The Truck Series will take the spotlight Friday at Pocono Raceway, where the Xfinity garage also will be open.

Trucks will be on track for practice at 12:35 p.m., followed by a 1:40 p.m. qualifying session to set the field for an 80-lap race.

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The green flag will fall at 5:22 p.m. for the Truck Series. Corey Heim is the defending race winner.

Cup Series team haulers will load in at Pocono at 3 p.m., but the garage won’t open until Saturday when practice and qualifying will occur for Sunday’s 400-mile race.

Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Pocono weekend

Denny Hamlin returns to the series this weekend after missing last weekend’s race in Mexico for the birth of his son.

Pocono Raceway Friday schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Garage open

• 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. — Truck Series

• 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

• 12:35 – 1:30 p.m. — Truck practice (FS2)

• 1:40 – 2:30 p.m. — Truck qualifying (FS2)

• 5 p.m. — Truck race (80 laps, 200 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 40; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weather

Friday: Sunshine and clouds mixed with a high of 76 degrees. Winds from the west to northwest at 10 to 20 mph. It’s expected to 74 degrees with a 1% chance of rain at the start of the Truck Series race.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are on the precipice of losing their charters mid-season in a legal loss that would cause an immediate financial hit for the two multi-car organizations. 

On June 5th, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of NASCAR, revoking the preliminary injunction that allowed 23XI and FRM to race as chartered teams while this antitrust lawsuit is ongoing. The clock is ticking and should the teams fail to overturn this ruling, both of them will lose all three of their charters by the end of June.

Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

As expected, they are now appealing this decision and asking the courts to reconsider. Jeffrey Kessler, the lead attorney for both 23XI and FRM, released the following statement on Friday: 

“Today, we filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit requesting a rehearing before the full court. This follows a panel decision that reversed a District Court ruling granting a preliminary injunction, which had allowed 23XI and Front Row Motorsports to compete as chartered teams during the 2025 season while pursuing their antitrust claims. The panel’s decision does not address the merits of our case. It was based solely on a narrow question: whether the release of claims in the charter agreement could be considered anticompetitive.

“If upheld, the ruling would set a dangerous precedent, allowing monopolists to shield themselves from legal challenges simply by requiring release language as a condition of doing business with the monopoly. Our lawsuit is about making NASCAR more competitive and fair. The release provision is just one of many anticompetitive tactics NASCAR has used to preserve its monopoly. We remain fully confident in our case and are committed to racing the full season—regardless of the outcome of this petition.”

The court heavily questioned Kessler about the merits of the injunction in previous hearings and did not agree with his arguments, telling him that his antitrust theory “is not supported by any case of which we are aware.” They repeatedly told him that “you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” speaking to how the teams benefit from the 2025 Charter Agreement while fighting NASCAR on the merits of certain clauses that exist within it.

The trial date for the lawsuit is set for December of this year, and NASCAR has since countersued the teams as this legal saga only escalates. 

Veteran driver Brad Keselowski has seen better days as he preps for the 2025 Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The 2012 Cup Series champ sits 32nd in NASCAR standings, but there is hope for NASCAR at Pocono 2025. He’s one of the most successful drivers in the Pocono Raceway history, as his 10.8 average finish at the track is second-best amongst active drivers. Yet, his season thus far has Keselowski as a NASCAR longshot per the latest 2025 Great American Getaway 400 odds. Even with that, the SportsLine model loves him as one of the potential 2025 NASCAR at Pocono sleeper picks this week, considering there are 10 others with equal or shorter NASCAR Pocono odds. Keselowski can be had at +2100, while the favorites are Denny Hamlin (+500) and Ryan Blaney (+700).

Before entering any 2025 Pocono NASCAR picks, be sure to see the latest 2025 NASCAR at Pocono predictions from SportsLine’s proven projection model. Developed by SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, the proprietary NASCAR prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times and has nailed a whopping 23 winners since 2021, including five winners in 2025.

