 10. By then, Harrison Burton pitted under green.
Then three laps later, the caution flew when contact from Ty Dillon sent Briscoe spinning and hitting the outside wall in Turn 3 as Briscoe limped his damaged No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang to his pit stall. During the caution period, some led by LaJoie and including Almirola, Gilliland, Byron, Elliott, Buescher, Yeley, Wallace, Allmendinger, Chastain, Keselowski, Blaney, Gilliland, Cindric, Preece, McDowell, Haley, LaJoie and Kyle Busch pitted while the rest led by Larson remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Cindric was penalized for speeding on pit road while LaJoie was held a lap in his pit box for overtaking the pace car while pulling up to his pit stall prior to his service.
When the race restarted under green with 13 laps remaining, where Larson and Hamlin occupied the front row, Larson received a strong push from Truex on the outside lane to rocket ahead with the lead over Hamlin entering Turn 1. Through Long Pond Straight and as the field fanned out through the Tunnel Curve, Larson retained the lead over Truex as Bowman moved up to third while Hamlin fell back to fourth in front of Harvick.
During the following lap, Truex started to launch his charge on Larson for the lead as he closed in to within a tenth of a second to Larson’s rear bumper through Long Pond Straight and the Tunnel Curve. Shortly after, the caution flew when Bowman, who was running third, spun sideways in front of Hamlin amid close-quarters racing, but with no contact made between both competitors, as Bowman backed his No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 against the outside wall in Turn 3.
Down to the final seven laps of the event, where Larson and Truex occupied the front row, the race restarted under green. At the start, Larson received another strong push on the outside lane, this time from Hamlin, to retain the lead entering Turn 1. Through Turn 1, however, Hamlin made his move beneath Larson in a bid for the lead as he even forced Larson up the track and caused Larson to scrub the outside wall. With Truex and Harvick joining the battle, Hamlin gained control of the field with the lead followed by Truex and Harvick while Larson dropped to fourth. Not long after, the caution returned when Haley wrecked in Turn 2. During the caution period, Larson bumped into Hamlin to express his displeasure over the contact.
With the event restarting under green with three laps remaining, where teammates Hamlin and Truex occupying the front row, Hamlin launched ahead with another strong start on the outside lane and he would retain the top spot over Truex as he navigated his way into Long Pond Straight. Through the straightaway, Larson started to lose momentum and a bevy of spots towards the front amid his damage while Hamlin continued to lead Truex.
Down to the final two laps of the event, Hamlin was leading by three-tenths of a second over Truex while Harvick was being challenged by Reddick for third. In the process, Ty Gibbs was in fifth ahead of Bell, Stenhouse, Erik Jones, Harrison Burton and Elliott while Larson plummeted to 14th.
Then as Hamlin started to navigate his way towards the frontstretch to start the final lap of the event, Preece spun past the Tunnel Curve. NASCAR, though, opted keep the race under green flag conditions and display the white flag to start the final lap, where Hamlin remained as the leader by nearly eight-tenths of a second over Truex and Reddick. With Preece unable to drive away from his incident and as the field was approaching him through Long Pond Straight, NASCAR threw the caution to conclude the event. As a result, the leader Hamlin was awarded the victory as he notched the second Cup consecutive victory in recent weeks for Joe Gibbs Racing.
With the victory, Hamlin notched his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season, his first since winning at Kansas Speedway in May amid a final lap dust-up involving Larson and he surpassed Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in becoming the winningest Cup competitor at the Tricky Triangle with seven victories. In addition, he became the fifth competitor to achieve multiple Cup victories this season and the 15th different competitor to achieve 50 wins in NASCAR’s premier series as he moved into a tie with Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 13th place on the all-time wins list. As an added bonus, Hamlin recorded the 600th overall victory for the Toyota nameplate across NASCAR with the manufacturer notching its seventh victory of the 2023 Cup season.
Photo by Jeff Clemons for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Both [Larson and Bowman] wrecked themselves,” Hamlin, who stood his ground over his late incidents involving Larson and Bowman, said on USA Network. “There was a lane. [Larson] missed the corner first and evidently, he didn’t have his right-side tires clean. When he gassed up, he just kept going again. You have an option in those positions that it’s either hold it wide open and hit the fence or lift and race it out. Those were choices they made. I didn’t hit either one of them. I didn’t touch them.”
“I love it,” Hamlin, who reigned in the chorus of boos from the crowd, added. “They can boo my [winning] rock here in a few years. Honestly, we had the best car. The strategy worked out well. [Crew chief] Chris [Gabehart] just kept getting me more towards the front. This Mavis Tires & Brakes car was just really fast right from the get-go in practice. Just really happy that we’re finally winning these races that we should win.”
Upon completion of the post-race inspection process, there were no issues assessed to Hamlin’s race-winning car this season compared to the previous season, which made Hamlin’s 2023 victory at Pocono official.
Meanwhile, Larson, who ended up 20th and had initially placed himself in contention for the victory amid his early spin, maintained his composure but did not mince his words nor his displeasure to Hamlin over the on-track contact.
“I’ve been cost a lot of good finishes by [Hamlin] throughout my career and I know he says I race a certain way, but I don’t think I’ve ever had to apologize to him about anything,” Larson said. “Not that I’m sure he’s gonna say sorry after this, but it is what it is. Whatever, just move on. Yes, this makes things [expletive] and awkward, but whatever. He’s always right. All the buddies know Denny’s always right, so I’m sure he was in the right there as well. I’m not gonna let it tarnish our friendship on track, but I am pissed. I feel like I should be pissed. I think at this point, I’m gonna have to [race him differently], right? Eventually, like he says, you got to start racing people a certain way to get the respect back. I don’t think I deserve to be run into before I ever got to the wall.”
Behind Hamlin, Reddick rallied to come home in the runner-up spot followed by Truex, who fell short in winning back-to-back races in recent weeks. Harvick and Ty Gibbs finished in the top five.
Bell, Stenhouse, Harrison Burton, Erik Jones and Chase Elliott finished in the top 10. Notably, Wallace ended up 11th, Byron settled in 14th behind Ross Chastain, Keselowski finished 16th, Kyle Busch ended up 21st behind Larson and Bowman fell back to 24th. In addition, Blaney ended up 30th, the final competitor on the lead lap.
There were 14 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured 11 cautions for 44 laps. In addition, 30 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.
With five regular-season events remaining of this year’s Cup Series schedule, Martin Truex Jr. continues to lead the regular-season standings by 30 points over William Byron, 55 over Denny Hamlin, 75 over Christopher Bell and 98 over Ross Chastain.
William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are currently guaranteed spots for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell currently occupy the remaining vacant spots in the Playoffs based on points, with McDowell occupying the 16th and final vacant spot by 17 points over AJ Allmendinger, 23 over Daniel Suarez, 28 over rookie Ty Gibbs, 45 over Alex Bowman, 56 over Chase Elliott, 60 over Austin Cindric and 62 over Justin Haley.
Next on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ second and final visit of this season to Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, July 30 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
In an event dominated by JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill stole the spotlight after outdueling Berry during an overtime attempt to win the eighth annual running of the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, July 22.
The 29-year-old Hill from Winston, Georgia, led the final two of 92 over-scheduled laps in an event where he started 11th and nabbed a single point at the conclusion of the first stage. After being penalized with a speeding penalty prior to the final stage, Hill and his No. 21 RCR Chevrolet Camaro team led by crew chief Andy Street rolled the dice by pitting for fuel during a caution period with less than 45 laps remaining amid a two-car wreck that collected fellow competitors John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer.
From a restart with 40 laps remaining through a late caution period with 11 laps remaining and prior to a six-lap dash to the finish, Hill elected to remain on the track amid concerns of running low of fuel. Despite losing a brief lead to Berry at the start of the six-lap dash, an opportunity presented itself for Hill as another late-race incident sent the event into overtime. During the event’s lone overtime attempt, the Georgian capitalized on a late mistake made by Berry slipping up the track in Turn 1 that enabled Hill to muscle into the lead. Despite being placed in a duel against Berry on the final lap, Hill managed to rocket away from Berry with a push from Berry’s teammate Sam Mayer and retain the lead just as a final lap incident involving Berry concluded the event under caution and handed Hill his fourth Xfinity victory of the 2023 season.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, July 21, Josh Berry notched his first Xfinity Series pole of the 2023 season after posting a pole-winning lap at 167.951 mph in 53.587 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Daniel Hemric, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 167.128 mph in 53.851 seconds.
