Motorsports

Pit crew challenge? In the NASCAR Next Gen era, every tenth is a test.

CONCORD, N.C. – The very nature of progression is that a curve will eventually begin to flatten. But Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t piled up 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships and 315 wins (and counting) by not being ahead of the curve. Now, to stay there. In the fourth season of the Gen 7, single-lug-nut era, the once-rapid […]

Published

1 month ago

May 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CONCORD, N.C. – The very nature of progression is that a curve will eventually begin to flatten.

But Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t piled up 14 NASCAR Cup Series championships and 315 wins (and counting) by not being ahead of the curve.

Now, to stay there.

In the fourth season of the Gen 7, single-lug-nut era, the once-rapid improvement of pit stop times has begun to slow. Yet, crews continue to dig for every thousandth of a second, pushing the limits of what is possible in terms of swapping out four tires and filling a tank of fuel.

There’s plenty of statistical data pointing to continued, yet tapering gains on pit road. But with fast stops now clicking in under nine seconds, how much further – and faster – can crews possibly go?

Theories abound.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface, really,” projected Mike Moss, rear-tire changer on the No. 5 Chevrolet. “There’s so much gray area … we’re talking about thousandths of seconds now. So, I think we’ll hit a seven-second stop this year, probably a high seven, like a 7.8 or something like that. But I think the limit will probably be about 7.1 I’d say. Let’s just say a 6.9, how about that?”

Andrew Bridgeforth, the rear-tire changer on the No. 48 team, heads for the left side of the car during a pit stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Though not all were as confident as Moss when it comes to the margin, across the board, crewmen on all four of Hendrick Motorsports’ teams agreed that continued tweaking and experimentation should lead to further strides.

“In your mind, you kind of think that there’s a limit, but you just keep pushing and scratching to find tenths, half-of-tenths of a second,” said TJ Semke, jackman for the No. 9 team. “A week ago, we ran a 7.64 in practice and in your head, you think, ‘Well, that’s probably about tapped out.” But then you think, ‘We could have done a faster right side, we could have done a faster left side, if we’d only pieced this and this together.’ It’s hard to fathom for a lot of people what a tenth is and how hard it is to find a lot of times but that becomes the passion as you get into this. You get hungry, you get greedy, you watch film over and over and practice so hard just to find a tenth. It’s fun to chase after that. It’s fun to find. And we’re always looking.”

So, how hard really is a tenth of a second to find? And how much could a tenth of a second on pit road really mean?

Our friends from Racing Insights provided some data from every points-paying race in the Next Gen era(2022-present) except for events on the Bristol Dirt Track in 2022 and 2023 in which competitive pit stops were not allowed. And two things were immediately apparent – the continued march forward is still in progress and the margins between crews on pit road continue to tighten.

For instance, the average time of the best pit stop in each race in 2022 was 10.2219 seconds. In 2023 it was 9.858. Last year, it fell again to 9.5797. And through 11 races in 2025 (the data was collected before last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway), that number was up a tick to 9.5836 seconds from 2024, yet as a whole was still ahead of pace. The average fastest pit stop in 2024 through the first 11 races of the year was 9.774 seconds.

A similar story is told when looking at the teams who established the fastest average time through each event in the same time period. In 2022, that number was 11.1606 seconds, declining to 10.6146 in 2023 and 10.3224 in 2024. Prior to Kansas this year, the best average pit stop per race was at 10.3377 seconds, but over three tenths of a second better from the first 11 races of 2024 (10.693 seconds).

In short, it’s a simple story for NASCAR Cup Series pit crews these days – get better or get left behind. And in that effort, there’s no shortage of ideas and little teams won’t try to find an edge.

“Our guys come up with stuff. They try stuff and we will talk through it in practice and we’ll try different techniques here and there and if it works, great,” Jacob Claborn, head pit coach at Hendrick Motorsports, said. “If it doesn’t, we can it and move on.

“For example, there’s a specific way that one of our jackmen started dropping the right side of the car and getting to the left side of the car and we found speed in that and other guys have picked that up. Just little things here and there. So, there’s definitely always going to be room to grow with it. It’s going to come down to the consistency of doing it every single time.”

Therein lies the rub: It’s one thing to rip off a fast pit stop. It’s another to do it time and time again, which is the demand of Next Gen racing.

