Motorsports

Hauger Edges Andretti Global Teammate Hughes for Detroit Pole – Speedway Digest

The INDY NXT by Firestone duel between Andretti Global teammates Dennis Hauger and Lochie Hughes continued to heat up Saturday as Hauger edged fellow series rookie Hughes for the pole at the Detroit Grand Prix. Hauger earned his third pole in five races this season – Hughes grabbed the other two – with a series-record […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 31, 2025

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Hauger earned his third pole in five races this season – Hughes grabbed the other two – with a series-record lap of 1 minute, 4.9896 seconds in the No. 28 Rental Group car. That broke the series track record of 1:05.1079 set last June by eventual series champion Louis Foster, also of Andretti Global.

SEE: Qualifying Results

“It was so messy, but I pushed to the limit and got the pole,” Hauger said. “That was intense.”

Hughes was second at 1:05.0516 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine, also under Foster’s track record.

There was a gap of nearly one second to third on the starting grid for the 45-lap race Sunday (10:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network), as 17-year-old rookie Max Taylor qualified third at 1:05.9554 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car in just his second start in the INDYCAR development series.

2024 Rookie of the Year Caio Collet qualified fourth at 1:05.6249 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine. Salvador de Alba was the third Andretti Global driver in the top five with his top lap of 1:05.9772 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car.

Callum Hedge rounded out the first three rows by qualifying sixth at 1:06.1315 in the No. 17 Abel Motorsports car.

There was plenty of suspense throughout qualifying. The session was split into two groups of drivers, with Hughes in the first group and Hauger in the second to build the drama. Hauger leads his teammate by 15 points atop the series standings after four races, and they are the only drivers to win races this season – Hauger has three victories, Hughes one.

Hughes laid down his huge lap on his final trip around the treacherous, nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit, finally getting clear track on the tight, bumpy circuit for his last qualifying run.

Hauger was working up his response when James Roe suffered his second crash of the weekend with about seven minutes left in the session, with his No. 29 Topcon car receiving heavy right front damage after wall impact. Roe was unhurt.

There were only three minutes, 56 seconds left in the session when the track reopened, and Hauger and his group hustled back on the circuit to complete as many laps as possible.

Hauger dropped to 1:05.287 on his second-to-last lap, just behind Hughes, but grabbed the pole with his track-record lap on his final trip around the circuit.

IndyNXT PR

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Carl Edwards caught off guard by Kyle Busch since returning from NASCAR hiatus

Kyle Busch is without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019, and fellow former Joe Gibbs Racing star Carl Edwards is surprised by the struggles of his former teammate Edwards addressed Busch’s struggles on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of Sunday’s race(Image: Getty) Carl Edwards, a NASCAR legend in his own right, has been […]

Published

31 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Kyle Busch is without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2019, and fellow former Joe Gibbs Racing star Carl Edwards is surprised by the struggles of his former teammate

Edwards addressed Busch’s struggles on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of Sunday’s race(Image: Getty)

Carl Edwards, a NASCAR legend in his own right, has been caught off guard since returning from his hiatus by Kyle Busch’s ongoing difficulties in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Busch is currently caught in a winless rut, marking 74 races without a victory following a 20th-place finish at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. He recently admitted feeling “like a broken record” and confessed to a rookie error as he showed his true colors when among 12 stars penalized at a recent race.

Edwards reflects on a stark contrast from the formidable performances he witnessed from Busch, his one-time teammate until he walked away from the sport after accusing NASCAR of manipulating a race that cost him the 2016 championship title.

At age 40, Busch, a veteran and two-time Cup Series champion, languishes at 19th in the series standings, a shadow of the “stone-cold killer” reputation he once held among competitors. Edwards, who boasts 28 career victories in the Cup Series, is now part of Amazon Prime Video’s team and at The Great American Getaway 400 in Pocono he expressed his surprise at Busch’s unexpected slump.

READ MORE: Bubba Wallace risks wrath of NASCAR with dangerous act after scary crashREAD MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. sounds warning as Carl Edwards predicts NASCAR champion

Edwards reminisced, saying: “Very strange for me to come back to this sport after being gone so long and to see Kyle Busch struggling, right?

“In my time in this sport, Kyle Busch, literally, was the guy to beat. I got to be his teammate for a while, got to see inside a little bit of how Kyle Busch operates

“He is a stone-cold killer on the race track. This guy is amazing. So to be able to handle this part of his career the way he is, I think it shows a maturation and I’m just hoping he can come out on the other side of this and do it for us old guys,” Edwards shared.

NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 - Practice

Kyle Busch has gone 74 Cup Series races without a win(Image: Getty)

“He just needs to conjure up some of that Kyle Busch magic. I’ve been behind him and watched Kyle Busch pull off feats that leave me scratching my head.

“He’s shown he can work wonders in a race car, and I really hope he can reclaim that magic.”

Following a disappointing performance at Pocono, Busch now sets his sights on the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday. Not only does this race present another opportunity to break his winless streak, but it also marks the beginning of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge with a $1 million prize.

Busch, seeded No. 16, will go head-to-head with Brad Keselowski, with the driver who finishes higher at Atlanta advancing to the round of 16.

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NASCAR at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta 2025: Odds and more info

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series return to the newly-rebranded EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) for their second trip of the 2025 season. Photo: Marcus Leno/TRE Additionally, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take on the Lime Rock Park road course in Connecticut. NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 Saturday, […]

Published

55 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series return to the newly-rebranded EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) for their second trip of the 2025 season.

Additionally, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take on the Lime Rock Park road course in Connecticut.

NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400

Saturday, June 28
- 7 p.m. (All times Eastern)
260 laps
- Stages end on laps 60, 160, 260
TNT (stream on Max), Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
Last year’s winner: Joey Logano

For the third time this year, the NASCAR Cup Series will feature a full field with 36 chartered entries and four open entries:

Corey LaJoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford
- LaJoie’s fourth start of 2025
David Starr, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
- Starr’s first start of 2025
B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
- McLeod’s third start as a driver of 2025
Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing
- Zilisch’s third start of 2025

Odds for NASCAR Cup Series at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta 2025

The Penske trio of Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano lead the odds-on favorites for the NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta, per Caesar’s Sportsbook. Here are the odds for the Quaker State 400:

Ryan Blaney +750
Austin Cindric, Joey Logano +850
Kyle Busch +1050
Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson +1600
Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin +2000
Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace +2200
Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez +2500
Chase Briscoe +3000
Josh Berry +3500
Michael McDowell +3800
Ty Gibbs, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +4000
Erik Jones, Connor Zilisch +4500
A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Ryan Preece +5000
Noah Gragson, Corey LaJoie +5500
Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek +6000
Zane Smith +7000
Cole Custer +7500
Riley Herbst +8000
Ty Dillon +1000
Shane Van Gisbergen +12500
Cody Ware +25000
B.J. McLeod +35000
David Starr +50000

NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Focused Health 250

Friday, June 27
- 7 p.m. (All times Eastern)
163 laps
- Stages end on laps 45, 90, 163
CW, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
Last year’s winner: Austin Hill

Austin Hill will be looking to capture his sixth checkered flag at EchoPark Speedway and his fifth in the last six races at Atlanta.

In total, 38 drivers are entered for the race. Notable entries include:

Nick Leitz: No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing
Garrett Smithley: No. 14 for SS-Green Light Racing
Aric Almirola: No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing
Patrick Staropoli: No. 24 for Sam Hunt Racing
Katherine Legge: No. 32 for Jordan Anderson Racing
Joey Gase: No. 35 for Joey Gase Motorsports
Mason Massey: No. 45 for Alpha Prime Racing
Mason Maggio: No. 53 for Joey Gase Racing
Leland Honeyman Jr.: No. 70 for Cope Family Racing
C.J. McLaughlin: No. 91 for DGM Racing

Odds for NASCAR Xfinity Series at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta 2025

Coming soon.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Focused LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park

Saturday, June 28
- 1 p.m. (All times Eastern)
100 laps
- Stages end on laps 35, 70, 100
FOX, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

Every driver will make the inaugural race at Lime Rock Park with 35 trucks entered. Notable entries include:

Brent Crews: No. 1 for TRICON Garage
William Lambros: No. 2 for Josh Reaume
Thomas Annunziata: No. 07 for Spire Motorsports
Jordan Taylor: No. 7 for Spire Motorsports
Dale Quarterly: No. 32
Wesley Slimp: No. 62 for Halmar-Friesen Racing (Stewart Friesen)

Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.

From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book “All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story” with racer Geoff Bodine.

Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.

You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.