Prior to the event, the following names that included Garrett Smithley, Chad Chastain and Blaine Perkins dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.
When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Berry fended off a brief duel with Hemric through the frontstretch to launch ahead with the lead through the first turn. As the field battled two by two through Long Pond Straight, the Tunnel Curve and Turns 2 and 3, Berry managed to rocket ahead in his No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet Camaro and lead the first lap followed by Hemric while Sheldon Creed, Connor Mosack, John Hunter Nemechek and rookie Sammy Smith pursued within the top six.
Through the second lap, more battles ensued within and outside the top 10 as Cole Custer was trying to protect ninth place ahead of Austin Hill, rookie Chandler Smith, Justin Allgaier, Corey Heim, Jeb Burton and others while Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer tried to close in on the top-six competitors. Meanwhile, the leader Berry proceeded with a reasonable advantage ahead of Hemric.
Through the first five scheduled laps, Berry was leading by more than a second over Hemric followed by Creed, Mosack and Sammy Smith while Nemechek, Brandon Jones, Mayer, Custer and Austin Hill were in the top 10. Behind, Allgaier occupied 11th in front of Chandler Smith, Corey Heim, Ryan Sieg and Jeb Burton while Chase Elliott, Brett Moffitt, Daniel Suarez, Kaz Grala and Jeremy Clements occupied the top 20. By then, Ty Dillon was mired in 21st in front of Riley Herbst, Parker Kligerman, rookie Parker Retzlaff and Anthony Alfredo.
At the Lap 10 mark, Berry stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Hemric while Creed retained third place in his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro. Behind, Sammy Smith moved up to fourth followed by teammate Nemechek and Brandon Jones while Mosack fell back to seventh. In addition, Custer and Mayer battled for eighth, Allgaier cracked the top 10 as he was running in 10th, Hill fell back to 12th and Elliott was up to 14th.
Five laps later, Berry extended his advantage to nearly two seconds over Hemric while third-place Creed trailed by nearly three seconds. By then, teammates Sammy Smith and Nemechek retained fourth and fifth while Mosack had fallen back to 10th as Mayer, Allgaier and Custer moved up the leaderboard in the top 10.
When the first stage concluded on Lap 20, Berry, who has led since the drop of the green flag, captured his second Xfinity stage victory of the 2023 season. Hemric settled in second, trailing by more than a second, while Nemechek, Sammy Smith, Creed, Jones, Mayer, Allgaier, Mosack and Austin Hill were scored in the top 10. By then, Custer, who pitted for service under green on Lap 17 and just as pit road closed to signify the conclusion of a stage period, was mired back in 37th place, the next-to-last spot.
Under the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Berry pitted while select names that included Custer, who pitted prior to the stage’s conclusion, along with Alex Labbe, Brennan Poole and Garrett Smithley remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Berry exited first ahead of Hemric, Smith, Jones and Nemechek. Amid the pit stops, Josh Williams was penalized for equipment interference.
The second stage started on Lap 25 as Custer and Berry occupied the front row. At the start and amid a stacked two-by-two restart, Custer received a push from Hemric while running on the outside lane to battle Berry for the lead until the latter reassumed the top spot through Long Pond Straight. Behind, Hemric slipped in Turn 1 and fell back to seventh while Brandon Jones rocketed to third along with Sammy Smith, Nemechek and Allgaier. With Berry back in the lead, Jones would then move his No. 9 Menards Chevrolet Camaro into second after overtaking Custer through Turns 2 and 3 as Allgaier followed suit. Not long after, trouble struck for Jeffrey Earnhardt, who fell off the pace after cutting a left-front tire while the event remained under green flag conditions.
During the proceeding laps, Berry was leading ahead of teammates Jones and Allgaier while Custer was overtaken by Sammy Smith and Nemechek for top-five spots amid older tires compared to the field. Behind, Hemric retained seventh as Herbst and Mayer tried to close in.
By Lap 30, Berry was leading by more than a second over teammate Allgaier while teammate Jones, who was in third, trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, Nemechek was in fourth while Custer was being challenged by Sammy Smith for fifth place. Meanwhile, Hemric continued to run in seventh ahead of Herbst and Mayer while Chandler Smith was in 10th ahead of Chase Elliott. In addition, Creed, who was boxed in during his previous pit stops, was in 14th behind Austin Hill and Ryan Sieg.
Five laps later, Berry’s advantage decreased to a tenth of a second over a hard-charging, teammate Allgaier while teammate Jones retained third as he trailed by less than two seconds. Shortly after, the battle for the lead between JR Motorsports’ Berry and Allgaier intensified as Allgaier started to intimidate Berry for the top spot. Behind, the battle for third place also intensified as Nemechek started to gain ground on Brandon Jones for the spot. By then, Parker Kligerman was mired in 36th after pitting under green and remaining on the lead lap. Creed, Ryan Sieg and Daniel Suarez would then pit just as pit road closed with two laps remaining in the second stage.
Then on the final lap of the second stage, Allgaier drew even on teammate Berry for the lead and for the stage victory. With Berry pulling ahead and retaining the spot from Allgaier entering the straightaways while Allgaier gained runs through the turns, Berry managed to fend off Allgaier by a tenth of a second to claim his second stage victory of the day and the third of the 2023 Xfinity season on Lap 40. Nemechek settled in third while Brandon Jones, Custer, Sammy Smith, Mayer, Herbst, Hermic and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10.
During the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Berry pitted while some led by Allgaier and including Garrett Smithley, Brennan Poole, Suarez, Creed, Ryan Sieg and Kligerman remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Austin Hill was penalized for speeding on pit road.
With 45 laps remaining, which marked the halfway point of the event, the final stage started as Allgaier and Suarez occupied the front row. At the start, however, the caution quickly returned amid a stacked restart when Nemechek, who restarted in the top 10 and was getting boxed in behind Kligerman after Kligerman struggled to launch, got sideways after getting bumped by teammate Sammy Smith as Nemechek then got turned before colliding into Custer’s No. 00 Haas Ford Mustang with both spinning and hitting the outside wall through the frontstretch. Amid the carnage, Suarez managed to emerge as the leader over Allgaier while Ryan Sieg, Berry and Creed were in the top five. During the caution period, names that included Mayer, Ryan Ellis, Patrick Emerling, Herbst, Nemechek, Custer and Sammy Smith pitted while the rest led by Suarez remained on the track. In addition, Chad Chastain was sent to the rear of the field for laying back during the previous restart.
During the proceeding restart with 40 laps remaining, Suarez and Allgaier dueled for the lead as the field fanned out entering the first turn. Through Turn 1, Suarez tried to muscle ahead with the lead, but Allgaier fought back entering Long Pong Straight as Berry tried to launch a three-wide move on both. With Berry backing out, Allgaier rocketed ahead to assume the lead. Behind and during the proceeding lap, Berry continued to battle Suarez for the runner-up spot as Creed battled Ryan Sieg for fourth place.
With 36 laps remaining, Allgaier retained the lead by a tenth of a second over a hard-charging Berry while Suarez fell back to third and trailed the lead by less than two seconds. A lap later, Suarez surrendered third place to pit his No. 10 LeafHome Water Chevrolet Camaro under green as Creed, Elliott and Kligerman moved up the leaderboard in the top five. In addition, Berry navigated his way around teammate Allgaier for the lead. Another lap later, Chandler Smith and Corey Heim pitted under green.
Then with 33 laps remaining, Allgaier pitted his No. 7 Reese’s Ice Cream Chevrolet Camaro under green followed by Hemric and Jeb Burton, with Hemric exiting ahead of Allgaier after opting for only fuel to his No. 11 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Camaro. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sammy Smith and Connor Mosack would pit during the proceeding lap, with Smith pitting for only fuel, as Kligerman and Kaz Grala both pitted for only fuel with 31 laps remaining.
With 30 laps remaining, Berry surrendered the lead to pit for four fresh tires and fuel under green as Elliott cycled into the lead. Creed would also pit for four fresh tires as Berry was mired outside the top 20 by the time he returned to the track.
With 25 laps remaining and with mixed strategies continuing to ensue, Elliott, who has yet to pit, was leading by more than six seconds over Brandon Jones while Ryan Sieg, Ty Dillon and Herbst were in the top five. With Mayer and Moffitt running sixth and seventh, Hill, who topped off on fuel during the previous caution period and aiming to finish the event on his current fuel tank, was running in eighth. By then, Berry, the first competitor with enough fuel to finish the event, cycled his way up to 20th with teammate Allgaier following pursuit.