The No. 24 pit crew looks on during a caution flag.

And, just where are the gains going to come from? The answer to that question is what has crew chiefs, pit coaches and crewmen digging each day. And again, theories vary.

“I think the biggest thing is going to be the right sides,” Moss said. “Right now, on average the right sides are between three (seconds) to a 3.4. If we can consistently get them below that … it’s hard to run a 2.8 right side, everybody has to execute, but if we can continue to be consistent, once we get to 2.7, 2.8 right sides the left side is the easy part.”

It’s hard to imagine any easy part existing. The truth is, never before has the spotlight shone so brightly on pit crews as in the current, Next Gen era. On-track passing has never been more difficult, putting further onus on limiting mistakes on pit road. Add to that ever quickening four-tire stops and a continued narrowing of the margin between the best crews and the worst and any, tiny mishap could be devastating to the entire day of a race team.

Moss was once a collegiate athlete, playing basketball for three years at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana before transferring to play a season of football at Robert Morris. It’s a path taken by many in the business who eventually land on NASCAR pit crews and along with athleticism, a life spent in the throes of competition forges competitiveness and grit.

Then there’s the ability to shoulder the immense pressure that comes with the pursuit and demand of perfection. Ask a Hendrick Motorsports crew member about pressure and he’ll likely dismiss it, citing that, “pressure is a privilege”.

But it’s there, nonetheless. And it’s something Hendrick Motorsports crewmen must face head on with every trip to the race track and with every leap over the wall.

“There’s a heightened pressure but that’s what we signed up for,” John Gianninoto, fueler for the No. 9 squad said. “If you don’t have that pressure it probably means the stop doesn’t matter. We’re looking forward to when it comes to crunch time and we’re trying to get that win and we have to beat that other team out.”

“Everyone handles pressure in their own way,” Semke added. “A lot of times, pressure makes you perform and having those nerves, that pressure and that weight, I think, is a good way to work harder, hone your skills and keep pushing. People want to be where you’re at. It’s an honor to hold this position as long as we’ve had it.”

Semke and Gianninoto are part of a No. 9 squad that has remained largely intact since 2018. That longevity and familiarity is certainly an advantage, especially when it comes to teamwork in conditions in which verbal communication is often impossible amid the roar of engines. And with five bodies in motion in close quarters while slinging tires, jacks and heavy fuel cans, developing a sense for one another’s movements is huge not only in the quest for time, but in terms of safety as well.

No. 9 team jackman TJ Semke (center) huddles with his teammates on pit road during a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2025.

Still, Gianninoto said fine tuning continues, even for a group as tenured as the 9 crew.

“We’re still learning with each other, which is funny since we’ve been with each other so long,” Gianninoto said. “We’re all learning how our bodies mingle with each other, where I can get more room where you can get more room, where you can take more space to make your job a bit faster. That’s really what we’ve been focusing on: How we can mesh together to take advantage of all of our body types and if one guy can get in the hub faster than the other, can he give more room when he gets the tire out, so we get the tire back in?”

To that point, Ryan Patton, tire carrier for the No. 24 car, also said taking each other’s movements into account is a key to continuing to find more speed in stops.

“At some point, I think it may plateau, but as of right now we’re still searching for those tenths here or there,” Patton said. “It’s not just like, ‘How can I be better at my particular task?’ It’s, ‘OK, how can I set up the guy working beside me?’ How can I make sure that on the right side of the car, I’m placing the right front tire in the right spot for (jackman) Spencer (Bishop)) to be able to grab it most efficiently and quickly to put the right-front tire on? Where am I at as I’m running across the front of the pit box so Jeff (Cordero), my front changer, can see the car better so he can pick it up faster to anticipate where (driver William Byron is) going to stop? All while I need to be on time in the right rear.

“I think that’s one thing that as you look at times people don’t really think about is, they see our names like up on the marquee and they’ll watch the pit stop competition and they’re going to put our name up on a graphic, but it’s not just that. It’s all of the guys even down to the engineers, the guys that set up the car … every person has a hand in like a fast pit stop. So, if you can get all those things to click, then yeah, in the right magic potion, you’ll see those high sevens, low-eight-second pit stops.”