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NASCAR Results Today: Denny Hamlin DENIED at Pocono as 23XI suffer nightmare

Chase Briscoe has beaten team-mate Denny Hamlin at Pocono to take his first NASCAR Cup Series victory as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver. With the way that strategies and cautions had played out, Briscoe led the Great American Getaway 400 ahead of the closing stages, but was under huge pressure from both his team-mate and […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Chase Briscoe has beaten team-mate Denny Hamlin at Pocono to take his first NASCAR Cup Series victory as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

With the way that strategies and cautions had played out, Briscoe led the Great American Getaway 400 ahead of the closing stages, but was under huge pressure from both his team-mate and his own car.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Jeff Gordon issues Kyle Larson verdict as Cup Series team hit with multiple penalties

Briscoe left his fuel box too early during his last pit stop, and his crew were fearful he didn’t have enough fuel on board to make it to the end, with the No. 19 forced to deploy plenty of lifting and coasting during the final stint with Hamlin breathing right down his neck.

Briscoe held on, however, and in doing so, became the third Joe Gibbs Racing driver to lock himself into the 2025 Cup Series playoffs after Hamlin and Christopher Bell.

Hamlin eventually came home in P2 behind Briscoe, having looked strong throughout the race, with Ryan Blaney finishing third, an impressive run after being sent to the rear before the green flag.

Elsewhere, it proved to be a miserable day for 23XI Racing, with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst classified as 32nd, 36th and 37th after issues for each during the race.

Wallace and Reddick are now under increasing pressure to hold onto their spot above the playoff bubble, with neither driver yet to win a race this season and lock themselves in.

With that said, let’s take a look at the full race results below, including stages one and two.

READ MORE: NASCAR announce quadruple Cup Series penalty at Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series: Who won the Pocono race today?

Pos	Driver	Car No.	Team
1	Chase Briscoe	19	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske Ford
4	Chris Buescher	17	RFK Racing Ford
5	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6	John Hunter Nemechek	42	Legacy Motor Club Toyota
7	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
8	Ryan Preece	60	RFK Racing Ford
9	Brad Keselowski	6	RFK Racing Ford
10	Austin Cindric	2	Team Penske Ford
11	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12	Josh Berry	21	Wood Brothers Racing Ford
13	Erik Jones	43	Legacy Motor Club Toyota
14	Ty Gibbs	54	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
15	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
16	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske Ford
17	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
18	Carson Hocevar	77	Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
19	Justin Haley	7	Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
20	Kyle Busch	8	Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
21	AJ Allmendinger	16	Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
22	Cole Custer	41	Haas Factory Team Ford
23	Noah Gragson	4	Front Row Motorsports Ford
24	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
25	Zane Smith	38	Front Row Motorsports Ford
26	Ross Chastain	1	Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
28	Todd Gilliland	34	Front Row Motorsports Ford
29	Cody Ware	51	Rick Ware Racing Ford
30	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
31	Shane van Gisbergen	88	Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
32	Tyler Reddick	45	23XI Racing Toyota
33	Ty Dillon	10	Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
34	Brennan Poole	44	NY Racing Team Chevrolet
35	Michael McDowell	71	Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
36	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing Toyota
37	Riley Herbst	35	23XI Racing Toyota

FASTEST LAP: Denny Hamlin [52.59 secs]

READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series star hit with devastating penalty at Pocono

NASCAR Cup Series: Pocono Stage 2 results

Pos	Driver	Car No.	Team
1	Chase Briscoe	19	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2	Josh Berry	21	Wood Brothers Racing Ford
3	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5	Chris Buescher	17	RFK Racing Ford
6	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7	Austin Cindric	2	Team Penske Ford
8	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske Ford
9	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10	Carson Hocevar	77	Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

READ MORE: 23XI suffer DOUBLE demotion blow after Pocono as Kyle Busch on playoff brink

NASCAR Cup Series: Pocono Stage 1 results

Pos	Driver	Car No.	Team
1	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2	Chris Buescher	17	RFK Racing Ford
3	Tyler Reddick	45	23XI Racing Toyota
4	Chase Briscoe	19	Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
5	Erik Jones	43	Legacy Motor Club Toyota
6	Zane Smith	38	Front Row Motorsports Ford
7	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske Ford
8	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm Hendrick Motorsports cars set for further scrutiny after Pocono inspection

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race will consist of 3 stages for 160 laps across 400 miles.

What date is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

Sunday, June 22nd.

What time is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race will be at 2:00 PM ET.

What channel is the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race on?

The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono race starts at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 22nd. Prime Video will broadcast the race with MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio coverage.

Which driver has the most wins at Pocono Raceway?

Denny Hamlin holds the record for most driver victories at Pocono Raceway, with 7.

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NASCAR Cup entry list features full field of 40 cars for Atlanta race

When NASCAR heads to Atlanta this weekend to race at the newly renamed at EchoPark Speedway, 40 Cup cars will be present for what is sure to be yet another thrilling race at the Georgia track. The Cup Series has only reached 40 entries twice this year before Atlanta, and they were both crown jewel […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

When NASCAR heads to Atlanta this weekend to race at the newly renamed at EchoPark Speedway, 40 Cup cars will be present for what is sure to be yet another thrilling race at the Georgia track.

