By DAN GELSTON

LONG POND, Pa. — Pocono Raceway paints its signature black rocks outside the garage in gold lettering with a last name and race car number highlighted to honor some of NASCAR’s greats. Jimmie Johnson has one. So does Richard Petty, among others.

So where’s the celebratory boulder for Denny Hamlin, who holds the track record with seven wins and saw another victory thrown out in 2022 because of a disqualification?

Hamlin laughed when he said Pocono officials told him the requirement was, “either retire or die.”

At 44 years old, Hamlin — who just welcomed a son with fiancee Jordan Fish — should have the prime of his life ahead.

As for retirement? What, and miss out on all the fun?

Even without a Cup championship on his resume, Hamlin remains a dominant force in the sport and he showed again June 21 why he’s the driver to beat on the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval track. Hamlin skipped last week’s race in Mexico City following his son’s birth and returned without missing a beat, turning a lap of 172.599 mph to take the top spot in the June 22 race.

“Truthfully, I’m on a run,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know how else to say it.”

Yes, life is good for Hamlin, especially after the couple welcomed their third child, Jameson Drew Hamlin, on June 11. Hamlin shared in a social media post that the baby was delivered at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was measured at 22 3/4 inches. The name has special meaning: The three-time Daytona 500 champion’s given name is James Dennis Alan Hamlin. So his son’s name is for James’ son and the JD theme is for two men (JD Gibbs and James Dean) who helped launch his career path into NASCAR.

Hamlin said a difficult labor and the logistical issues of traveling on short notice to Mexico forced him to miss the race.

“If we were racing at Darlington,” he said, “I would have been there on race day.”

The layoff didn’t affect Hamlin. He earned his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and 57th of his career on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway and jumped right back into the top spot at Pocono.

Maybe some unexpected rest this week helped Hamlin crush it in the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“He’s slept through the night the last three nights in a row. So it’s been really, really great,” Hamlin said.

If anything keeps Hamlin stirring at night, it’s the acrimonious legal fight with NASCAR that continues to drag in court.

A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams to settle their lawsuit that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing this week. 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is fighting with NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports. The two teams say the series is a monopoly, but NASCAR has struck back with a countersuit of its own.

Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, said he was open to a settlement. Hamlin said June 21 at Pocono he also was open to a settlement, but said no offer of one had been made on their side and wouldn’t be at least until there is a mediation attempt. Kessler said NASCAR was uninterested in a settlement.

“I have stated publicly cooler heads will prevail,” Hamlin said. “I can tell you this, this is not on our end that needs cooler heads. I think the difference is they’re saying different things on their side. We’re prepared to go all the way.”

Hamlin is going to try and go all the way and win at Pocono with his fifth pole in 36 races at the track.

Hamlin is the 5-1 betting favorite to win June 22, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

“It’s a track that no matter the car we drive or the tires or the aero package, none of that really matters,” Hamlin said. “You still make speed at this racetrack the same way no matter what car you are driving. I think it’s been one of the few tracks I haven’t had to change my approach to it depending on the car that I’m driving. I think that’s why the success has been sustained.”

The rest of the lineup

Chris Buescher starts second at Pocono and Carson Hocevar — embroiled in a feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has vowed retaliation for recent wrecks — is third. John Hunter Nemechek is fourth and Cole Custer fifth.

Led by Hamlin, Toyota had six of the top-10 starting spots.

Pocono sellout

Pocono Raceway continued its renaissance with a third straight sellout crowd set for June 22. The track sold out all frontstretch seating, premium seating, suites, infield camping and the grandstand camping area. It also is the fifth consecutive year that the entire infield camping inventory has been sold out.

Pocono President Ben May said the track sold around 50,000 grandstand tickets, around 2,000 suite seats and 3,300 camping spots.

NASCAR traditionally ran two NASCAR weekends at the track until 2022. The sellout streak started the next year and it was the first since 2010.

“When you look at this weekend, it’s sold out. It’s fantastic,” three-time Cup champion Joey Logano said.

NASCAR expressed at least a cursory interest in adding to its recent string of offbeat race locations — everywhere from Mexico City to a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and floated the idea of holding a race inside a Philadelphia stadium, Franklin Field. The site is traditionally home to the Penn Relays and college football.