Five laps later, Elliott surrendered the lead to pit his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro under green followed by Parker Retzlaff as Brandon Jones cycled into the lead. In addition, Kaz Grala ran into late issues after spinning, but he managed to proceed without drawing a caution.
Another five laps later, Brandon Jones retained the lead by more than eight seconds over Ty Dillon while Ryan Sieg occupied third place. Behind was Herbst, who was aiming to stretch his fuel tank to the distance, along with fifth-place Mayer while Moffitt and Hill were in sixth and seventh. Meanwhile, Berry cycled his way up to eighth while Anthony Alfredo and Allgaier were in the top 10. By then, Elliott, who pitted five laps earlier, was in 12th in front of Chandler Smith and Creed, Hemric was in 16th and Suarez was in 17th.
Then with 11 laps remaining, the caution flew when Allgaier hit and sent the lapped competitor of Joey Gase spinning exiting Turn 2 as Allgaier also sustained damage to the right-front fender of his car. At the moment of caution, Brandon Jones was leading by more than 12 seconds over Herbst while Mayer, Hill and Berry were in the top five. By then, Ty Dillon, Moffitt and Ryan Sieg had made pit stops under green.
During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by Brandon Jones, who was set to pit prior to Gase’s incident, and including Allgaier, who sustained a flat right-rear tire amid the contact with Gase, pitted while the rest led by Herbst and including Mayer, Hill, Berry, Elliott, Creed and Ryan Sieg remained on the track.
Down to the final six laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Herbst and Hill occupied the front row ahead of Mayer and Berry. At the start, Hill muscled his way into the lead on the inside lane followed by Berry. Berry then wasted no time cycling his way back to the lead after overtaking Hill through Long Pond Straight as the field behind jostled for late spots. With Herbst and Mayer falling back to third and fourth in front of Elliott and behind Hill, Berry retained the lead as the event reached its final five-lap mark. Then amid the on-track battles, the caution returned when Connor Mosack wrecked his No. 19 IRWIN Toyota Supra in the Tunnel Curve in Turn 2. The incident was enough to send the event into overtime with Berry leading the field.
During the first overtime attempt, where teammates Berry and Mayer occupied the front row, Berry received a push from Hill while restarting on the outside lane to pull ahead of teammate Mayer. Then in Turn 1, Berry missed the turn and went wide, which allowed Hill to rocket his No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro into the lead while Berry was trying to straighten his car while falling back to third. Amid stacked racing through Turns 2 and 3, Berry quickly reassumed the runner-up spot as he then ignited his pursuit on Hill for the lead and win.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hill remained as the leader by two-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Berry. Through Turn 1, Berry lightly bumped into the rear of Hill to get Hill loose through the turn. With both then making light contact against one another entering Long Pond Straight, Berry and Hill dueled for the lead until Mayer drafted Hill clear of Berry and to the lead. In the process, Berry made contact against teammate Mayer’s No. 1 Accelerate Pros Talent Chevrolet Camaro as Mayer moved into second. Then entering the Tunnel Curve, Berry’s event went south after he went dead straight toward the outside wall with a flat right-front tire and wrecked against the wall. In front of him, Ryan Sieg, who was vying for a top-10 spot, spun just exiting Turn 2. The incidents forced NASCAR to draw the caution and deem the event official on the final lap as Hill navigated his way back to the frontstretch and claim his fourth checkered flag of the 2023 Xfinity season.
With the victory, Hill notched his sixth career victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and fourth of the season, thus joining John Hunter Nemechek as a four-time race winner in 2023. He also became the eighth different winner in the Xfinity Series’ eight-year span at the Tricky Triangle as he also recorded the fourth Xfinity victory of the season for Richard Childress Racing and the 10th of the season for the Chevrolet nameplate.
“We didn’t have the best car all day,” Hill said on USA Network. “[Crew chief] Andy [Street] and everybody back at [Richard Childress Racing] and ECR Engines worked really hard. We got the car better. I thought that we were maybe a top-five, top-seven car, but I didn’t think that we had anything for the leaders. [Berry] was so fast today. On that [overtime] restart, he drove into [Turn] 1 and he got really loose on entry. I was just trying to hit my line and I throttled up, cleared him. Then taking the white [flag], I backed it up way too much into [Turn] 1, just not wanting to do what [Berry] did and he packed air on me, ended up getting into my back bumper and then, we drag-raced down the backstretch. I thought [Mayer] was about to split us three wide. He had a big run, me and [Berry] both closed it up and he just had to push me at that point. Once I cleared him, I just knew I had to hit my marks and obviously, the caution came out.”
“Man, such a special win,” Hill added. “Obviously with fuel saving and had to save fuel there, didn’t know if we were gonna make it and that was on my mind on the last lap. Going into the Tunnel Turn, I was like, ‘Man, I gotta get back to the start/finish line’. [I] Had enough fuel for a burnout, so we saved enough.”
Mayer came home in a career-best runner-up spot for the third time in his career while Elliott, Herbst and Hemric finished in the top five.
Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Moffitt, Kligerman and Suarez finished in the top 10. Notably, Creed ended up 11th, Ty Dillon settled in 14th and Allgaier fell back to 23rd after wrecking on the frontstretch along with Chandler Smith that resulted in a rear bumper cover coming off of Allgaier’s car before the veteran went dead straight and wrecked against the Turn 1 outside wall.
Meanwhile, Berry, who led a race-high 51 laps and swept both stages, ended up 24th after wrecking on the final lap and having his first victory of the season slip out of his grasp as he was unable to finish the event.
“It was just a wild restart,” Berry said in the infield care center. “I think [Hill] pushed me a little bit longer and a little harder than I wanted to go into [Turn] 1, and just got loose, got up the track and [into] the marbles. [I] Was able to battle back there and race with him. I was trying to time the run. I got there quicker than I wanted in the center and that’s why I got into [Mayer] and we just lost momentum there. The deal with me and Sam [Mayer], I knew Sam was coming with a huge run and obviously, I just tried to cover it to get next to [Hill]. He moved left and I moved right. It was just a racing deal. Just hate that we didn’t get the finish we deserved today, but man, what a really, really fast Tire Pros Chevrolet. I know that if we can continue to have that kind of speed, we’ll win plenty of races. Tough way to end, but still a lot of positives from today and things that I know I could’ve done better to at the end.”
There were 11 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 72 laps. In addition, 23 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.
With seven Xfinity regular-season events remaining on the schedule, John Hunter Nemechek continues to lead the regular-season standings by 13 points over Austin Hill, 55 over Justin Allgaier and 85 over Cole Custer.
Results.
1. Austin Hill, two laps led
2. Sam Mayer
3. Chase Elliott, nine laps led
4. Riley Herbst, three laps led
5. Daniel Hemric
6. Sammy Smith
7. Brandon Jones, 12 laps led
8. Brett Moffitt
9. Parker Kligerman
10. Daniel Suarez, five laps led
11. Sheldon Creed
12. Jeb Burton
13. Anthony Alfredo
14. Ty Dillon
15. Jeremy Clements
16. Kyle Sieg
17. Joe Graf Jr.
18. Ryan Ellis
19. Jeffrey Earnhardt
20. Chandler Smith
21. Garrett Smithley
22. Ryan Sieg
23. Justin Allgaier, eight laps led
24. Josh Berry, one lap down, 51 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner
25. Kaz Grala, one lap down
26. Patrick Emerling, one lap down
27. Blaine Perkins, one lap down
28. Alex Labbe, one lap down
29. Brennan Poole, one lap down
30. Chad Chastain, one lap down
31. Joey Gase, two laps down
32. John Hunter Nemechek, three laps down
33. Cole Custer, five laps down, two laps led
34. Connor Mosack – OUT, Accident
35. Parker Retzlaff, eight laps down
36. Josh Williams, 10 laps down
37. Corey Heim – OUT, Suspension
38. Sage Karam – OUT, Transmission
Next on the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ annual return to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, July 29, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
William Byron scored his third NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light pole of the season Saturday afternoon at Pocono Raceway with a 52.746 seconds lap in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. It also marked his 11th Cup Series career pole in 201 starts.
“Yeah, it’s really important to have pit stall selection,” Byron said after the qualifying session. “I feel like I reiterate that a lot with my team – qualifying position is important, but pit stall selection is really critical. Just happy to get that number one pit stall. For us, I felt like we had a really smooth day.”