SportsLine simulated the NASCAR Great American Getaway 400 10,000 times. Here are the three NASCAR longshots to target, according to the model:

Best NASCAR at Pocono longshots (odds subject to change):

• Joey Logano (+1800)
• Ty Gibbs (+1900)
• Brad Keselowski (+2100)

Joey Logano (+1800)

The reigning Cup Series champion got off to a rough start in defense of his title but has picked things up as of late. Logano had a 19.7 average finish over his first 10 races but has an average placement of 12.3 over his last six starts. He also will step onto the track on Sunday with recent success at Pocono Raceway. He was fifth at the track last year, won a stage and led for 21 laps in 2023 before DVP ended his day early, and he had top 10s in both of the 2021 Pocono races. The Penske driver also knows he has solid backing as teammate, Ryan Blaney, just won this race last year, giving Penske Racing its 10th Pocono checkered flag. Logano checks multiple boxes as a sleeper and can be wagered on with the help of a DraftKings promo code:

Ty Gibbs (+1900)

Gibbs made his first Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway after a string of successful races at the track on minor series. He had a pair of Pocono starts on the Xfinity Series and another two on the ARCA Menards Series, and those four resulted in one victory and three runners-up. Gibbs placed fifth on the Cup Series at the track two years ago and seemed destined for an even better finish last year as he led for 21 laps before engine problems ended his day early. Add in that Gibbs’ team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has had a stranglehold on this track, with six Pocono wins since 2017, and Gibbs is a NASCAR longshot to go after.

Brad Keselowski (+2100)

Keselowski notched a seventh-place finish in his last visit to Pocono, which included leading the race for 20 laps, which was the fourth-most amongst all drivers. That 2024 start is a part of nine straight top-20 finishes for Keselowski at Pocono, but his success at the track extends much further back. Taking away a car crash in 2018, Keselowski has 16 straight top 20s on the circuit, with a dozen of those being top 10s. He’s done more than just contended at the tri-oval track as he’s prevailed, as his 2011 victory is among five top-2 placements on the Eastern Pennsylvania circuit. Additionally, while his 10.8 average finish at Pocono ranks second amongst active drivers, his 11.6 average finish on 2.5-mile intermediate tracks, as a whole, is best in the sport. Keselowski would be a steal at +2100 and can be wagered on with a FanDuel promo code:

More top NASCAR at Pocono expert picks, longshots revealed

You’ve seen the NASCAR longshots from the model. Now, see the full 2025 NASCAR Pocono leaderboard, including forecasts for who finishes first. Visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed 23 winners, including Elliott’s victory at Bowman Gray, Larson’s win at Miami, Bell’s All-Star victory, Hamlin’s Michigan win and van Gisbergen’s Mexico triumph.

You can also view expert advice before locking in your NASCAR at Pocono picks. Visit SportsLine now to see expert Steven Taranto’s picks, including an epic longshot of over 50-1, all from an expert who has nailed 17 NASCAR winners. 

Visit SportsLine now to see McClure’s top NASCAR DFS picks, all from the daily Fantasy professional who has won more than $2 million playing DFS. 

2025 NASCAR Pocono odds, drivers, lineup

(odds via DraftKings are subject to change)
Denny Hamlin +500
Ryan Blaney +700
Kyle Larson +750
William Byron +750
Christopher Bell +1000
Tyler Reddick +1200
Chase Elliott +1500
Joey Logano +1800
Ty Gibbs +1900
Chris Buescher +2100
Brad Keselowski +2100
Ross Chastain +2400
Carson Hocevar +2500
Chase Briscoe +2800
Kyle Busch +2900
Bubba Wallace +3100
Alex Bowman +3400
Josh Berry +4200
Ryan Preece +5000
Austin Cindric +5000
Erik Jones +5000
Ricky Stenhouse +5500
Daniel Suarez +6000
AJ Allmendinger +10000
Zane Smith +10000
Michael McDowell +10000
Shane van Gisbergen +14000
Noah Gragson +14000
John Hunter Nemechek +21000
Austin Dillon +21000
Todd Gilliland +21000
Justin Haley +21000
Cole Custer +21000
Riley Herbst +25000
Ty Dillon +34000
Brennan Poole +50000
Cody Ware +50000  

Chase Elliott won a NASCAR Cup race at Pocono in 2022, but it came in the most bizarre fashion.