May said he wasn’t necessarily concerned another race within driving distance of the mountains — about 100 miles away — would affect Pocono.

“When you get into center city and Philly proper, it’s a stick-and-ball town,” May said. “I’m very comfortable with Pocono’s position on the schedule for a long time.”

The Great American Getaway 400

What: NASCAR Cup Series race

When: 4 p.m., June 22

Where: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.

TV: Prime Video

Originally Published: June 21, 2025 at 4:11 PM EDT

The regular season is quickly winding down in the NASCAR Cup Series as there are 10 races left before the 16-driver postseason field is locked in. Trackhouse Racing has as many drivers locked into a postseason berth as Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing while Team Penske has already qualified all three of its teams, plus its satellite partner Wood Brothers Racing.

Shane van Gisbergen became the 10th different winner with his triumph in Mexico City and guaranteed Trackhouse two of its three cars will be in the postseason. What van Gisbergen also did was move the playoff grid cutline. Ryan Preece went from sitting in a playoff spot to the outside looking in. And while the points deficit for Preece and those behind him isn’t insurmountable, the emphasis on winning has increased.

The drivers locked in with a win:

1. William Byron

2. Christopher Bell

3. Josh Berry

4. Kyle Larson

5. Denny Hamlin

6. Austin Cindric

7. Joey Logano

8. Ross Chastain

9. Ryan Blaney

10. Shane van Gisbergen.

The rest of the grid entering Pocono Raceway (Sunday, 2pm ET):

11. Chase Elliott +146

12. Tyler Reddick +123

13. Bubba Wallace + 57

14. Chase Briscoe +39

15. Alex Bowman +22

16. Chris Buescher +19

Those sitting below the cutline:

17. Ryan Preece -19

18. Michael McDowell -43

19. AJ Allmendinger -45

20. Kyle Busch -50

There has to be a feeling of déjà vu for some of these drivers. Briscoe, for instance, did not make the postseason in 2024 until the 11th hour when he won the final regular season race. In doing so, he knocked out Chris Buescher.

Bowman, meanwhile, is again fighting around the bubble. It was the same story this time one year ago until he won the Chicago street course and locked himself into the postseason.

Busch missed the postseason in 2024. It will be more of the same if Richard Childress Racing cannot find itself back in the winner’s circle.

And then when you look at the drivers who are the most comfortable above the cutline, at least for now, it’s a surprise that Elliott, Reddick and Wallace have not won a race. Elliott had a win at this time last year, as did Reddick. But those two teams have been hot or cold on any given weekend.

Wallace, meanwhile, looked primed to win with his group the first two months of the season. They, too, have cooled off a bit. But sitting above the cutline is still a much better position for Wallace than he usually finds himself in as the regular season winds down.

Berry and van Gisbergen are two drivers who were not in the 2024 postseason who have claimed spots this season. On the other hand, Daniel Suarez, Brad Keselowski and Ty Gibbs are three drivers who are not currently in the picture after being playoff drivers last year.

And so here is what is to come over the next 10 weeks:

• Pocono Raceway (2024 winner: Blaney)
• Atlanta Motor Speedway (*2024 winner: Logano)
• Chicago street course (2024 winner: Bowman)
• Sonoma Raceway (2024 winner: Larson)
• Dover Motor Speedway (2024 winner: Hamlin)
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2024 winner: Larson)
• Iowa Speedway (2024 winner: Blaney)
• Watkins Glen (*2024 winner: Buescher)
• Richmond Raceway (2024 winner: Austin Dillon)
• Daytona International Speedway (2024 winner: Harrison Burton)

* Atlanta and Watkins Glen were playoff races in 2024 and not in the regular season.

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — 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.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hadn’t socked Hocevar with a right hook quite yet — hot on the heels of Stenhouse’s threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend’s race in Mexico City — leaving the next shot at any potential retaliation inside or outside the cars set for Sunday’s NASCAR race.

Hocevar should walk with his head on a swivel because Stenhouse can throw a right hook.