He will be joined on the front row by Martin Truex Jr. in the No.19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Truex has has two previous wins (2015 and 2018) at the 2.5-mile track. Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick will start behind them on the second row followed by Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace to complete the top-10 starting positions.
Chase Elliott, the 2022 defending race winner, and Todd Gilliland, had issues during qualifying as each spun in Turn 2. While Elliott did not make contact with the wall in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Gilliland was not as fortunate and scraped the wall in his Front Row Motorsports Ford. Both drivers will start at the rear of the field in Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400.
It was especially frustrating for Elliott who is attempting to earn a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. After missing six races due to injury and being penalized with a one-race suspension, he is currently 60 points behind the last transfer position with only six races remaining in the regular season.
Sunday’s Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 is set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on USA and the NBC Sports App with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
After spending the majority of the late stages being schooled by a former Kyle Busch Motorsports competitor Corey Heim, the bossman Kyle Busch had an extra trick saved up his sleeves to execute a final lap pass on Heim and record a monumental NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, July 22.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion from Las Vegas, Nevada, led twice for seven of 60 scheduled laps in an event marred with late chaos and battles amongst series regulars battling for the final handful of spots to make the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs. All that was on the mindset for Kyle Busch, though, was recording the 100th Truck Series victory for his organization, Kyle Busch Motorsports.
To accomplish the feat, Busch had to navigate his way around Heim for the lead. Heim, however, did not relinquish the lead to Busch without a fight as he retained the spot since Lap 33 and through a series of on-track battles. Then amid a five-lap dash to the finish and after appearing to settle in second behind Heim, Busch seized upon an opportunity on the final lap to gain a run on Heim and execute a final lap pass on him with two corners remaining to rocket away and record the elusive 100th victory for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, July 21, rookie Nick Sanchez notched his fourth Truck Series pole position of the 2023 season after posting a pole-winning speed at 168.966 mph in 53.265 seconds. Joining him on the front row was rookie Jake Garcia, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 168.306 mph in 53.474 seconds.
Prior to the event, the following names that included Ben Rhodes, Josh Reaume, Dean Thompson, Ty Majeski and Christian Eckes dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective trucks.
When the green flag waved and the race commenced amid a stacked start that caused some competitors running towards the rear of the field to fan out and sustain damage to their trucks, Sanchez received a push from Carson Hocevar on the outside lane to rocket ahead with the lead entering Turn 1. As Hocevar tried to make a move beneath Sanchez, the latter rocketed ahead through the first turn and entering Long Pond Straight while Hocevar moved in front of Garcia to retain second as Grant Enfinger joined the battle. As the field battled amid two lanes through the Tunnel Curve and entering Turn 3, Sanchez managed to retain the lead when he returned to the frontstretch and lead the first lap while Garcia and Hocevar battled for second.
Through the second lap, Zane Smith made a three-wide move on Garcia and Hocevar through the frontstretch to move his No. 38 Birch Gold Group Ford F-150 into the runner-up spot. Soon after, Matt DiBenedetto and Enfinger rocketed past Hocevar along with Austin Hill through Long Pond Straight as Chase Purdy and Corey Heim trailed closely behind in eighth and ninth. By then, however, Sanchez stretched his advantage to more than two seconds over Zane Smith.
On the third lap, the first caution of the event flew when Tanner Gray, who was running 15th, snapped sideways underneath teammate Kaz Grala and was barely clipped by Tyler Ankrum in the front end before he spun below the track and collided head-on into the inside wall in Turn 1. With the damage to his No. 15 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro deemed terminal and leaking fluid, the wreck also took a significant hit towards Gray’s efforts to make the 2023 Truck Playoffs as he initially came into the event 24 points below the top-10 cutline.
During the caution period, select names that included Tyler Ankrum, Deegan, Lawless Alan, Cory Roper, Stephen Mallozzi, Josh Reaume and Kaden Honeycutt pitted while the rest led by Sanchez remained on the track. Among those who pitted included Crafton, who pitted for repairs to his No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 following the contact at the start of the race.
As the race restarted under green on the eighth lap, Zane Smith rocketed into the lead while running on the inside lane after receiving a push from DiBenedetto, who overtook Sanchez for the runner-up spot in the process. Through Turn 1 and across Long Pond Straight, Smith started to place a gap between himself and DiBenedetto as he retained the lead while the field behind jostled for positions.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Zane Smith was leading by nine-tenths of a second over DiBenedetto followed by Sanchez, Austin Hill and Garcia while Enfinger, Kyle Busch, Taylor Gray, Stewart Friesen and Hocevar were in the top 10. Behind, Corey Heim was in 11th ahead of a battle between Purdy, Christopher Bell, rookie Rajah Caruth and Christian Eckes while Dean Thompson, Parker Kligerman, Ross Chastain, Kaz Grala and Ben Rhodes were scored in the top 20.
When the first stage concluded on Lap 15, Zane Smith claimed his third stage victory of the 2023 Truck season. Sanchez settled in second after navigating his way around DiBenedetto the lap prior, with DiBenedetto settled in third as Kyle Busch, Austin Hill, Garcia, Heim, Enfinger, Friesen and Taylor Gray were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, select names that included Rhodes, Chastain, Grala, Kaden Honeycutt, DiBenedetto, Enfinger, Taylor Gray, Colby Howard, Grala, Stefan Parsons, Ankrum, Hocevar, Kligerman and Austin Hill pitted while the rest led by Zane Smith remained on the track.
The second stage started on Lap 20 as Zane Smith and Kyle Busch occupied the front row. At the start, Busch received a strong push from Heim on the inside lane to rocket ahead of Smith with the lead exiting the frontstretch. Heim then ducked his No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro beneath Busch’s No. 51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet Silverado RST in a bid to take the lead entering Turn 1. Though Heim succeeded through Turn 1 and entering Long Pond Straight, Busch responded back through the Long Pond Straight by rocketing past Heim to assume the lead as Friesen tried to overtake Heim for second, with the latter retaining the spot. As the field behind continued to fan out and jostle for spots, Busch started to stretch his advantage as he was leading by more than six-tenths of a second when he returned to the frontstretch.
By Lap 22, Busch was leading by more than eight-tenths of a second over Heim followed by Friesen, Zane Smith and Garcia while Eckes, Sanchez, Bell, Purdy and Hocevar were in the top 10.
Three laps later, Kyle Busch continued to lead by nine-tenths of a second over Heim while Friesen, Zane Smith and Eckes remained in the top five. As Garcia, Sanchez, Bell, Purdy and Hocevar remained in the top 10, Ty Majeski was in 11th followed by Taylor Gray, Dean Thompson, DiBenedetto and Kligerman while Enfinger, Rhodes, Ankrum, Chastain and Austin Hill occupied the top 20 with Crafton running in 21st ahead of Caruth, Grala, Colby Howard and Stefan Parsons trailing behind.
Then on Lap 27, a bevy of names that included race leader Kyle Busch, Heim, Eckes, Garcia, Hocevar, Purdy, Taylor Gray, Majeski, Thompson, Kligerman, Grala, Chastain, Bell and Austin Hill pitted under green. Amid the pit stops, Zane Smith reassumed the lead while Friesen, who missed the opportunity to pit with the front-runners, and Sanchez were in second and third.
When the second stage concluded on Lap 30, Zane Smith collected his second stage victory of the season and the fourth of this year’s Truck season. Friesen settled in second while Sanchez, DiBenedetto, Enfinger, Rhodes, Ankrum, Rajah Caruth, Colby Howard and Crafton were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, a majority of lead lap competitors led by Zane Smith and including Rhodes, Friesen, Sanchez, DiBenedetto, Enfinger, Ankrum, rookie Daniel Dye, Stefan Parsons, Tyler Hill, Lawless Alan, Caruth, Cory Roper, Spencer Boyd, Crafton, Kaden Honeycutt, Bret Holmes and Hailie Deegan pitted while the rest led by Heim remained on the track.
With 25 laps remaining, the final stage started under green as Heim and Kyle Busch occupied the front row. At the start, Heim and Busch dueled for the lead exiting the frontstretch until Heim managed to rocket ahead from the outside lane and with a push from teammate Taylor Gray to lead Busch and the field through the first turn. As the field fanned out through the Long Pond Straight, Heim was out in front of the pack with Busch trailing by two-tenths of a second.