The Cup Series has only reached 40 entries twice this year before Atlanta, and they were both crown jewel events. 41 cars started the Daytona 500 with the field expanding beyond max capacity due to Helio Castroneves taking the Open Exemption Provisional. There were also 40 cars taking part in the Coca Cola 600 for NASCAR’s longest race with Ross Chastain making history as he drove from 40th to first to win the event.

Atlanta will be the latest race to feature 40 cars with four open entries beyond the 36 full-time chartered teams. Corey LaJoie will be piloting the No. 01 Ford for Rick Ware Racing in his fourth start of the year, which follows his stint as a analyst for Prime Video.

Rising star Connor Zilisch will be driving a fourth entry for Trackhouse, again piloting the No. 87 Chevrolet with sponsorship from Red Bull. Zilisch, who won the most recent NASCAR Xfinity race at Pocono with Dale Jr. as his crew chief, will be making his third Cup start of the year.

The other two open entries will be B.J. McLeod in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet and 57-year-old David Starr in the No. 66 Garage 66 (formerly MBM Motorsports) Ford Mustang.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be joining the Cup Series at Atlanta while the NASCAR Truck Series heads north to compete at Lime Rock Park for the very first time.

NASCAR Cup entry list — EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)

No.	Driver	Team	Manufacturer
01	Corey LaJoie	Rick Ware Racing	Ford
1	Ross Chastain	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
2	Austin Cindric	Team Penske	Ford
3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
4	Noah Gragson	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
5	Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
6	Brad Keselowski	RFK Racing	Ford
7	Justin Haley	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
8	Kyle Busch	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
9	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
10	Ty Dillon	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
11	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
12	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske	Ford
16	AJ Allmendinger	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
17	Chris Buescher	RFK Racing	Ford
19	Chase Briscoe	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
20	Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
21	Josh Berry	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford
22	Joey Logano	Team Penske	Ford
23	Bubba Wallace	23XI Racing	Toyota
24	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
34	Todd Gilliland	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
35	Riley Herbst	23XI Racing	Toyota
38	Zane Smith	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
41	Cole Custer	Haas Factory Team	Ford
42	John Hunter Nemechek	Legacy Motor Club	Toyota
43	Erik Jones	Legacy Motor Club	Toyota
45	Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing	Toyota
47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Hyak Motorsports	Chevrolet
48	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
51	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing	Chevrolet
54	Ty Gibbs	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
60	Ryan Preece	RFK Racing	Ford
66	David Starr	Garage 66	Ford
71	Michael McDowell	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
77	Carson Hocevar	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
78	BJ McLeod	Live Fast Motorsports	Chevrolet
87	Connor Zilisch	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
88	Shane van Gisbergen	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
99	Daniel Suarez	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet

In this article

Nick DeGroot

NASCAR Cup

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NASCAR in-season tournament bracket set

The first round of the NASCAR in-season tournament begins Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway (aka Atlanta Motor Speedway) as teams now have their path to the $1 million bonus. Atlanta kicks off the new event before it makes stops in Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and finishes at Indianapolis. The tournament is a simple head-to-head matchup for […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The first round of the NASCAR in-season tournament begins Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway (aka Atlanta Motor Speedway) as teams now have their path to the $1 million bonus.

Atlanta kicks off the new event before it makes stops in Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and finishes at Indianapolis. The tournament is a simple head-to-head matchup for drivers, with the highest finisher among them advancing.

The top seeds were Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher and Christopher Bell. NASCAR determined the seeding by a driver’s best finish from the three races held at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. Hamlin, of course, won at Michigan, and Briscoe won at Pocono.

The first-round matchups are:

(No. 1) Denny Hamlin vs (No. 32) Ty Dillon

(No. 2) Chase Briscoe vs (No. 31) Noah Gragson

(No. 3) Chris Buescher vs (No. 30) Todd Gilliland

(No. 4) Christopher Bell vs (No. 29) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

(No. 5) Chase Elliott vs (No. 28) Austin Dillon

(No. 6) Ty Gibbs vs (No. 27) Justin Haley

(No. 7) Ryan Blaney vs (No. 26) Carson Hocevar

(No. 8) Alex Bowman vs (No. 25) Joey Logano

(No. 9) Bubba Wallace vs (No. 24) Daniel Suarez

(No. 10) Kyle Larson vs (No. 23) Tyler Reddick

(No. 11) Michael McDowell vs (No. 22) AJ Allmendinger

(No. 12) John Hunter Nemechek vs (No. 21) Josh Berry

(No. 13) Ross Chastain vs (No. 20) Erik Jones

(No. 14) Zane Smith vs (No. 19) Austin Cindric

(No. 15) Ryan Preece vs (No. 18) William Byron

(No. 16) Kyle Busch vs (No. 17) Brad Keselowski

TNT Sports will carry the duration of the tournament. The channel begins its five-race portion of Cup Series coverage this weekend (Saturday, 7pm ET). They will also offer an alternate broadcast for fans interested (on truTV) that is hosted by Larry McReynolds and Jeff Burton. They will break down the storylines and bracket each week.

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Briscoe conserves fuel to win NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono

Chase Briscoe celebrates with a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Long Pond, Pa. By Dan Gelston AP Sports Writer LONG POND, Pa. — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving fuel down the stretch to hold off Joe Gibbs […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Chase Briscoe celebrates with a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono Raceway, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Long Pond, Pa.

By Dan Gelston

AP Sports Writer

LONG POND, Pa. — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving fuel down the stretch to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his first win with his new race team.

Briscoe raced his way into an automatic spot in NASCAR’s playoffs with the win and gave the No. 19 Toyota its first victory since 2023 when Martin Truex Jr. had the ride. Briscoe lost his job at the end of last season at Stewart-Haas Racing when the team folded and he was tabbed to replace Truex in the four-car JGR field.

Hamlin, who holds the track record with seven wins, appeared on the brink of reeling in Briscoe over the final, thrilling laps only to have not enough in the No. 11 Toyota to snag that eighth Pocono win.

“It was just so hard to have a guy chasing you, especially the guy that’s the greatest of all time here,” Briscoe said.

Briscoe made his final pit stop on lap 119 of the 160-lap race, while Hamlin — who returned after missing last week’s race following the birth of his son — made his final stop on 120. Hamlin’s team radioed to him that they believed Briscoe would fall about a half-lap short on fuel — only for the first-year JGR driver to win by 0.682 seconds.

Briscoe, who won an Xfinity Series race at Pocono in 2020, raced to his third career Cup victory and first since Darlington in 2024.

Briscoe has been on a bit of a hot streak, and had his fourth top-10 finish over the last six races, including a seventh-place finish in last week’s ballyhooed race in Mexico City.

He became the 11th driver to earn a spot in the 16-driver field with nine races left until the field is set and made a winner again of crew chief James Small. Small stayed on the team through Truex’s final winless season and Briscoe’s winless start to this season.

“It’s been a tough couple of years,” Small said. “We’ve never lost belief, any of us.”

Hamlin finished second. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott completed the top five.

Briscoe, a third-generation dirt racer from Indiana, gave JGR its 18th Cup victory at Pocono.

“I literally grew up racing my sprint car video game in a Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot uniform,” Briscoe said. “To get Coach in victory lane after them taking a chance on me, it’s so rewarding truthfully. Just a big weight off my shoulders. I’ve been telling my wife the last two weeks, I have to win. To finally come here and do it, it has been a great day.”

The race was delayed 2 hours, 10 minutes by rain and the conditions were muggy by the time the green flag dropped. Briscoe led 72 laps and won the second stage.

Briscoe wrote before the race on social media, “Anybody going from Pocono to Oklahoma City after the race Sunday?” The Pacers fan wasn’t going to make it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

He’ll certainly settle for a ride to victory lane.

Clean race

Carson Hocevar made a clean pass of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and two feuding drivers battled without incident on restarts as they appeared to race in peace after a pair of recent wrecks on the track threatened to spill into Pocono.

Stenhouse’s threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend’s race in Mexico City but cooler heads prevailed back in the United States. Hocevar finished 18th and Stenhouse 30th.

Ouch

There was a minor scare on pit road when AJ Allmendinger struck a tire in the carrier’s hand with his right front side and sent it flying into the ribs of another team’s crew member in the pit ahead of him. Jonpatrik Kealey, the rear tire changer on Shane van Gisbergen’s race team, was knocked on all fours but finished work on van Gisbergen’s pit stop.

Brake time

Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst all had their races spoiled by brake issues.

“It was a scary feeling for sure,” Herbst said. “I was just starting to get tight, just a bad adjustment on my part. Getting into (turn) one, the brakes just went to the floor. A brake rotor exploded and I was along for the ride.”

Up next

NASCAR heads to Atlanta. Christopher Bell won the first race at the track this season in March.

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