Long after the race had ended and the track’s grandstands had cleared, the apparent race winner, Denny Hamlin, and the apparent runner-up, Kyle Busch, were disqualified when their cars didn’t pass inspection.

Elliott, who had finished third, found out about his “victory” after he got back home in Georgia.

Matt Barndt found out about Elliott’s win while getting ready to get on a plane at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. He was stunned, but happy.

Barndt, a Lower Saucon Township native and Saucon Valley High School graduate, has one wish this weekend as he returns to familiar turf at Pocono Raceway as Elliott’s car chief.

“This time I want us to win because we were the first ones across the finish line,” Barndt said. “I don’t want to win it any other way. And I want to get a celebration in Victory Lane. That didn’t happen the last time.”

Barndt, a 2009 Saucon grad, has been working with Elliott since Elliott joined Hendrick Motorsports on a full-time basis in 2016. Barndt previously worked with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, a staple of Hendrick’s dominant racing team.

“Basically, everyone who worked on Jeff”s team went on Chase’s team,” Barndt said.

Bardnt has formed a strong bond with Elliott, who is 29 and five years younger than Barndt.

“His experience far exceeds his years because he grew up in a racing family,” Barndt said. “He’s a great person to work with, and we communicate quite well. We both grew up around race tracks.”

Of course, Barndt must also work with crew chief Alan Gustafson, who has been working with Elliott since 2016 and entered this season as the longest-running driver-crew chief pairing in the Cup Series. Barndt and Gustafson also have a great rapport.

During an interview available on the Hendrick Motorsports website, Barndt said he was fortunate that Gustafson saw something in him when he was ready to graduate from college.

“You transitioned from design engineer to race engineer to car chief in a really short period of time, and you’re still really young.” Gustafson said. “And now you have a really difficult job.”

Barndt said that NASCAR’s newest car, now in its third season, makes it difficult for any team to gain an advantage. That’s one reason why Hendrick, which used to be considered the Yankees of NASCAR because of its all-star lineup and dominance in the Cup series, no longer dominates.

But Barndt said Hendrick remains a great place to work. He started working there on an internship while a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which is located right smack dab in the home base for NASCAR and its teams.

Barndt earned a degree in mechanical engineering, but his heart was in racing, which is something he started at the age of 5.

“I started in quarter-midgets, then did mini-cups, asphalt late-models, and after starting at local tracks, I went to national events around the country,” he said. “My sister was racing, too. We were a racing family. The dream was always to make it to this level of the sport, but it happened in a different capacity. That competitive drive and desire to win when I was a kid is still there. But now I’m not on the track, but you still want to find an edge. I still want to win.”

Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, is a seven-time winner of NASCAR’s Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award as voted on by the fans. His father, Bill, won the same award 16 times.

There are a lot of people who hope Elliott can end a drought and win a Cup points race for the first time since April 2024 at Texas.

While he hasn’t won a race, he has a streak of 16 top-20 finishes going for him.

“I go into every race thinking we can win,” Barndt said. “And I feel the same way about this race. We’ve been running well. We would love to get one at Pocono.”

Win or lose, Barndt, who flew to Pennsylvania late Friday afternoon from Charlotte, said it’s tough to find time to go home and visit with family.

“We now put on two-day shows in NASCAR, and things aren’t spread out like they used to be when you’d get to town on Thursday night,” he said. “From the time we get there, we’ll be going to work and try to figure out what we need to do to be successful.”

Kurt Busch named grand marshal

Kurt Busch made his way into Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway three times and won on the Cup circuit 34 times.

He’s on his way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January.

But he will make a pitstop at Pocono Raceway on Sunday to serve as grand marshal of The Great American Getaway 400, the marquee event of NASCAR’s three-race weekend at Pocono.

Governor Josh Shapiro will serve as the honorary starter and wave the green flag for the 2 p.m. race being live-streamed by Amazon Prime.

“We’re honored to celebrate Kurt’s Hall of Fame career with our fans,” Pocono Raceway President Ben May said. “Pocono Raceway is proud to be a small part of that illustrious career with Kurt being a three-time race winner and two-time polesitter.