The following lap, the battle for the lead intensified as Busch tried to gain a run beneath Heim entering Turn 1. Heim, however, was quick to rocket ahead and move back in front of Busch entering Long Pond Straight to retain the lead. As Taylor Gray tried to close in on the two leaders amid the draft in his No. 17 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Busch tried to gain another run beneath Heim entering the first turn during the following lap, but history repeated itself as Heim rocketed ahead from the outside lane and with the lead within his grasp. Behind, Chastain briefly lost his momentum after making contact with Eckes that caused him to slip out of the top 10 through Turn 1.
With less than 20 laps remaining, Heim was leading by more than two-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch, who closed in and started to intimidate Heim for the top spot once again, while third-place Taylor Gray trailed by more than a second. As both continued to battle fiercely for the lead amid the draft, Heim continued to retain the top spot by a narrow margin over Busch, who could not execute his runs to overtake his former Kyle Busch Motorsports driver.
Then with 15 laps remaining, the caution flew for a two-truck incident involving the front row starters after Sanchez, the pole-sitter, slid underneath Garcia in Turn 1 and sent Garcia into the outside wall and with significant damage to the No. 35 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST, thus terminating Garcia’s race, while Sanchez spun sideways below the track and amid a cloud of smoke as he emerged with right-side damage to his No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado RST. At the time of the caution period, Heim was still leading by three-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch.
During the caution period, some that included Crafton, Deegan, Colby Howard, Ankrum, Lawless Alan, Tyler Hill, Roper, Reaume, Spencer Boyd, Chastain and Honeycutt pitted while the rest led by Heim remained on the track.
Down to the final nine laps of the event, the race proceeded under green. At the start, Heim received another shove from teammate Taylor Gray on the outside lane to rocket ahead and retain the lead entering the first turn with Kyle Busch following pursuit through the first turn as Bell and Majeski were in the top five. As the field fanned out through the first turn and entering Long Pond Straight, the caution quickly returned when Hocevar slid up the track and made contact with Grala while battling for seventh. The contact caused Grala to slide sideways as he clipped and sent Kligerman’s No. 75 Tide Chevrolet Silverado RST scraping into the outside wall through Long Pond Straight while Friesen collided into Grala before he was T-boned by Austin Hill’s No. 7 ARCO Chevrolet Silverado RST as more competitors that included Stefan Parsons, Chastain, Lawless Alan and Zane Smith, whose truck erupted in flames, were all collected.
The incident proved costly for Friesen, who was unable to continue with a damaged No. 52 Halmar Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and was scored above the Playoff cutline prior to the incident, while Crafton, who pitted during the previous caution period and was below the cutline, was able to methodically navigate his way through the incident without any damage. The incident was also enough for the event to be placed in a red flag period.
When the red flag lifted amid a 13-minute delay period, the race restarted under green with five laps remaining as Heim and Kyle Busch retained the front row. At the start, Heim, who received another push from teammate Taylor Gray on the outside lane, retained the lead over Kyle Busch, who was receiving a shove from Christopher Bell, entering Turn 1. As the field returned to the frontstretch with four laps remaining, Heim was leading by three-tenths of a second over Busch while Taylor Gray, Bell and Enfinger followed pursuit in the top five.
With three laps remaining, Heim continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch, who nearly executed a move and pass on Heim for the lead before relenting and settling in second. By then, however, Taylor Gray started to close in on the two leaders as he was trailing by only six-tenths of a second. Heim would retain the lead by four-tenths of a second over runner-up Busch and seven-tenths of a second over third-place Taylor Gray with two laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Heim remained as the leader by four-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch and seven-tenths of a second over Taylor Gray. Then after trailing Heim through the first turn, Busch executed a final lap charge and got to Heim’s rear bumper through the Long Pond Straight. He then made his move beneath Heim through the Tunnel Turn and rocketed away with the lead without making contact with Heim. With Busch pulling away and Heim unable to return the favor, Busch was able to cycle his way back to the frontstretch and record both his second Truck victory of the 2023 season and the 100th victory for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
With the victory, Busch, who was making his fifth and final Truck Series start of the 2023 season and whose latest series victory occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, notched his series-leading 64th Craftsman Truck Series career victory as a driver, his second of the season piloting a Chevrolet Silverado RST and with veteran crew chief Brian Pattie and his third in the series at Pocono.
Overall, Kyle Busch Motorsports, which first won at Nashville Superspeedway in 2010 with Busch and is the winningest team in the Craftsman Truck Series, has now accumulated 100 Truck victories between 18 different competitors, with Busch achieving 48 for his organization. The Pocono victory also marked KBM’s eighth overall victory in nine seasons at the Tricky Triangle.
Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Yeah, I mean [the win]’s pretty cool,” Busch said on FS1. “We’ve been around for a long time. Not as long as others [teams], obviously. They’ve withstood a little bit longer, but it’s been fun. A great ride. This Silverado today was really, really fast. [I was] Just mired in traffic. Couldn’t find a way to make a clean move, so had to make little bit of a dicey one there at the end getting into [Turn] 2. Heim ran a great race. We needed this 100th win to get it over with.”
“It’s a monumental day,” Busch added. “It’s a century mark of being able to win 100 Truck races. We’re, granted, a small team and just one that performs in the Truck Series. We ventured away once upon a time and didn’t quite work, but we found a home in the Trucks. It’s cool to always score a victory and another nice one here at Pocono.”
Heim, coming off a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago, was left disappointed on pit road after falling one lap shy of notching his third victory of the season at the Tricky Triangle. Despite the disappointment, Heim, who extended his lead in the regular-season standings to 42 points over Zane Smith, commended the battle and final overtake from Busch, whom Heim competed for, won two Truck races and claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title a year ago.
“Just unreal,” Heim said. “I felt like I did everything right. It seemed like we had about five laps in the truck before it started tightening up really bad on me. [I] Didn’t really get the run I wanted out of [Turn] 1 and I knew [Busch]’s straightaway speed was really good. I was a little upset initially, but realistically, I would’ve done the exact same thing. A heat of the moment deal there, but looking back on it, I’ve just got a lot of respect for Kyle. I’ve raced for him for two years. He was really good to me, and he raced me with respect today. Hard racer. He didn’t wreck us to win, and I would’ve probably done the same thing. Just really sucks. I really thought we had it there, especially with seeming that he couldn’t really form up a run good enough to pass me and he sends it in on the last lap. All the blame goes on me for not doing what I should’ve done.”
Rookie Taylor Gray notched a career-best third-place result after crossing the finish line nine-tenths of a behind Kyle Busch while Christopher Bell and Enfinger finished in the top five.
Ty Majeski, Eckes, Dean Thompson, Ben Rhodes and DiBenedetto completed the top 10. Notably, Hocevar ended up 11th in front of Ankrum, Crafton came home 14th behind Hailie Deegan, Caruth ended up 16th in front of teammate Daniel Dye and Sanchez ended up 19th behind Chase Purdy.
There were five lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 20 laps. In addition, 29 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.
With one regular-season event remaining on the schedule, Corey Heim continues to lead the regular-season standings by 42 points over Zane Smith and 59 over Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski.
Currently, Corey Heim, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Christian Eckes and Carson Hocevar are guaranteed spots for the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. In addition, Ty Majeski, who finished sixth at Pocono, has clinched a Playoff spot despite being winless through 15 regular-season events. That leaves Matt DiBenedetto, rookie Nick Sanchez and Matt Crafton holding sole possessions of the final three transfer spots to make the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs entering next weekend’s regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway that will set the 10-truck Playoff field. Crafton holds the 10th and final transfer spot by nine points over Stewart Friesen, 47 over Tanner Gray, 54 over Chase Purdy, 71 over Tyler Ankrum and 94 over rookie Jake Garcia.
Results.
1. Kyle Busch, seven laps led
2. Corey Heim, 27 laps led
3. Taylor Gray
4. Christopher Bell
5. Grant Enfinger
6. Ty Majeski
7. Christian Eckes
8. Dean Thompson
9. Ben Rhodes
10. Matt DiBenedetto
11. Carson Hocevar
12. Tyler Ankrum
13. Hailie Deegan
14. Matt Crafton
15. Colby Howard
16. Rajah Caruth
17. Daniel Dye
18. Chase Purdy
19. Nick Sanchez, seven laps led
20. Kaden Honeycutt
21. Tyler Hill
22. Parker Kligerman
23. Cory Roper
24. Stephen Mallozzi
25. Spencer Boyd
26. Josh Reaume
27. Lawless Alan
28. Stefan Parsons
29. Bret Holmes
30. Ross Chastain – OUT, Accident
31. Kaz Grala – OUT, Accident
32. Stewart Friesen – OUT, Accident
33. Austin Hill – OUT, Accident
34. Zane Smith – OUT, Accident, 19 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner
35. Jake Garcia – OUT, Accident
36. Tanner Gray – OUT, Accident
The 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular-season stretch is set to conclude next Saturday, July 29, at Richmond Raceway, where the 2023 Truck Series Playoff field will be determined. The event’s coverage is set to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
NASCAR travels to Pocono Raceway this weekend for another full schedule of competition. The ARCA Menards Series will jump-start the on-track action Friday evening in the Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150.
