Denny Hamlin missed the race in Mexico City, but it didn’t seem to impact him as the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Pocono. With a record seven wins at the 2.5-mile track, it was obvious that the No. 11 Toyota would be fast again, and in qualifying, no one could match his pace. He went to the top of the charts in his fifth pole position at Pocono but his first of the 2025 season.

“Obviously, because I was a little more rested than the field right there, I was able to get a little more speed,” joked Hamlin.

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“I mean, I love all of them,” added Hamlin when asked about Pocono being one of his favorite tracks. “Every week, we have a great shot to win and this team just knows what I need out of the car. And with all the cars and tires and everything that has changed over time, you still make speed at this track the same way. I was able to execute it there in qualifying and that’s a good start for us.”

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Joining Hamlin on the front row will be RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, who ended the session 0.083s behind Hamlin’s fast lap. Buescher’s first career Cup win came at Pocono back in 2016. Carson Hocevar qualified third, John-Hunter Nemechek fourth, and Cole Custer fifth in some really impressive runs for both the Legacy Motor Club and Haas Factory Team.

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Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Suarez filled out the remainder of the top ten.

Qualifying trouble

Watch: William Byron hits inside wall hard during qualifying at Pocono

Four drivers didn’t even set a qualifying time. As a result of inspection issues, Brennan Poole’s team was not allowed to take part while Cody Ware crashed in practice and was unable to do so. Josh Berry’s Wood Brothers No. 21 suffered a broken rear diffuser in the practice, which the team was busy repairing.

And then there was Bubba Wallace, whose No. 23 Toyota would not start when it was his time to go. 23XI Racing tried to push start it but to no avail, and he was visibly frustrated inside the car. A.J. Allmendinger and Todd Gilliland were the two slowest drivers on track, partly because they abandoned their laps after sketchy moments.

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But the biggest moment came near the end of qualifying. William Byron wasn’t going to challenge for pole, but he was likely going to be inside the top 10 when he lost control through the Tunnel Turn, spinning out and slamming the inside wall. After posting the fastest time in practice, the team will now have to make extensive repairs as they’ve chosen not to go to a backup car.

Byron’s HMS teammate Chase Elliott was on track at the same time and the incident ruined his lap. Luckily, NASCAR allowed him to put on a fresh set of tires and Elliott was allowed to go back out, but that was only good enough for 18th. Shockingly, he was the highest-qualifying Hendrick Motorsports driver. Kyle Larson qualified 24th and Alex Bowman was 25th.

As for Mexico City winner Shane van Gisbergen, he ended up 23rd, matching his best qualifying effort of the season on an oval.

Photos from Pocono – Practice & Qualifying

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Brennan Poole, Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Austin Cindric, Team Penske Ford

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

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Read Also:

After three inspection failures, Brennan Poole will have to serve in-race penalty

Here’s Chase Elliott’s theory on why he’s still winless in 2025

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

Layne Riggs wins Pocono NASCAR Truck shocker after issues take out leaders

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

NASCAR Practice Speeds, Notes, and Lap Averages. Use these NASCAR stats and info to build lineups on DraftKings for the the 2025 The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. William Byron was fastest in the session.

The NASCAR Cup Series ran a single practice session at Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon in preparation for the upcoming The Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday afternoon.

The 37-car field was split in to two groups for practice, with each group getting 25 minutes on track.

Below you will find the two groups, key notes from the practice session, as well as the practice speeds for all drivers.

Important Practice Notes

Josh Berry – The rear diffuser on Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford broke during practice, and the Wood Brothers Racing team had to replace it on Saturday afternoon. Berry will not able to make a qualifying lap this weekend.

Christopher Bell – The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team quickly realized after their session started that the car had no power steering. They seemed to get it fixed and were able to get on track and complete some laps.

Cody Ware – During the first group’s session, Cody Ware spun out his No. 51 Ford in turn three and backed it into the wall. The Rick Ware Racing team will have to repair the car and will not attempt to qualify.

Brennan Poole – The No. 44 NY Racing team is in the field this week with Brennan Poole behind the wheel. The car failed inspection three times on Saturday, which means Poole will have to deal with several penalties, including not being able to make a qualifying lap.

Tough time in inspection for Brennan Poole’s No. 44 car today.

The car failed three times before passing on its fourth attempt, which resulted in the following penalties:

— Not allowed to qualify
— Pass-through penalty after taking the green flag tomorrow
— Car chief ejected…

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 21, 2025

2025 Pocono Great American Getaway 400 Practice Speed Chart

Click here to download the PDF of the practice speed chart.

