By DAN GELSTON

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly an undefeated one.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“We had a lot of things going our way,” Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall.

His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second.

“Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

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Denny Hamlin missed the race in Mexico City, but it didn’t seem to impact him as the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Pocono. With a record seven wins at the 2.5-mile track, it was obvious that the No. 11 Toyota would be fast again, and in qualifying, no one could match his pace. He went to the top of the charts in his fifth pole position at Pocono but his first of the 2025 season.

“Obviously, because I was a little more rested than the field right there, I was able to get a little more speed,” joked Hamlin.

“I mean, I love all of them,” added Hamlin when asked about Pocono being one of his favorite tracks. “Every week, we have a great shot to win and this team just knows what I need out of the car. And with all the cars and tires and everything that has changed over time, you still make speed at this track the same way. I was able to execute it there in qualifying and that’s a good start for us.”

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Joining Hamlin on the front row will be RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, who ended the session 0.083s behind Hamlin’s fast lap. Buescher’s first career Cup win came at Pocono back in 2016. Carson Hocevar qualified third, John-Hunter Nemechek fourth, and Cole Custer fifth in some really impressive runs for both the Legacy Motor Club and Haas Factory Team.

Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Suarez filled out the remainder of the top ten.

Qualifying trouble

Watch: William Byron hits inside wall hard during qualifying at Pocono

Four drivers didn’t even set a qualifying time. As a result of inspection issues, Brennan Poole’s team was not allowed to take part while Cody Ware crashed in practice and was unable to do so. Josh Berry’s Wood Brothers No. 21 suffered a broken rear diffuser in the practice, which the team was busy repairing. 

And then there was Bubba Wallace, whose No. 23 Toyota would not start when it was his time to go. 23XI Racing tried to push start it but to no avail, and he was visibly frustrated inside the car. A.J. Allmendinger and Todd Gilliland were the two slowest drivers on track, partly because they abandoned their laps after sketchy moments.

But the biggest moment came near the end of qualifying. William Byron wasn’t going to challenge for pole, but he was likely going to be inside the top 10 when he lost control through the Tunnel Turn, spinning out and slamming the inside wall. After posting the fastest time in practice, the team will now have to make extensive repairs as they’ve chosen not to go to a backup car.

Byron’s HMS teammate Chase Elliott was on track at the same time and the incident ruined his lap. Luckily, NASCAR allowed him to put on a fresh set of tires and Elliott was allowed to go back out, but that was only good enough for 18th. Shockingly, he was the highest-qualifying Hendrick Motorsports driver. Kyle Larson qualified 24th and Alex Bowman was 25th.

As for Mexico City winner Shane van Gisbergen, he ended up 23rd, matching his best qualifying effort of the season on an oval.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Moyer, one of the three Team Penske executives fired during an Indianapolis 500 scandal, has been hired by Arrow McLaren Racing and will be with the IndyCar team this coming week for a test session at Iowa Speedway.

Moyer was hand-selected to join McLaren by team principal Tony Kanaan. The two won the 2004 IndyCar championship together at Andretti Global. Moyer was Kanaan’s team manager at the time.

At McLaren, Moyer will be the director of competition and assist Scott Harner, who is the director of race operations. He will also replace Kanaan as strategist for Nolan Siegel, freeing Kanaan to work on race day with all three McLaren drivers.

Moyer’s official start date is June 30. Kanaan said almost the entire industry tried to hire Moyer after his May firing at Penske, but the previous relationship between Moyer and Kanaan gave McLaren the edge.

“Kyle is one of the best strategists in the paddock, so talking about his qualities, not just about him as a human being, he knows a lot about racing,” Kanaan told The Associated Press. “Kyle probably is one of the top guys of knowledge of IndyCar — he’s been around it his entire life.

“And Kyle is a people person, he’s that kind of guy that captivates people and people want to work for Kyle,” Kanaan continued. “At the same time, he is very direct and he will call you out and he makes it so every person I’ve ever seen working for Kyle wanted to work for Kyle. That’s something that I experienced in my career and that is probably the biggest thing. The respect that I have for the guy is unbelievable.”

Moyer’s popularity was evident when Penske driver Scott McLaughlin lashed out after the trio of firings ahead of the Indy 500. Moyer was let go along with team president Tim Cindric, a 25-year Penske employee, and managing director Ron Ruzewski.

Moyer was Penske’s general manager of the IndyCar program and the strategist for McLaughlin’s car.

The firings followed the discovery that the cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power had illegally modified rear attenuators; Cindric said seams on the safety part had been sealed for aesthetic purposes, but the rulebook clearly stated no alterations could be made to the part.

It was the second major technical violation for Penske cars in just over a year and team owner Roger Penske was left with no choice but to fire his top three executives. Penske owns the three-car race team, the IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.

“Ultimately, those three guys are friends of mine and have done a tremendous amount in my career to get me to this point,” McLaughlin said in May after the firings. “I guess you could say there’s a sadness from my perspective. At the end of the day I drive for Roger Penske. I respect the decision. I understand the decision. We move forward.”

Kanaan said he was shocked that Moyer did not have a non-compete clause and was available to McLaren immediately. He believes Moyer will be a help to Siegel, the 20-year-old in his first full season of IndyCar.

Siegel heads into Sunday’s race at Road America in Wisconsin ranked 21st in the standings.

Moyer will eventually relocate from North Carolina, where Penske is based, to Indianapolis for his role with McLaren.

This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.

Explore the Pocono Mountains 250

Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Course: Pocono Raceway
Format:  2.5-mile road course
Laps: 100

Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 Preview

Sports aren’t scripted, but sometimes they feel like they are. That was the case last weekend in Mexico City when Daniel Suarez pulled out a win at his home race in front of fans locked on his every move. This week, we’ll head back to a more traditional NASCAR track at Pocono Raceway. Including this weekend, there are 11 races remaining before the playoffs. Only six full-time drivers in the Xfinity Series have won a race, leaving a lot left on the table for the next three months.

Key Stats at Pocono Raceway

• Number of races: 9
• Winners from pole: 1
• Winners from top-five starters: 4
• Winners from top-10 starters: 7
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0

Last 10 Pocono Raceway Winners

2024- Cole Custer
2023- Austin Hill 
2022- Noah Gragson 
2021- Austin Cindric
2020- Chase Briscoe
2019– Cole Custer
2018- Kyle Busch
2017- Brad Keselowski
2016- Kyle Larson

The Cup Series has an extensive history at Pocono Raceway, but the Xfinity Series is far more limited. Nevertheless, it’s a fairly illustrious winner’s list, with several current Cup drivers included. This weekend, we get several new additions to the entry list, with Chase Elliott being the most prominent.

As for some trends, Ford has gotten the best of the track with five wins. Winning pole isn’t predictive, but starting inside the top is a near must for those hoping to take the checkered flag.

RotoWire NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Tools

NASCAR Lineup Optimizer

NASCAR Projections

DraftKings Value Picks for the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250

Based on a Standard $50K Salary Cap

DraftKings Tier 1 Values

Justin Allgaier – $11,000
Chase Elliott – $10,700
Austin Hill – $10,200
Sam Mayer – $10,000

DraftKings Tier 2 Values

Connor Zilisch – $9,700
Sheldon Creed-$9,500
Sammy Smith – $8,800
Brandon Jones- $8,700
Christian Eckes – $8,000

DraftKings Tier 3 Values

Dean Thompson – $7,200
Daniel Dye – $7,100
Harrison Burton – $6,900
Jeb Burton – $6,800

NASCAR DFS Picks for the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250

Justin Allgaier – $11,000
Sheldon Creed – $9,500
Christian Eckes -$8,000
Dean Thompson -$7,200
Daniel Dye – $7,100
Harrison Burton – $6,900

This is a unique weekend relative to what we’ve seen most of the season. The elite drivers remain priced up, but there aren’t many clear viable punt options. That leaves us with a relative straightforward build of something resembling stars and scrubs, just without the typical wide spread we’d see in salary.

It’s worth considering any of the Tier 1 drivers, but Allgaier and Elliott stand out. Despite a poor weekend in Mexico, Allgaier maintains a clear points lead in the series and also has a strong history at Pocono (110.3 driver rating). He is a top option to consider every week. Elliott is the lone Cup driver participating this week and his consistency in that series should bode well for his outlook this weekend.

Creed took a while to get going after joining the Haas Factory Team, but he’s posted at least 40 DK points in three of his last five races and at least 34 in four of the last five. He has also two top-five finishes and another sixth-place finish in his three races at Pocono.

After filling in two drivers in the higher price ranges, it’s time to look for value. Harrison Burton is the easy selection in this tier and his price is surprising. He has been in particularly strong form lately, finishing inside the top 10 in four of his last six races. Dye and Thompson have been consistent this season as well. Dye is averaging 30.9 points per race – sixth-highest among full-time drivers in the series. Thompson isn’t far behind at 28.5, and both measure out well from both a common sense standpoint as well as on our optimizer.

NASCAR Best Bets for the Explore the Mountains 250

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:00 AM ET Saturday

Top-five finisher: Sheldon Creed (+110)

Head-to-Head Matchup: Connor Zilisch vs. Sheldon Creed (-105)

Head-to-Head Matchup: Sammy Smith vs. Brandon Jones (-115)

Head-to-Head Matchup: Sam Mayer vs. Austin Hill (-115)

We covered Creed in some detail during the DFS section, but he’s a thread throughout all contexts of fantasy and betting this weekend. His top-five odds are steep, but he does have the track history at Pocono. Creed still hasn’t won a race at the Xfinity-series level, though it as at least worth bringing up his +1000 odds to end that drought.

We are starting to see some head-to-head matchups consistently offered, which is a fun addition and also a better way to hunt value in most cases. Jones is the opposite of what we’ve discussed in terms of drivers being in good form, but he is still capable of popping up for good results. Pocono is a good opportunity for that. He’s qualified inside the top 10 in seven consecutive races at the track, and we know that threshold is important from the track history.   

Mapping out your wagers for the Xfinity Series race? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Marcus plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: marcusd91
DraftKings: dmarcus87.

Long Pond, Pa. — Carson Hocevar walked around Pocono Raceway without a scratch on his face. His polo shirt looked more tailored than tattered and the Spire Motorsports driver was ready to race rather than rumble.

Saturday

At Pocono Raceway

Long Pond, Pa.

Lap length: 2.50 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (9) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 100 laps, 58 points.

2. (10) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 100, 42.

3. (15) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 100, 46.

4. (1) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 100, 0.

5. (5) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 100, 44.

6. (22) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 100, 33.

7. (6) Sam Mayer, Ford, 100, 30.

8. (13) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 100, 37.

9. (7) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 100, 37.

10. (8) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 100, 31.

11. (20) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 100, 27.

12. (21) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 100, 27.

13. (28) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 100, 24.

14. (16) Harrison Burton, Ford, 100, 23.

15. (26) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 100, 22.

16. (19) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 100, 21.

17. (25) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 100, 20.

18. (2) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 100, 29.

19. (11) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 100, 18.

20. (29) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, 100, 17.

21. (4) William Sawalich, Toyota, 100, 20.

22. (23) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 100, 15.

23. (31) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 100, 14.

24. (36) Leland Honeyman, Chevrolet, 100, 13.

25. (37) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 100, 12.

26. (32) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 100, 11.

27. (38) Logan Bearden, Chevrolet, 100, 10.

28. (3) Nicholas Sanchez, Chevrolet, 100, 26.

29. (27) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 100, 8.

30. (35) Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 100, 0.

31. (18) Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, 100, 6.

32. (24) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 100, 5.

33. (34) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, 99, 4.

34. (33) Carson Ware, Ford, 99, 3.

35. (14) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 96, 3.

36. (12) Sheldon Creed, Ford, accident, 88, 4.

37. (30) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, suspension, 69, 1.

38. (17) Justin Bonsignore, Toyota, engine, 7, 1.

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Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 103.724 mph.

Time of Race: 2 hours, 24 minutes, 37 seconds.

Margin of Victory: .437 seconds.

Caution Flags: 10 for 41 laps.

Lead Changes: 10 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C.Elliott 0-22; B.Jones 23-28; H.Burton 29-31; J.Allgaier 32-41; C.Zilisch 42-67; C.Elliott 68-71; S.Mayer 72; C.Zilisch 73-75; C.Elliott 76-87; J.Love 88-95; C.Zilisch 96-100

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): C.Elliott, 3 times for 38 laps; C.Zilisch, 3 times for 34 laps; J.Allgaier, 1 time for 10 laps; J.Love, 1 time for 8 laps; B.Jones, 1 time for 6 laps; H.Burton, 1 time for 3 laps; S.Mayer, 1 time for 1 lap.

Wins: J.Allgaier, 3; A.Hill, 3; J.Love, 1; C.Zilisch, 1; B.Jones, 1; S.Smith, 1; A.Almirola, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. J.Allgaier, 587; 2. A.Hill, 533; 3. S.Mayer, 488; 4. J.Love, 460; 5. C.Zilisch, 430; 6. S.Creed, 416; 7. C.Kvapil, 409; 8. B.Jones, 404; 9. J.Burton, 397; 10. S.Smith, 378; 11. H.Burton, 377; 12. T.Gray, 374; 13. R.Sieg, 374; 14. N.Sanchez, 359; 15. D.Dye, 330; 16. D.Thompson, 315.

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NASCAR Driver Rating Formula

A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.

The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.

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