Chase Elliott is the defending Cup Series race winner. His road to victory lane last year was unusual with the top two finishers, Denny Hamlin (first) and Kyle Busch (second) both being disqualified after failing post-race inspection. However, a victory would propel Elliott, who is 60 points behind the cutoff, to the Playoffs. There are six races remaining in the regular season with eight open spots.
The Xfinity Series has only competed at the Tricky Triangle seven times and has produced seven different winners. Cole Custer, who won from the pole in 2019, is the only previous race winner entered in this weekend’s race. There are eight upcoming regular season races and five open spots available in the series Playoffs.
There are two races left in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular season. Corey Heim, with two wins his year, currently leads the driver standings by 26 points.
Six Truck Series drivers are locked into the Playoffs by virtue of wins – Zane Smith (Daytona, COTA), Christian Eckes (Atlanta, Darlington), Carson Hocevar (Texas, Nashville), Corey Heim (Martinsville, Mid-Ohio), Grant Enfinger (Kansas, WWTR), and Ben Rhodes (Charlotte).
All times are Eastern.
Friday, July 21
11:30 a.m.: ARCA Practice – No TV 12:30 p.m.: ARCA Qualifying – No TV
1:35 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – All Entries – FS1 2:05 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries – FS1 Post Truck Series Qualifying on Press Pass
3:35 p.m.: Xfinity Practice – All Entries 4:05 p.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/All Entries USA/NBC Sports App Post Xfinity Series Qualifying on Press Pass
6 p.m.: ARCA Menard Series Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 60 laps = 150 miles FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
Saturday, July 22
Noon: Truck Series CRC Brakleen 150 Stages end on Laps 15/30/60 Laps = 150 Miles FS1/MRN/SiriusXM Purse: $757,274 Post Truck Series Race on Press Pass
2:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice (3 p.m. ET on USA) Groups A & B NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM
3:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Group A & B/Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App Post-Cup Qualifying on Press Pass
5:30 p.m.: Xfinity Pocono 225 Stages end on Laps 20/40/90 Laps = 225 Miles USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App Purse: $1,411,027 Post Xfinity Race on Press Pass
Sunday, July 23
2:30 p.m.: HighPoint.com 400 Stages end on Laps 30/95/160 = 400 Miles USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App The Purse: $7,243,361 Post Cup Race on Press Pass
Spartanburg, SC – Jeremy Clements Racing is ecstatic to have Wings Etc. Grill and Pub back for 2023. Wings Etc. will make their season debut as primary sponsor at the Tricky Triangle this coming weekend, kicking off the first of a three-race deal that will also include Michigan and the Indy Road Course later in August. The Pocono Mountains 225 will take place Saturday, July 22 on the 2.5-mile Tri-oval and will mark Jeremy’s 450th career start.
“It’s awesome to not only have Wings Etc. back with us this year but also great that we were able to expand our partnership to three races this year as well,” said Clements. “So, if you want some good food and great times make sure to find one of the Wings Etc. Happiness Centers near you,” Clements went on to say.
Joining Wings Etc. Grill and Pub as associate sponsors will be: Whitetail Smokeless, Beech Ridge Barber, Spartan Waste, Matman Designs, E3 Spark Plugs, ELITE Towing & Recovery LLC, Dynamic Quality Paintware, Nordic Logistics, Mechanix Wear, Wix Filters, Carolina Driveline, Cometic and ZMAX.
RACE PREVIEW
Track: Pocono Raceway
Date: Saturday, July 22nd, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 5:30 pm EST on USA
FAST FACTS
Best Start 9th – 2021
Best Finish 3rd – 2020
8th career start at Pocono Raceway
JCR TEAM
Team: No. 51
Crew Chief: Mark Setzer
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: Clements Racing Engines
Twitter: @JClement51 @JCR_Clements51
Instagram: @jclements51 @jeremyclementsracing
Facebook: Jeremy Clements Racing
ABOUT WINGS ETC GRILL & PUB
Wings Etc. founded by Jim Weaver, is a family-friendly Grill & Pub that offers a winning concept and a fun environment and currently has 80 locations in 14 states and franchises sold in 15 states. Wings Etc. has a diverse menu featuring our Award-Winning Jumbo Wings, Burgers, Wraps, Salads, Cold Beer and More!! We have been voted “Best Wings” in our home market (South Bend) for over two decades in a row! We have TONS of HDTVs tuned to the very best sports programming and popular daily food and drink specials that make every day a great day to stop by. And don’t forget we have “Size Does Matter” lunch specials 7 days a week. Visit www.wingsetc.com for more information and a location near you.
1. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished third in the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono, but was awarded the win when first and second place winners Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified.
“My goals this season are twofold,” Elliott said. “First and foremost, I want to win my second Cup championship. Secondly, I want to see if I can convince fans to select me as NASCAR’s most popular driver for the fifth time, even with this villainous mustache.”
2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin got past Ross Chastain on a Lap 19 restart and held off Kyle Busch over the final laps to win at Pocono, his seventh career win at the Tricky Triangle. But the win was later negated when Hamlin’s No. 11 car failed post-race inspection.
“This might be the biggest story in all of the sports world,” Hamlin said. “I may be biased, but I think NASCAR is the greatest sport in the world. In short, NASCAR rules.
“As for Chastain, if by ‘got past’ you mean ‘sent into the wall, then yes, that’s what happened. Ross had this coming, so it was well-deserved, and well, deserved. Sending a message to Chastain was No. 1 on my list of things to do, and I obviously sent it Fed Ex Priority.”
3. Kyle Busch: Busch took second in the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400, but was disqualified after failing post-race inspection.
“I’m gonna plead ignorance,” Busch said. “I tried that in court once for a reckless driving charge, and it didn’t work.
“But if you want to hear about a real ‘Tricky Triangle,’ ask me about my agent, Joe Gibbs Racing, and myself in contract talks.”
4. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 34th after Denny Hamlin squeezed him into the wall on a restart with 19 laps to go. Chastain’s No. 1 Chevy bounced off the wall and into the path of Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Ford.
“It’s one thing to have it coming,” Chastain said, “and it’s another thing to see it coming. I had both.”
5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth at Pocono as all four Joe Gibbs Racing cars posted top-10 finishes, although Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were later disqualified
“What a day for Joe Gibbs,” Truex said. “Not only did JGR cars dominate, but his grandson Ty Gibbs subbed for Kurt Busch and looked strong with an 18th-place finish. It all adds up to Joe’s belief that any Busch brother, Kurt or Kyle, especially, is replaceable.”
6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney got loose coming out of Turn 3 and slammed the inside wall hard on Lap 136. He finished 35th.
“Wow,” Blaney said, “I can’t believe Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified. Those are some high profile ‘DQ’s.’ You know what else is a high profile ‘DQ?’ Any Dairy Queen at which Jimmy Spencer chooses to eat.”
7. Christopher Bell: Bell followed up his win at New Hampshire with a solid sixth at Pocono.
“Make that a fourth,” Bell said. “Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified for failing post-race inspection, and since I also drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, I’d like to disassociate myself from them.”
8. Joey Logano: Logano finished 22nd at Pocono.
“There’s gonna be a race next season in Chicago on a street circuit,” Logano said. “The race is scheduled for July 2nd, 2023, and I’m expecting it to be a huge success. I mean, how can it not be great for the city? It’s Chicago, for Christ’s sake; having race cars flying through the streets means there won’t be bullets doing the same.”
9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished third in the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono.
“First and second place finishers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified for failing post-race inspections,” Larson said. “There are words in this sport you never want to hear, and as an expert on the subject, I can tell you definitively that ‘disqualification’ is high on the list.”
10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished a disappointing 29th at Pocono after suffering damage when he was collected in the Denny Hamlin-Ross Chastain incident with 19 laps to go.
“I may be one of the oldest drivers in the Cup series,” Harvick said, “but I’m sick and tired of being the ‘adult in the room.’ I hate being collateral damage in someone else’s feud. It disgusts me and leaves a bad taste in my mouth, just like Busch Light Apple.”
In a late turn of events, Chase Elliott was declared the winner of the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, July 24, after NASCAR disqualified the initial results of race winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up finisher Kyle Busch.
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Dawsonville, Georgia, initially came home in third place behind Joe Gibbs Racing’s Hamlin and Busch. Two hours after Hamlin claimed the checkered flag on the track, however, the news of the disqualification involving Hamlin and Busch following the post-race inspection process was announced. This prompted NASCAR to award Elliott, who currently leads the regular-season standings, his fourth victory of the 2022 Cup season.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, Denny Hamlin claimed his third pole position of the season after his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry posted a pole-winning lap at 169.991 mph in 52.944 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Kyle Busch, whose No. 18 M&M’s Toyota TRD Camry clocked in a fast qualifying lap at 169.498 mph in 53.098 seconds.
On Saturday, NASCAR assessed L1 penalties to Petty GMS Motorsports’ two entries piloted by Ty Dillon and Erik Jones after both were found to have violated NASCAR’s Rule Book pertaining to the Rocker Box Assemblies. As a result, both entires were docked 35 driver/owner points and their crew chiefs, Jerame Donley and Dave Elenz were suspended for Sunday’s event. With the team electing not to appeal the penalty, Joey Cohen served as Dillon’s interim crew chief while Danny Efland served as Jones’ interim crew chief.
Prior to the event, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Justin Haley, Erik Jones and Cody Ware dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective cars. In addition, the No. 45 23XI Racing entry normally piloted by Kurt Busch dropped to the rear of the field due to a back-up car and for a driver change as Xfinity Series competitor Ty Gibbs took over the ride. Gibbs filled in for Busch, who was not medically cleared to compete following his wreck during qualifying on Saturday.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Hamlin rocketed toward the front with an early advantage exiting the frontstretch, but Kyle Busch gained a huge run through the first turn and grabbed the lead. Then, entering the Long Pond straightaway, Hamlin scrubbed the outside wall as he was overtaken by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney. As the field fanned out through the Tricky Triangle’s three turns, Busch led the first lap as the field returned to the frontstretch. By then, Hamlin was back in fifth.
Through the first five scheduled laps, Kyle Busch was leading by two-and-a-half seconds over Chase Elliott followed by Larson, Hamlin and Blaney while Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman were in the top 10.
During the following lap, the first caution flew when rookie Austin Cindric slipped sideways and spun in Turn 3 as he barely tapped the inside wall toward the frontstretch and flat-spotted the tires on his No. 2 Keystone Ford Mustang. During the extensive caution period, Joey Logano, Justin Haley, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, rookie Todd Gilliland, Aric Almirola, rookie Harrison Burton, Michael McDowell, Cole Custer, Josh Bilicki and JJ Yeley pitted while the rest, led by Kyle Busch, remained on the track.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 12, Kyle Busch launched ahead on the outside lane, but he then went wide entering the first turn and lost both the lead and his momentum. With Busch losing the top spot and a bevy of spots, a three-wide battle for the lead occurred between Larson, Elliott and Hamlin through the Long Pond straightaway before Larson assumed the top spot with a strong move on the outside lane through the Tunnel Curve.
By Lap 15, Larson was leading by more than six-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott followed by Hamlin, Blaney and Suarez while Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were in the top 10. Ross Chastain was in 11th followed by Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones while Corey LaJoie, Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, William Byron and rookie Harrison Burton were in the top 20. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick was mired in 23rd behind teammate Chase Briscoe, Aric Almirola was in 25th in front of Logano, Brad Keselowski was in 29th and newcomer Ty Gibbs was in 33rd.
At the Lap 20 mark, Larson continued to lead by nearly four-tenths over teammate Elliott while Hamlin, Blaney and Suarez were in the top five. Behind, Kyle Busch started to challenge Suarez for sixth place while Wallace, Bell, Buescher and Chastain were in the top 10. Shortly after, Austin Dillon pitted under green as part of a strategic move.
By Lap 27, Bubba Wallace, Bell, Buescher, Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Stenhouse pitted under green. Just as they all peeled off the track to pit, the caution flew when Aric Almirola got loose and spun his No. 10 Haas Automation Ford Mustang in Turn 3 as he flat-spotted his tires. Almirola’s spin was enough for NASCAR to conclude the first stage scheduled for Lap 30 to conclude under caution and Larson claimed his third stage victory of the 2022 Cup season. Teammate Elliott settled in second followed by Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Suarez, Blaney, Erik Jones, Byron, Martin Truex Jr. and Harvick.
Under the stage break, Burton, Logano, BJ McLeod, Cody Ware, Bell, Chastain, Wallace, Buescher, Gilliland, Stenhouse, Austin Dillon, Reddick and Custer remained on the track while the rest, led by Larson, pitted.
The second stage started on Lap 34 as Burton and Logano occupied the front row. At the start, the field fanned out to multiple lanes approaching the first turn as Bell, who restarted behind Burton, challenged Burton for the lead. When the field returned to the start/finish line, Bell assumed the lead while Wallace overtook Bell for the runner-up spot. By then, Logano was back in sixth as Kyle Busch and Chastain were in the top five.
During the following lap and as the field continued to scramble for positions, the caution returned when Josh Bilicki suffered a flat tire, spun and wrecked in Turn 1.
As the race proceeded under green on Lap 40, the field fanned out to multiple lanes again approaching the first turn as Bell’s No. 20 Rheem Toyota TRD Camry retained the top spot ahead of Harrison Burton’s No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang and Wallace’s No. 23 DoorDash Toyota TRD Camry. Not long after, however, the caution returned when Hamlin, who was running in 18th, got loose and spun his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry past the Tunnel Curve in Turn 2 as he was dodged by the field. During the caution period, some drivers, including Austin Dillon, pitted, while the rest, led by Bell, remained on the track.
As the race restarted under green on Lap 44 and with the field fanning out, Bell retained the top spot on the outside lane while Wallace and Kyle Busch battled for the runner-up spot. Just as the field made its way through the first turn and entering the Long Pond straightaway, the caution flew when Corey LaJoie got loose underneath Michael McDowell. This caused McDowell to slip and slap the outside wall while LaJoie pounded the wall and came to a rest sideways and with damage to his car. During the caution period, Erik Jones, Stenhouse, Haley, McDowell, Noah Gragson, Cody Ware and McLeod pitted while the rest, led by Bell, remained on the track.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 48, Kyle Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s Toyota TRD Camry received a push from Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the lead ahead of teammate Bell as the field spread out through the Long Pond straightaway and entering the Tunnel Curve.
By Lap 55, Kyle Busch was leading by more than a second over teammate Bell followed by Wallace, Larson and Byron while Truex, Chastain, Reddick, Bowman and Blaney were in the top 10. Burton was back in 11th ahead of Suarez, Buescher, Elliott and Harvick while Logano, Hamlin, Erik Jones, Briscoe and Almirola were in the top 20. By then, Logano pitted under green.
Two laps later, Wallace and Burton pitted under green while Kyle Busch extended his advantage to more than two seconds over teammate Bell and more than three seconds over third-place Larson. Bowman would also pit his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under green.
Just past the Lap 60 mark, Byron and Harvick also pitted under green along with Bell, Larson, Suarez and Elliott as Kyle Busch remained the leader by more than six seconds over teammate Truex and nearly seven over Chastain.
On Lap 65, Kyle Busch surrendered the lead to pit under green followed by Buescher as Truex assumed the lead. By then, Chastain had also pitted. Another two laps later, Truex surrendered the lead to pit along with Almirola as Blaney cycled to the lead. By then, Reddick had completed his pit stop.
Through Lap 75, Erik Jones, who overtook Blaney for the lead two laps earlier, was leading by six-tenths of a second over Hamlin followed by Blaney Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon while Stenhouse, Brad Keselowski, McDowell, Kyle Busch and LaJoie were in the top 10.
At the halfway mark on Lap 80, Erik Jones continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over Hamlin followed by Blaney, Austin Dillon and Stenhouse while Kyle Busch, McDowell, LaJoie, Gilliland and Larson were in the top 10. Shortly after, Blaney, who led seven laps, pitted under green.