2025 Pocono Great American Getaway 400 10-Lap Average Chart

NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks

More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis

LONG POND, Pa. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly undefeated in that role.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old driver Connor Zilisch in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet on Saturday at Pocono Raceway, where they ended up in victory lane after winning a race in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series.

“It felt good to have some input and decision-making power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”

Earnhardt — a NASCAR Hall of Famer who was voted the most popular Cup Series driver by fans 15 times from 2003-17 — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction earlier this month at Nashville Superspeedway.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on Amazon Prime Video’s telecast of Sunday’s top-tier Cup Series race. Earnhardt retired as a full-time Cup Series driver after the 2017 season but has raced occasionally in the Xfinity Series for his own team, most recently last September at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife Amy and their two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

“I love that they just get to experience things about NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I had such a great time growing up as a kid in this sport, just running around here. I want them to have that opportunity and understand that this is a place where they could create opportunities for themselves down the road.”

Earnhardt’s 26 career wins in the Cup Series included a sweep of both Pocono races in 2014, a season he started by winning the Daytona 500 for the second time.

Saturday’s success continued a banner season for Earnhardt after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 to make their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt’s side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity Series victory of the season and the third of his career. He won his debut last year on the permanent road course at New York’s Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

“Midway through the race, man, I was feeling it,” Earnhardt said.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing — the same organization for which his late father won six of his record-tying seven Cup Series championships and the 1998 Daytona 500.

“Dale Jr., not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

Even with the victory, it just might be one-and-done on the pit box for the boss.

Said Earnhardt: “I don’t know that I see myself doing it again.”

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief.

He’s certainly an undefeated one.

Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“It felt good to have some input and decision-making power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.”

Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville.

Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday.

“Lot of fun for me today,” Earnhardt said. “I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don’t get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn’t really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.”

Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad’s arms.

“I love that they just get to experience things about NASCAR,” Earnhardt said. “I had such a great time growing up as a kid in this sport, just running around here. I want them to have that opportunity and understand that this is a place where they could create opportunities for themselves down the road.”

The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut.

Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall.

His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International.

Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops.

“Midway through the race man, I was feeling it,” Earnhardt said.

Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second.

“Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,” Zilisch said. “Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.”

Even with the victory, it just might be one-and-done on the pit box for Earnhardt.

“I don’t know that I see myself doing it again,” he said.

___

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

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

NASCAR on Prime Video officially wraps up today with coverage of this year’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

The Great American Getaway 400 takes place at one of NASCAR’s more unique tracks; Pocono Raceway’s 2.5 mile circuit is a triangular oval with three distinct points. Because of that, it’s also referred to as the “tricky trangle.”

Today’s race is 400 miles, which will be split up into three stages of 30, 65, and 65 laps respectively.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.

Great American Getaway 400 start time: What time is today’s NASCAR race on?

Today’s (June 22) NASCAR race, the Great American Getaway 400, begins at 2 p.m. ET.

What channel is today’s NASCAR race on?

Today’s NASCAR race won’t be on traditional television; it will air exclusively on Prime Video.

How to watch the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono for free:

If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.

All 18- to 24-year-olds, regardless of student status, are eligible for a discounted Prime for Young Adults membership as well, with age verification. After a six-month free trial, you’ll pay 50% off the standard Prime monthly price of $14.99/month — just $7.49/month — for up to six years and get all the perks.

With Prime Video, you can also take advantage of the streamer’s Shop the Race storefront, exclusively on the Amazon mobile app, to shop gear, flags, and more for your favorite driver.

NASCAR Pocono starting lineup:

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (52.144 seconds)
2. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (52.227)
3. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (52.379)
4. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (52.390)
5. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford (52.436)
6. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (52.444)
7. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (52.464)
8. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (52.500)
9. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (52.525)
10. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (52.631)
11. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (52.632)
12. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (52.673)
13. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford (52.727)
14. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (52.781)
15. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (52.803)
16. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (52.811)
17. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford (52.813)
18. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (52.820)
19. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (52.836)
20. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (52.837)
21. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (52.861)
22. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (52.927)
23. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (52.962)
24. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (52.966)
25. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (52.978)
26. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (53.095)
27. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (53.107)
28. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (53.140)
29. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota (53.159)
30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet (53.661)
31. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (57.645)
32. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (59.181)
33. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (64.077)
34. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (no time)
35. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (no time)
36. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (no time)
37. Brennan Poole, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet (no time)

NASCAR on Prime Video 2025 schedule:

Today marks Prime Video’s final race of the 2025 NASCAR schedule.

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews