LONG POND, Pa. – Chase Elliott followed a top-three finish in Mexico City with a top-five run at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, pushing Hendrick Motorsports to a little history along the way. 

Elliott finished off a solid day with a fifth-place finish, marking the 25th straight race with at least one of the organization’s four Chevrolets coming home in the top five dating back to last year. That is now the longest such streak in company history. 

Adding to the day, Elliott also scored points in both stages, gathering three tallies in stage one and coming home third in stage two to earn eight more. 

“I was really proud of the effort from where we were (on Saturday),” Elliott said. “To get our NAPA Chevy back in contention and really gave ourselves a shot … It was a solid day.

“When I look at today, I felt like we were right there. One little adjustment from being right with Ryan (Blaney) and Denny (Hamlin). I feel like it’s well within reach, we’ve just got to piece it together.” 

Joining Elliott in the top 10 was Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who came home seventh. Alex Bowman, who led laps during stage two, was solid in an 11th-place run.

As is a staple of racing at Pocono, pit strategy ruled the day with teams diverging on different plans in stage one. That was to Hendrick Motorsports’ advantage early as seven cars short-pitted the stage break, allowing Elliott (eighth), William Byron (ninth) and Bowman (10th) to earn some valuable points. 

Stage two quickly devolved into a rash of cautions and ensuing pit strategies. A total of four yellow flags waved with all four Hendrick Motorsports entries coming and going near the front as pit stops cycled through. 

Bowman led 15 laps, restarting in fourth around the halfway mark of the segment and driving his way to the point. He was out front with 18 laps to go when a yellow for debris waved. Bowman pulled the No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevrolet onto pit road while others stayed out including his three teammates. 

Another caution came out with 12 left to go in the stage for a crash including Ty Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Busch. In the end, Elliott (third), Byron (fourth) and Larson (ninth) all earned stage points. 

At the stage three break, Byron sacrificed a bit of track position to wait on fuel, theoretically cutting pit time later in the segment. As he began his fight through the field, he was forced to check up to avoid a near crash in front of him, costing the No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet a handful of spots. 

FROM WINNER TO CHAMPION, PART 5: Gordon vs. Earnhardt

Then, the race’s final caution flew with 36 laps to go as van Gisbergen spun again. Already in the back, Byron ducked down pit road to take fuel but mired in dirty air, the going was tough. He finished 27th but maintained the top spot in points. 

Elliott was part of a four-car breakaway at the front of the field throughout stage three until slipping one spot in the late going. 

The NASCAR Cup Series will return on Saturday night with a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

When regular crew chief Mardy Lindley was suspended one week for the (rather common) issue of loose lug nuts, JR Motorsports team co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. stepped up to the plate to lead the No. 88 team this weekend. Well, with Dale Jr. calling the shots and rising star Connor Zilisch behind the wheel, they captured the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway.

It was actually Lindley’s idea, texting Dale Jr. to ask if he was up for the challenge. The Lindleys and Earnhardts have quite the history as well. Dale Sr. and Butch Lindley (Mardy’s father) raced against each other back in the 1970s and sadly, both Mardy and Dale Jr. lost their fathers to the sport of auto racing. Earnhardt said on Saturday that the shared tragedy of losing their fathers connected them.

Getting back into the competitive spirit

Connor Zilisch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Photo by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

And at Pocono, it was big shoes to fill for Earnhardt, as Lindley had won nine Xfinity races since 2023 with three different JRM drivers. As for Dale, it was great for him to get back into such a high-pressure environment after spending most of his time watching from afar as a owner/broadcaster. 

“I love owning race cars, and I love racking up statistics and championships, but it does not have the competitive sort of skin in the game, if you will, that (today) does,” said Earnhardt in the winner’s press conference.

“If you’re in the car, it’s on you to make sure you’re doing everything right. And when you’re the crew chief, you’re under a ton of pressure. I understand that I did not come in here and handle all of the layers that Mardy usually handles or any given crew chief manages. They certainly were putting me in a position to do some light lifting, but as the race went on, we got more comfortable and more aggressive.

“It was fun. I felt like I really had some involvement, some input in the energy that the crew and team had. Keeping them pumped up, everybody executing, and keeping Connor aware of what are goals were and what our expectations were on the restarts. He wanted to deliver.”

How much of a crew chief was he…really?

Connor Zilisch, JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

As for how much say Earnhardt actually had, he admits that anything significant involving the set-up and adjustments was already being handled by the engineering team. Dale Jr.’s influence was more with in-race strategy and advising Zilisch as a driver coach. 

“I’m not a fool to think — I didn’t have control of all the buttons and levers and stuff,” said Earnhardt. “But mid-way through the race, I was feeling it. Me and the engineers on the box we’re in a great conversations around what we should do, how far we could make it, whether we were going to have enough for the green-white-checkered…all those things.”

After his experience, would he be up to do it all again? “I would not ever walk in the shop and say I’d be up for doing but if we find ourselves unfortunately where somebody gets suspended, if they want me to do it, I would happily do it,” added Earnhardt.

Earnhardt added that the thing he was most nervous about wasn’t actually being the crew chief, but when he came off the box to prepare and set the right-front tire on the wall before handing it off to the pit crew during the stop. He was worried about messing up the flow of things or slowing down the stop unnecessarily, even visiting with the Trackhouse earlier in the week to practice.

He also praised Zilisch as a “young man going on 35,” but he was happy to advise the 18-year-old and keep him focused on the task at hand as he went on to earn his first oval win. “It was fun to help him understand what I thought would be the best scenario on some of those restarts.”

LONG POND, Pa. – William Byron entered Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway with more than a race’s worth of points cushion over the field in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. 

Even with a tough-luck finish, he remains on top with an advantage of 54 markers over teammate Kyle Larson. But while Larson is second behind Byron in the points standings, he leads the way in the Cup playoff standings with three wins in tow. 

All four of Hendrick Motorsports’ entries are on the right side of the cut line after Sunday’s race. Larson and Byron are locked in via wins. Chase Elliott is in the best shape of any driver without a win thus far, 160 points above the cutoff. 

Alex Bowman rounds out the group, 20 points to the good in the 16th and final spot. 

Here’s a look at the playoff standings heading into Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

FROM WINNER TO CHAMPION, PART 5: Gordon vs. Earnhardt

Below are Pocono The Great American Getaway 400 Fantasy NASCAR Projected Finish Ranges. I think this helpful member exclusive will be good for a variety of different fantasy NASCAR formats.

Dominator = Leading laps and running fastest laps

(High > Medium-High > Medium > Low)

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Zach Wigal wired all 25 laps to capture Saturday night’s USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget feature victory at Chillicothe, Ohio’s Atomic Speedway.

Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) started fourth in the field but had picked his way to the lead by the end of lap one. From that point forward, the 2023 series champion was never headed en route to his first win of the 2025 series season. Overall, it was Wigal’s 12th career USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget main event win.

Crossing the line behind Wigal were defending series champion Bryce Massingill (Troy, Ohio), followed by Performance Powder Coating Hard Charger Tyler Nelson (Olathe, Kansas) who advanced from 10th to 3rd.

It was a breakout night for Cole Morgan (Brookville, Ohio) who finished fourth to earn the Rosewood Machine & Tool Company Precision Move of the Race. Sprint Car regular Ryan Barr (Piqua, Ohio) rounded out the top-five.

Heat races presented by Performance Electronics, Stiefel’s Home & Auto and Hoosier Auto Racing Fans were won by Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, Ohio), Cole Morgan and Buddy Hollmeyer (Norwood, Ohio).

Wigal also earned VMS Motorsports Fast Qualifier honors with a time of 14.832 seconds.

USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET RACE RESULTS: June 21, 2025 – Atomic Speedway – Chillicothe, Ohio

VMS MOTORSPORTS FIRST QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Zach Wigal, 18, Wigal-14.832; 2. Tyler Nelson, 91, Nelson-14.875; 3. Bryce Massingill, 35, Massingill-15.026; 4. Luke Hall, 74, Heitmeyer-15.105; 5. Brayden Schwartz, 55s, Schwartz-15.950; 6. Taylor Nibert, 11N, Nibert-16.526.

VMS MOTORSPORTS SECOND QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Matt Lux, 5, Wells-14.955; 2. Ian Creager, 36, Creager-15.038; 3. Cole Morgan, 7m, Morgan-15.398; 4. Tommy Bigelow, 2B, Bigelow-16.027; 5. Jim Jones, 97, Jones-16.286; 6. Dylan Trost, 21, Trost-NT.

VMS MOTORSPORTS THIRD QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Ryan Barr, 11T, Taylor-15.542; 2. Tyler Kalb, 32, Kalb-15.619; 3. Buddy Hollmeyer, 11, Taylor-15.637; 4. Luke Lemons, 33L, Lemons-15.862; 5. Jakeb Boxell, 404, Boxell/Merkler-NT.

PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Luke Hall (1), 2. Zach Wigal (4), 3. Bryce Massingill (2), 4. Tyler Nelson (3), 5. Brayden Schwartz (5), 6. Taylor Nibert (6). NT

STIEFEL’S HOME & AUTO SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Cole Morgan (2), 2. Matt Lux (4), 3. Ian Creager (3), 4. Tommy Bigelow (1), 5. Dylan Trost (6), 6. Jim Jones (5). NT

HOOSIER AUTO RACING FANS THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Hollmeyer (2), 2. Ryan Barr (4), 3. Tyler Kalb (3), 4. 33L-Luke Lemons (1), 5. 404-Jakeb Boxell (5). NT

FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Zach Wigal (4), 2. Bryce Massingill (1), 3. Tyler Nelson (10), 4. Cole Morgan (3), 5. Ryan Barr (2), 6. Matt Lux (5), 7. Ian Creager (8), 8. Buddy Hollmeyer (6), 9. Tyler Kalb (9), 10. Brayden Schwartz (13), 11. Taylor Nibert (16), 12. Dylan Trost (14), 13. Jim Jones (17), 14. Luke Lemons (12), 15. Luke Hall (7), 16. Tommy Bigelow (11). NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Zach Wigal.

NEXT USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET RACE: June 28, 2025 – Fremont Speedway – Fremont, Ohio

CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:

VMS Motorsports Fast Qualifier: Zach Wigal (14.832)

Performance Electronics First Heat Winner: Luke Hall

Stiefel’s Home & Auto Second Heat Winner: Cole Morgan

Hoosier Auto Racing Fans Third Heat Winner: Buddy Hollmeyer

Performance Powder Coating Hard Charger: Tyler Nelson (10th to 3rd)

Rosewood Machine & Tool Precision Move of the Race: Cole Morgan

USAC PR

Rain showers moved into Pocono Raceway on Sunday morning, raising early concerns about a potential delay to the NASCAR Cup Series race. Though NASCAR had not made any official announcements at the time, the wet conditions threatened the scheduled start.

The unsettled weather put The Great American Getaway 400’s scheduled 2:20 p.m. ET green flag in jeopardy. Veteran insider Bob Pockrass shared a timely update on X, suggesting a possible delay if rain didn’t clear soon.

Rain Clouds Over Pocono Put Cup Series Start in Doubt

While not an official statement from NASCAR, Pockrass’s post indicated officials were monitoring a tight weather window. Light rain and cloudy skies had settled over the Long Pond, Pennsylvania area during the morning hours, with radar showing scattered showers continuing into early afternoon.

Pockrass in a post on X said, “Three hours before scheduled green flag at Pocono. Would probably need the rain to stop by 12:30p ET for a chance at on-time start. Do have time to wait it out as likely can race to around 8:30.”

Three hours before scheduled green flag at Pocono. Would probably need the rain to stop by 12:30p ET for a chance at on-time start. Do have time to wait it out as likely can race to around 8:30. pic.twitter.com/eA9J42MHKp

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 22, 2025

By early afternoon, NASCAR officially announced a weather delay as rain continued to soak the track. Track drying at Pocono, a 2.5-mile triangle-shaped superspeedway, requires considerable time. With no lights at the facility, NASCAR faces a hard deadline to complete the race before sunset around 8:40 p.m. ET.

NASCAR has shown a willingness to wait out weather delays when there’s a reasonable window to complete the race. Track drying efforts were underway as conditions began to improve, though lightning north of the track remained a concern.

What Time Is the NASCAR Cup Race at Pocono Supposed To Start?

The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway is scheduled for Sunday, June 22. Presented by VISITPA.COM, the race carries a scheduled green flag time of 2:20 p.m. ET in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

The Pocono Cup Series race marks the final event of the year to be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video. Pre-race coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on the streaming platform.

#NASCAR … Current scene at Pocono as teams prepare to race at 4:30 pm ET pic.twitter.com/f6v7eDv6RL

— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) June 22, 2025

The Great American Getaway 400 runs 160 laps around the 2.5-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race features three stages: Stage 1 ends on lap 30, Stage 2 concludes on lap 95, and the final stage runs 65 laps to lap 160.

Defending race winner Ryan Blaney aims to capture back-to-back victories at the Tricky Triangle. Denny Hamlin, who earned the pole position for Sunday’s race and owns seven career Cup victories at Pocono, looks to add another trophy to his collection. Shane van Gisbergen enters fresh off his dominant victory in last weekend’s inaugural Cup Series race in Mexico City, where he led 60 laps and won by over 16 seconds despite battling illness throughout the weekend.