Busch, 46, won at Pocono in 2005, ’07, and ’16. He also won the pole in 2005 and ’11. He totaled 21 top-10 finishes, including 14 in the top five, in 41 career starts in Monroe County.

In 23 years on the circuit, Busch won the series title in 2004 and the 2017 Daytona 500. He also won at least four times in each of the three NASCAR national series — Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck.

In addition to being named grand marshal, Busch will be honored by Pocono with “TY KURT” painted on the start/finish line, and the Mattioli Foundation will donate $10,000 to Vet Tix in his honor.

Pocono Raceway schedule

Saturday 

8 a.m. — Gates, Fan Fair & Paddock Open

10 a.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series practice

11:05 a.m. — NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying

12:35 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series practice

1:45 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series qualifying

3:30 p.m.  —  Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race (100 Laps / 250 Miles)

Sunday

8 a.m. — Gates, Fan Fair & Paddock Open

2 p.m. —  The Great American Getaway 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race (160 Laps / 400 Miles)

Originally Published: June 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT

Friday

At Pocono Raceway

Long Pond, Pa.

Lap length: 2.50 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (1) Layne Riggs, Ford, 80 laps, 58 points.

2. (5) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 80, 41.

3. (2) Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, 80, 48.

4. (9) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 80, 0.

5. (19) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 80, 32.

6. (12) Connor Mosack, Chevrolet, 80, 40.

7. (15) Chandler Smith, Ford, 80, 33.

8. (13) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 80, 34.

9. (16) Ty Majeski, Ford, 80, 28.

10. (8) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 80, 27.

11. (6) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 80, 26.

12. (17) Luke Baldwin, Ford, 80, 25.

13. (4) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 80, 0.

14. (24) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 80, 23.

15. (10) Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 80, 22.

16. (7) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 80, 30.

17. (14) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 80, 20.

18. (34) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 80, 23.

19. (27) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 80, 18.

20. (21) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 80, 17.

21. (23) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 80, 16.

22. (29) Toni Breidinger, Toyota, 80, 15.

23. (3) Corey Heim, Toyota, 80, 24.

24. (28) Tyler Tomassi, Ford, 80, 0.

25. (26) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 80, 12.

26. (18) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 78, 17.

27. (20) Matt Crafton, Ford, 78, 10.

28. (11) Jake Garcia, Ford, 76, 22.

29. (35) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, dvp, 48, 8.

30. (33) Clayton Green, Ford, accident, 47, 7.

31. (22) Conner Jones, Chevrolet, accident, 47, 6.

32. (30) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, clutch, 33, 0.

33. (25) Cody Dennison, Ford, accident, 18, 4.

34. (31) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, tooslow, 10, 3.

35. (32) Bryan Dauzat, Chevrolet, tooslow, 9, 2.

___

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.176 mph.

Time of Race: 1 hour, 43 minutes, 18 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 3.640 seconds.

Caution Flags: 4 for 24 laps.

Lead Changes: 7 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders: L.Riggs 0; C.Heim 1-17; L.Riggs 18-22; S.Friesen 23-26; C.Heim 27-43; R.Caruth 44-46; C.Heim 47-60; L.Riggs 61-80

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): C.Heim, 3 times for 48 laps; L.Riggs, 2 times for 25 laps; S.Friesen, 1 time for 4 laps; R.Caruth, 1 time for 3 laps.

Wins: C.Heim, 4; C.Smith, 2; D.Hemric, 1; L.Riggs, 1; T.Ankrum, 1; S.Friesen, 1; R.Caruth, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. C.Heim, 629; 2. C.Smith, 505; 3. D.Hemric, 486; 4. L.Riggs, 482; 5. G.Enfinger, 461; 6. K.Honeycutt, 456; 7. T.Ankrum, 441; 8. T.Majeski, 421; 9. J.Garcia, 411; 10. S.Friesen, 381; 11. R.Caruth, 363; 12. G.Ruggiero, 363; 13. B.Rhodes, 361; 14. T.Gray, 338; 15. M.Crafton, 291; 16. C.Mosack, 287.

___

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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