Jacob Conley returns over the wall after fueling the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet at a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

At least, at some circuits. Stop times are also directly affected by the track. Referring back to the graph, pit stops spike at drafting tracks, which are often home to fuel-mileage races in the Next Gen era. Now with the single lug nut and three-plus years of reps, it takes longer to fill a car with gas than it does to change four tires, meaning drivers are waiting on fuelers to pack it as full as humanly possible.

Often, road course races can become mileage wars as well. So, there’s an adaptability required among crew members as well and maybe more so for fuelers, than anyone.

“We used to be aiming for two-and-a-half, three seconds on our exchanges and now they want them at two seconds or below and it’s like, you’ve got to cover that same amount of ground with the same amount of fuel,” Jacob Conley, fueler on the No. 48 Chevrolet explained. “The can hasn’t gotten any lighter, so it’s you trying to cover more ground. For me, it’s just that emphasis on perfection. The car comes in and you’ve got to hit it. Everything has to go your way.

“That’s especially true on the intermediate tracks. Our guys were fast at the end of last year and I don’t anticipate them checking up. When we get to Atlanta (Motor Speedway), Daytona (International Speedway) or COTA, those will be fuel-heavy races so they’re waiting on me. But when we go into a Phoenix (Raceway) or Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) where they’re going to want to go fast, that’s when the job really picks up. Our guys are running nine flats to sub-nine-second pit stops and you’re trying to get as much fuel in as you can, so, that’s when the stress really picks up because I’m just out there trying to do the best I can.”

No. 24 team tire carrier, Ryan Patton, shares a moment with driver, William Byron, after the team won its second straight DAYTONA 500 to start the 2025 season.

“The terms, ‘family’ and ‘brotherhood’ get thrown around so loosely that I don’t think people really understand the gravity of those words,” Patton concluded. “At any time, I can have a hard or good conversation with anybody on my team, and they know it’s because I care about them and vice versa. I think teams want that and they emulate that. That’s one of the things about our team that makes it so special.

“And we can’t force people to be like that, that’s who they are. That’s in their DNA. Our team over the last few years has gotten closer and closer … It’s not just nuts and bolts that make the car better, that make pit stops better. It’s those extra things. I think we pride ourselves in that each and every week.

“We know that at Hendrick Motorsports, when we show up at the race track we’ve got a chance to win. So, I don’t think you ever get a break from feeling that pressure. But we condition ourselves all year, even out on the practice pad, to be as perfect as possible so that way, when we get to the race track, we’re ready to go. There’s no surprises. It’s not a switch that you can turn on and off, it’s all the time. I think that’s what makes the good teams, good and the great teams, great.”

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23XI and FRM make final effort to save charters, claim ruling sets “dangerous precedent”

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 […]

Published

12 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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.

Motorsports

2025 NASCAR Great American Getaway 400 betting, odds, picks: 3 free NASCAR longshots at Pocono Raceway

Published

34 minutes ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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

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Motorsports

Saucon Valley grad is Chase Elliott car chief at NASCAR at Pocono

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 […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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.

Saucon Valley High School graduate Matt Barndt (left) is the car chief for popular Hendrick Motorspots driver Chase Elliott. (Hendrick Motorsports/Adrian Lauerman) — Saucon Valley High School graduate Matt Barndt (left) is the car chief for popular Hendrick Motorspots driver Chase Elliott.
(Hendrick Motorsports/Adrian Lauerman)

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.

Saucon Valley High School graduate Matt Barndt is the car chief for Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports/Adrian Lauerman)

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

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Motorsports

NASCAR Truck Series MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono

For the first time this season, Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) found himself in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory Lane, winning the MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway. Piloting the No. 34 Bare Knuckle Boxing Ford F-150, Riggs led the final 20 circuits around the 2.5-mile triangle shaped racetrack to secure his third career win. […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

For the first time this season, Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) found himself in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory Lane, winning the MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Piloting the No. 34 Bare Knuckle Boxing Ford F-150, Riggs led the final 20 circuits around the 2.5-mile triangle shaped racetrack to secure his third career win.

Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage) was second, with Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports), Brandon Jones (TRICON Garage), and Daniel Hemric (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) rounded out the top-five.

