Chaos on restarts is a hot topic as the NASCAR Xfinity Series prepares to spend a weekend in the Pocono’s
NASCAR Xfinity Series officials will be keeping a sharp eye on restarts this weekend in Pocono. Last week in New Hampshire a massive pileup destroyed several cars as the field was coming to a restart on lap 70.
Playoff hopeful Parker Kligerman took a big hit in the points after being caught up in the crash. The restart zone in New Hampshire is completely straight whereas most tracks have a slight bend, allowing drivers to see further ahead.
Restarts at Pocono Raceway are also completely straight and have a history of being very aggressive. Because of that NASCAR has issued a warning to all three series heading into the weekend.
The Track
Pocono Raceway is one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. The track nicknamed “The Tricky Triangle” certainly lives up to its namesake. All three turns are shaped completely differently and have different levels of banking.
The three straightaways are all different lengths as well, making it almost impossible to find a perfect setup. Teams are usually forced to compromise on part of the track in order to be faster in a more important area.
The extremely wide front stretch has always invited mad dashes into turn one on restarts, which officials will be monitoring closely after last week. Pocono Raceway’s mix of high-speed and tight turns usually produces great racing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Prediction
The NASCAR Xfinity Series entry list features several eye-catching drivers for the trip to Pocono. Daniel Suarez will be driving the Kaulig Racing “all-star” car this weekend and Ty Dillon will be in a third car for Richard Childress Racing.
The biggest name on the list is Chase Elliott who will be racing the #17 car for Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott will be competing in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race since 2021. He hasn’t won a Xfinity race since 2016 and has only won five times despite winning the 2014 championship.
Even with the Cup Series talent in this race I’m going with their future competitor Josh Berry. The extra motivation of racing against his future competition could give Berry the boost he needs to land in victory lane.
How To Watch – Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 (All times ET)
- Practice/Qualifying: Friday, July 21, 3:35 p.m. on USA
- Explore the Pocono Mountains 225: Saturday, July 22, 5:30 p.m. on USA