Just ask Kyle Busch, who suffered a crushing TKO loss when he clashed with Stenhouse after last year’s All-Star race.

Get ready! The Pounding at Pocono could be just another round in the ongoing feud between Stenhouse and Hocevar.

“He probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time,” Stenhouse said Saturday at Pocono. “We’ll see how that goes.”

Hocevar has to look over his shoulder — and for that charging Chevrolet in his rearview mirror.

“The scorecard has it that I I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that,” Hocevar said.

Their beef has little chance of getting squashed any time soon, a dispute that started three races ago when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse early at Nashville. Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning last week in Mexico City, which ignited the postrace melee on pit road.

Stenhouse seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away.

Hocevar’s in-car camera captured audio of the confrontation.

“I’m going to beat your (behind),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (behind) when we get back to the States.”

Hocevar avoided a smackdown from Stenhouse but his Spire team hit him where it hurts — a $50,000 fine on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a livestream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.

At just 23 and in his second full Cup season, Hocevar has whipped himself into a flurry of unwanted attention, continuing a trend that started last year when even veteran Denny Hamlin chimed in and said NASCAR had “ to do something to Carson.”

Stenhouse might do it on behalf of the sanctioning body with his fist or even his No. 47 Chevrolet.

Hocevar conceded, yes, payback may be imminent and the time to talk out their lingering issues is over.

Yet, Hocevar pleaded: “It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents.”

Hocevar stamped his own target on his back. With his aggressive racing. With his ignorant words.

“Just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn’t mean I’m not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes,” he said. “It’s just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you’re constantly making aggressive moves like we’re doing, it’s balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn’t always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones.”

Case in point, Hocevar walked back his derisive comments about Mexico after he actually experienced the culture of the country following NASCAR’s foray into a new Cup Series market.

“I didn’t give it a shot. I didn’t give it a chance,” Hocevar said. “I didn’t go walk around. I didn’t go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight’s 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I’ve already put it out there.”

Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.

He can be thankful he gets a shot at another race. Stenhouse’s spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired this week by HYAK Motorsports in the wake of an unflattering social media post about his experience in Mexico.

“That’s above my paygrade,” Stenhouse said.

The biggest KO so far came in the standings, where Stenhouse has been flattened in just three weeks from 13th in points in the thick of playoff contention before Nashville to 21st entering Pocono. Hocevar is one point ahead of Stenhouse in the standings.

“That’s the thing that hurts worse for our team is just where it’s put us,” Stenhouse said.

Stenhouse’s trash talk more worthy of UFC hype could put him in hot water should he actually deliver on his vowed retribution and take out Hocevar.

If it comes to a point where NASCAR dishes out a monetary punishment, it’s OK, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion could afford his fine. He just sold his North Carolina estate for $12.2 million, the highest-priced residential sale ever recorded in the greater Charlotte metro area.

“It’s been a big week. We’ve had a lot going on,” Stenhouse said, laughing.

He’d rather talk real estate than about the space and time wasted thinking about Hocevar.

“I’m just honestly tired of talking about the kid,” Stenhouse said.

Tired of the talk? Sure. Of the action? Not just yet.

“Eventually it’ll all come together at some point,” Stenhouse said. “I’m not sure when or how. But it will.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

What’s Happening?

Bowman Gray Stadium, the host of the 2025 NASCAR Clash, is close to finalizing a lucrative Five-Year deal with NASCAR in which the track will host at least one NASCAR National Series race a year.

• According to a report from the Winston-Salem Journal, city officials are attempting to cut the deal. The deal would see the city pay for half of the facility’s new scoreboard in exchange for at least one NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series race a season.
• This report also mentions the implications this new scoreboard will have on the future of the Clash at the facility. Prior to this, rumors suggested it could leave after this year, and recent comments from NASCAR officials suggest the race will return in 2026. Beyond that, it is unclear what series will race at BGS in the future.
• Bowman Gray Stadium is a football field and 0.250-mile race track located in Winston-Salem, NC. It hosted the NASCAR Cup Series from 1958 to 1971 before NASCAR modernized its schedule. Before the Clash returned to the facility this spring, the track had hosted select East Coast NASCAR touring series and local weekly racing.
• Prior to the 2025 Cook-Out Clash at BGS, NASCAR purchased Winston-Salem Speedway Inc., the track’s promoter, and began upgrading the facility. These upgrades included a repave, tearing down the metal guard rails and replacing them with SAFER Barriers, and finally, a temporary catch fence.
• The 2025 Cook-Out Clash at BGS was a success, with fans loving the packed house, hot crowd, and aggressive racing. Local favorites even participated in the Cup Series exhibition race, though Chase Elliott walked away as the winner of the main race.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — 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.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hadn’t socked Hocevar with a right hook quite yet — hot on the heels of Stenhouse’s threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend’s race in Mexico City — leaving the next shot at any potential retaliation inside or outside the cars set for Sunday’s NASCAR race.

Hocevar should walk with his head on a swivel because Stenhouse can throw a right hook.

Just ask Kyle Busch, who suffered a crushing TKO loss when he clashed with Stenhouse after last year’s All-Star race.

Get ready! The Pounding at Pocono could be just another round in the ongoing feud between Stenhouse and Hocevar.

“He probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time,” Stenhouse said Saturday at Pocono. “We’ll see how that goes.”

Hocevar has to look over his shoulder — and for that charging Chevrolet in his rearview mirror.

“The scorecard has it that I I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that,” Hocevar said.

Their beef has little chance of getting squashed any time soon, a dispute that started three races ago when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse early at Nashville. Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning last week in Mexico City, which ignited the postrace melee on pit road.

Stenhouse seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away.

Hocevar’s in-car camera captured audio of the confrontation.

“I’m going to beat your (behind),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (behind) when we get back to the States.”

Hocevar avoided a smackdown from Stenhouse but his Spire team hit him where it hurts — a $50,000 fine on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a livestream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.

At just 23 and in his second full Cup season, Hocevar has whipped himself into a flurry of unwanted attention, continuing a trend that started last year when even veteran Denny Hamlin chimed in and said NASCAR had “ to do something to Carson.”

Stenhouse might do it on behalf of the sanctioning body with his fist or even his No. 47 Chevrolet.

Hocevar conceded, yes, payback may be imminent and the time to talk out their lingering issues is over.

Yet, Hocevar pleaded: “It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents.”

Hocevar stamped his own target on his back. With his aggressive racing. With his ignorant words.

“Just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn’t mean I’m not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes,” he said. “It’s just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you’re constantly making aggressive moves like we’re doing, it’s balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn’t always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones.”

Case in point, Hocevar walked back his derisive comments about Mexico after he actually experienced the culture of the country following NASCAR’s foray into a new Cup Series market.

“I didn’t give it a shot. I didn’t give it a chance,” Hocevar said. “I didn’t go walk around. I didn’t go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight’s 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I’ve already put it out there.”

Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.

He can be thankful he gets a shot at another race. Stenhouse’s spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired this week by HYAK Motorsports in the wake of an unflattering social media post about his experience in Mexico.

“That’s above my paygrade,” Stenhouse said.

The biggest KO so far came in the standings, where Stenhouse has been flattened in just three weeks from 13th in points in the thick of playoff contention before Nashville to 21st entering Pocono. Hocevar is one point ahead of Stenhouse in the standings.

“That’s the thing that hurts worse for our team is just where it’s put us,” Stenhouse said.

Stenhouse’s trash talk more worthy of UFC hype could put him in hot water should he actually deliver on his vowed retribution and take out Hocevar.

If it comes to a point where NASCAR dishes out a monetary punishment, it’s OK, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion could afford his fine. He just sold his North Carolina estate for $12.2 million, the highest-priced residential sale ever recorded in the greater Charlotte metro area.

“It’s been a big week. We’ve had a lot going on,” Stenhouse said, laughing.

He’d rather talk real estate than about the space and time wasted thinking about Hocevar.

“I’m just honestly tired of talking about the kid,” Stenhouse said.

Tired of the talk? Sure. Of the action? Not just yet.

“Eventually it’ll all come together at some point,” Stenhouse said. “I’m not sure when or how. But it will.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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