Pos	#	Driver	Diff	Status
1	34	Layne Riggs	—	Running
2	15	Tanner Gray	3.640	Running
3	45	Kaden Honeycutt	6.460	Running
4	1	Brandon Jones	7.268	Running
5	19	Daniel Hemric	8.732	Running
6	81	Connor Mosack	11.929	Running
7	38	Chandler Smith	12.346	Running
8	52	Stewart Friesen	15.266	Running
9	98	Ty Majeski	16.873	Running
10	71	Rajah Caruth	17.108	Running
11	17	Gio Ruggiero	17.524	Running
12	66	Luke Baldwin	22.586	Running
13	7	Carson Hocevar	23.115	Running
14	91	Jack Wood	24.359	Running
15	07	Patrick Emerling	25.360	Running
16	77	Andres Perez De Lara	26.007	Running
17	9	Grant Enfinger	26.955	Running
18	99	Ben Rhodes	32.720	Running
19	33	Frankie Muniz	32.830	Running
20	42	Matt Mills	33.094	Running
21	02	Nathan Byrd	34.243	Running
22	5	Toni Breidinger	38.519	Running
23	11	Corey Heim	50.052	Running
24	69	Tyler Tomassi	50.358	Running
25	76	Spencer Boyd	59.553	Running
26	18	Tyler Ankrum	2 laps	Running
27	88	Matt Crafton	2 laps	Running
28	13	Jake Garcia	4 laps	Running
29	26	Dawson Sutton	32 laps	Accident
30	22	Clayton Green	33 laps	Accident
31	44	Conner Jones	33 laps	Accident
32	74	Dawson Cram	47 laps	Mechanical
33	2	Cody Dennison	62 laps	Accident
34	6	Norm Benning	70 laps	Too Slow
35	28	Bryan Dauzat	71 Laps	Too Slow

Motorsports

NASCAR Craftsman Truck MillerTech Battery 200 Results

Friday At Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pa. Lap length: 2.50 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (1) Layne Riggs, Ford,… 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, […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Friday At Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pa. Lap length: 2.50 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (1) Layne Riggs, Ford,…

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.

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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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Motorsports

NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway odds, expert predictions for Great American Getaway 400

The NASCAR Cup Series is in Pennsylvania this weekend for The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. As drivers prepare to face NASCAR’s “Tricky Triangle,” we’re getting race insights from our motorsports experts, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi. They’ll fill us in on NASCAR’s future in San Diego, the roiling feud between Carson Hocevar […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

They’ll fill us in on NASCAR’s future in San Diego, the roiling feud between Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and of course, favorites and long shots for Sunday’s race.

Take it away, guys!

How to watch NASCAR at Pocono

Race: The Great American Getaway 400
Track: Pocono Raceway — Long Pond, Pa.
Time: Sunday, June 22, 2 p.m. ET
Watch: Prime Video

NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway Q&A, predictions

Jordan reported that NASCAR is nearing a deal for a Cup Series street course race in San Diego. Will this replace Chicago, or will it be an additional street race? What are your thoughts on the increasing street course races in the NASCAR schedule? How does it shift strategy among teams?

Jeff: Personally, I think there’s only room for one street course race per year in NASCAR. A street course needs to be highlighted in its own way, and it could quickly become less special if there are multiple per season. It’s sort of like the NHL’s Winter Classic when it was diluted with the Stadium Series; there’s a careful balance when it comes to these special events. NASCAR is not traditionally a road racing series (it only had two road course races per season for decades) and certainly wasn’t a circuit with street races until a couple of years ago, with the addition of Chicago. Fans are already weary of too many non-ovals anyway, but it’s certainly an opportunity for teams like Trackhouse Racing, who can hire a road course ace to launch them into the playoffs.

Jordan: While NASCAR’s original three-year contract with the city of Chicago is up at the end of the year, the possibility is there that NASCAR could return next year by exercising the option it holds. But to Jeff’s point, having two street courses on the schedule could potentially take away some of the novelty, which is part of the appeal of doing this. Plus, there is the cost to consider when staging two such races. It certainly isn’t cheap. Looking at it from the team perspective, it’s a further indication that the schedule going forward, consisting of five to six road/street courses and six drafting tracks, will continue to feature a good mix of various tracks.

Whew, Carson Hocevar really can’t keep himself out of trouble, can he? (Though it seems he’s good at apologies!) What do you think will happen with him and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.? Is it really just a coincidence that Stenhouse was the one Hocevar had a run-in with? Is that just bad luck or intentional? Could this boost performance for either of them? Is this a powder keg about to blow?

Jeff: Yeah, Stenhouse is not going to let this one go. Unfortunately for Hocevar, that was the worst possible person he could have collided with, and it shows bad judgment on his part, because it was completely unnecessary. Hocevar was a lap down at the time, and he shouldn’t have even let himself get close enough to Stenhouse for them to have contact; Hocevar wasn’t racing for anything but cleaned Stenhouse out. Whoops. So now Stenhouse is going to have to enact some sort of revenge, or he’ll come across as not being a man of his word, which is antithetical to his personal code. In other words, Hocevar either needs to watch his back or his rear-view mirror.

Jordan: Word of advice for Carson Hocevar: If you see Ricky Stenhouse Jr. this weekend and he’s wearing his shorts with the camo design, quickly walk in the other direction.

I believe this is the final race to determine seeding for the in-season challenge. What should we know about this process, and what are the stakes at Pocono for that tournament? Do the drivers care? Is this on the teams’ minds?

Jeff: This has been such a silly way to seed the in-season tournament. Instead of just taking the point standings and going 1 vs. 32, 2 vs. 31, etc., NASCAR has been seeding the top 32 drivers over a three-week stretch based on their best finish. So the No. 1 seed right now is Denny Hamlin, who won at Michigan and then didn’t even race last week at Mexico City. Meanwhile, Joey Logano is the No. 27 seed — so would it be an “upset” if he knocked off a No. 6 seed in Round 1? Of course not, and he’ll probably be heavily favored. So, again, doing it this way is a miss and will only confuse bettors. As for whether the teams care, the answer is no — not until next week, anyway. Once we start seeing the matchups and they start getting asked about it, then it could be on their minds more.

Jordan: In addition to what Jeff said about the seeding, keep in mind that the opening tournament race is at Atlanta, a track with a well-deserved reputation for generating chaos where multi-car accidents are commonplace. There’s a good chance the bracket will see some notables knocked out early, with a good number of “Cinderellas” moving forward. Additionally, the fact that the Chicago Street Course follows Atlanta only creates additional opportunities for upsets to happen. It will be very interesting to see what this bracket looks like after a couple of races.

Who is your favorite to win this weekend and why? Who has been dominant here in the past?

Jeff: Denny Hamlin is Pocono’s all-time wins leader — yes, all-time, not just among active drivers — with seven victories. That’s almost too easy, and he’s a heavy favorite after going win-win-second in the three Next Gen races there. Oh, what’s that you say? You’re not seeing a win for Hamlin in 2022? That’s because he got disqualified for a very minor infraction (still illegal, but minor) after winning that year. For betting purposes, you need to view it as a win. But again, that seems like a pretty obvious pick, so if you’re looking for slightly better value? Perhaps go with William Byron, who is Pocono’s all-time leader in average finish despite never actually winning there. He has +800 odds.

Jordan: That William Byron doesn’t have another win or two or three this season is surprising, considering how dominant he’s been at times. He’s due, overdue, to finally get that second victory, and Pocono represents a great place to do it. He’s finished in the top 10 in over 50 percent of his starts here, and this is one of those tracks where the best teams in a given season tend to shine. Also, don’t be surprised if Kyle Larson puts a tough few weeks behind him by putting a classic No. 5-team stomping on the field where he sweeps the stages, leads a ton of laps and rolls to the win.

Who is a long shot you like here?

Jeff: Pocono is the type of race where we could see an upset if fuel mileage plays out the right way. But that doesn’t help you much, because there are a lot of people to choose from in that regard. A better play might be to see if you can parlay a couple of plus-money top-10 picks together. Like, is it a stretch to think AJ Allmendinger (+10000 to win) and Michael McDowell (+20000) could both be in the top 10? Not at all. So maybe play around with that and see if you can come up with a combination that might work. After all, it would have been a great strategy last week when John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer landed surprising top-10s in Mexico City.

Jordan: Legacy Motor Speedway has shown considerably more speed in its cars recently, and if this speed is again present on Sunday, Erik Jones at +8000 makes for a great sleeper pick. Among active drivers, he has the fifth-most top-five finishes and seventh-best average finish, and with Pocono being a track known for long green-flag runs, the opportunity could be there for LMC to gamble with a Hail Mary strategy to score an upset win.

Race winner odds for The Great American Getaway 400

Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo of Denny Hamlin: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

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