Two laps later, the caution flew when Ty Dillon, who had just made a pit stop under green, spun past the Tunnel Curve in Turn 2. During the caution period, Wallace and Blaney remained on the track while the rest of the field, led by Erik Jones, pitted.
With seven laps remaining in the second stage, the event proceeded under green. At the start, Wallace received a push from Kyle Busch on the outside lane to emerge with the lead followed by Busch while Blaney fell back to third in front of Erik Jones, Hamlin, Chastain, Larson, Suarez and Byron. Through the Tunnel Curve, Busch quickly cycled his way back to the lead as Blaney also overtook Wallace for the runner-up spot. Not long after, Chastain, Erik Jones and Hamlin all overtook Wallace for spots in the top five as Kyle Bush ran away from the field.
With three laps remaining in the second stage, Wallace, who was falling below the leaderboard on old tires, pitted under green as Kyle Busch was out in front by nearly a second over Chastain. Meanwhile, Blaney and Erik Jones battled for third in front of Hamlin.
When the second stage concluded on Lap 95, Kyle Busch clinched his second stage victory of the 2022 season. Chastain settled in second followed by Blaney, Erik Jones, Hamlin, Harvick, Byron, Suarez, Elliott and Larson.
Under the stage break, some of the drivers, led by Buescher, pitted while the rest, led by Kyle Busch, remained on the track.
With 60 laps remaining, the final stage started as Kyle Busch and Chastain occupied the front row. At the start, Kyle Busch retained the lead ahead of Chastain while Hamlin made a bold three-wide move on Blaney and Erik Jones through the Long Pond straightaway and entering the Tunnel Curve to move into third place. Shortly after, Byron rocketed his No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into fourth place as Jones and Blaney fell back to fifth and sixth in front of Harvick and Bell.
Ten laps later, Kyle Busch retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over Chastain while Hamlin, Byron, Bell, Harvick, Erik Jones, Suarez, Elliott and Larson were in the top 10. A few laps earlier, Blaney pitted under green after his No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang sustained a flat left-rear tire.
Nearing the final 40 laps, names like Chris Buescher, Reddick, Stenhouse, Harvick and Austin Dillon pitted under green while Kyle Busch held a narrow advantage over Chastain. Soon after, Elliott pitted along with Suarez, Truex, Larson, Byron, Erik Jones and Aric Almirola. Following the pit stops, Byron was penalized for equipment interference.
With 37 laps remaining, Kyle Busch surrendered the lead to Chastain as he pitted under green along with teammate Bell and Bowman. During the following lap, Chastain pitted under green as Hamlin cycled to the lead.
Two laps later, Buescher spun in Turn 3, but the race continued under green as the leader, Hamlin, pitted under green. Once the rest of the field, including Logano and Wallace, pitted, Chastain cycled to the lead ahead of Kyle Busch and Hamlin.
Down to the final 30 laps of the event, Chastain was leading by nearly a second over rival Hamlin while third-place Kyle Busch trailed by one-and-a-half seconds.
Then seven laps later, the caution flew when Blaney got loose in Turn 3, spun and pounded the inside wall head-on. During the caution period, names like Gilliland, Austin Dillon, Keselowski, Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Byron, Haley, Ty Dillon, Gragson and Stenhouse pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track.
With 19 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Chastain and Hamlin dueled for the lead entering the first turn. Then through the first turn, Hamlin, who was still irritated over his share of run-ins with Chastain throughout the season and vowed payback, moved up the track and edged Chastain into the outside wall, causing him to pound the wall. While Hamlin ran away with the lead, Chastain, who lost his momentum, was then hit by Harvick’s No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang and Bell scraped the outside wall as Chastain spun and clipped the inside wall. The wreck spoiled Chastain’s opportunity to win along with Harvick’s opportunity to grab a win and keep his Playoff hopes alive.
When the race proceeded under green with 13 laps remaining, Hamlin retained the lead with a strong start on the outside lane followed by teammate Kyle Busch while Elliott was in third followed by Bell and Reddick. Behind, Suarez was in sixth followed by McDowell, Truex, Larson and Erik Jones.
With 10 laps remaining, Hamlin continued to lead by nearly eight-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch followed by Elliott and Reddick while Suarez and Bell battled fiercely for fifth in front of McDowell, Truex and Larson. By then, Wallace rallied his way into 10th place.
Down to the final five laps of the event, Hamlin remained the leader by seven-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch followed by Elliott, Reddick and Suarez.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hamlin led by nearly nine-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch. Despite enduring a bumpy road to victory from start to finish, Hamlin was able to smoothly navigate his way around the Tricky Triangle’s turns and straightaways for a final time as he beat Busch by nearly a second to grab what would have been his third victory of the 2022 season and a record-achieving seventh victory at Pocono.
“It’s the team,” Hamlin, who shared a victorious moment with his daughter, Taylor, on the frontstretch, said on USA Network. “They just were able to come back with a great strategy there to get us back upfront from the mistake I made. I just wanted to be a local short-track racer in Virginia. That’s all I really cared about. I was able to get a great break from [the late] J.D. Gibbs. That’s why I’m driving the No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing. It feels good to win here at Pocono.”
Following the event, however, NASCAR disqualified the first and second-place cars of race winner Hamlin and runner-up, Kyle Busch, due to their cars failing the post-race inspection process. NASCAR later stated that an issue with the front fascia was found on both cars, which prompted the sanctioning body to strip the results of both Joe Gibbs Racing competitors.
With Hamlin and Busch disqualified, Chase Elliott, who initially finished in third place, was awarded the victory. As a result, Elliott notched his fourth victory of the year, becoming the first four-time winner of this season. It was his first at Pocono and his 17th career win in NASCAR’s premier series. This also marks the first time this season that an initial Cup winner was disqualified due to an issue stemming from the post-race inspection process.
“Yeah, unfortunately, we were doing our post-race inspections, which we do,” Brad Moran, NASCAR Cup Series managing director, said following the announcement. “There were some issues discovered that affect aero of the vehicle. The part was the front fascia. There really was no reason why there was some material that was somewhere it shouldn’t have been, and that does basically come down to a DQ. It is a penalty, both for the 11 of Denny Hamlin and the 18 of Kyle Busch have been DQed. Their vehicles are being loaded in the NASCAR hauler and they’re going to go back to the R&D Center [in Concord, North Carolina].”
Joe Gibbs Racing has been given until 12 p.m. ET Monday to file an appeal.
Tyler Reddick was promoted to second place while Suarez, Bell and Larson finished in the top five. McDowell, Truex, Wallace, Erik Jones and Austin Dillon completed the top 10. Notably, Ty Gibbs finished 16th in his Cup debut.
There were 15 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured nine cautions for 37 laps.
With five regular season races remaining this season, Chase Elliott continues to lead the regular season standings by 105 points over Ross Chastain.
Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, rookie Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe and Kurt Busch are currently guaranteed spots for the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are above the top-16 cutline based on points. Kevin Harvick trails the top-16 cutline by 83 points, Aric Almirola by 140, Erik Jones by 182, Austin Dillon by 206, Michael McDowell by 207, Bubba Wallace by 236, Justin Haley by 247, Chris Buescher by 266, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 287 and Cole Custer trails by 301.
Results.
1. Chase Elliott
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Daniel Suarez
4. Christopher Bell, 14 laps led
5. Kyle Larson, 18 laps led, Stage 1 winner
6. Michael McDowell
7. Martin Truex Jr., two laps led
8. Bubba Wallace, four laps led
9. Erik Jones, 11 laps led
10. Austin Dillon
11. Alex Bowman
12. William Byron
13. Aric Almirola
14. Brad Keselowski
15. Chase Briscoe
16. Ty Gibbs
17. Cole Custer
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19. Corey LaJoie
20. Joey Logano
21. Justin Haley
22. Ty Dillon
23. Harrison Burton, four laps down
24. Noah Gragson
25. Todd Gilliland
26. Cody Ware
27. Kevin Harvick
28. JJ Yeley, one lap down
29. Chris Buescher, two laps down
30. BJ McLeod, two laps down
31. Austin Cindric, six laps down
32. Ross Chastain – OUT, Accident 16 laps led, Stage 2 winner (*Awarded after Kyle Busch’s disqualification)
33. Ryan Blaney – OUT, Accident, seven laps led
34. Josh Bilicki – OUT, Accident
35. Denny Hamlin – Disqualified, 21 laps led
36. Kyle Busch – Disqualified, 63 laps led
Next on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ second annual event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, which will also mark the series’ fourth road course event of this season. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, July 31, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
