No days off for the Cup Series, as they head from the road course in Mexico City to the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond, PA, Pocono Raceway. Here is everything you need to know for the Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday.
The NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway Preview and Predictions
Last time we were racing at Pocono Raceway in 2024, it was Ryan Blaney besting one of the best to ever race at Pocono, Denny Hamlin. Can Blaney get win #2 of 2025 at Pocono? Or will Denny Hamlin win his eighth race at Pocono after taking a week off?
Race Preview
The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway is a 160-lap race around the 2.5-mile race track in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The stage breaks will come on laps 30 and 95, with the checkered flag flying on lap 165. 11,055,250 dollars are available in the prize purse for the race. The Goodyear tires being used this weekend are a combination of tires used previously, the left side tires used most recently at Nashville, and the right sides used at Indianapolis last year. Teams will have 7 sets of tires, one used in qualifying and six fresh tires.
The Track: Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway, also known as “The Tricky Triangle,” is a 2.5-mile superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Unlike most ovals, Pocono features three unique turns. After traveling down the 3,740-foot-long front straight, drivers will tackle the 14-degree turn one. Turn two is modelled after Indianapolis, with 8 degrees of banking. Finally, drivers will face turn three, modelled after the Milwaukee Mile, a turn with 6 degrees.
The Cup Series has raced at Pocono 91 times in the past. Richard Petty won the first race in 1974. Denny Hamlin has the most wins at the track with seven wins. Kyle Busch holds the lap record at Pocono, setting a 51.298-second lap in 2018.
Cup Series Point Standings:
Here are the point standings following last week’s race in Mexico City:
1. William Byron: 604
2. Kyle Larson: 537
3. Christopher Bell: 524
4. Chase Elliott: 500
5. Denny Hamlin: 494
6. Tyler Reddick: 477
7. Ryan Blaney: 466
8. Ross Chastain: 443
9. Joey Logano: 411
10. Bubba Wallace: 411
Read More: SVG Proves He’s Road Course King in Mexico City, Shakes Up Playoffs
Drivers To Watch:
Only one driver is joining the race on Sunday. Brennan Poole will drive the #44 Chevy for NY Racing.
Kyle Larson has been on a rough streak the past few races. Involved in a wreck at Mexico City, but they got the car repaired to grab the fastest lap of the race point. I think this race could be a reset for the #5 team. If he can come away from Pocono with a clean racecar, he can use the next few races to get back on top of the point standings.
His teammate Alex Bowman had a good bounce-back in Mexico City after a huge wreck in Michigan. Bowman ran third behind Blaney and Hamlin in 2024. He also scored a Pocono win in 2021 when Larson cut down a tire on the final lap in the final corner. I think Bowman has the momentum and experience to get his first win of 2025 at Pocono.
Ryan Blaney is the defending race winner and, in my opinion, the best Ford to win this race. I think they have been better than their Penske teammates on the ovals, and when they get it right, they dominate. Look out for Blaney on Sunday.
Read More: Ryan Blaney Quickly Becoming One of NASCAR’s Best Drivers
Lastly, for the Toyota picks. Hard to argue against Denny Hamlin at Pocono, but I will also add his teammate Ty Gibbs to my picks for Toyota. Gibbs was good in Mexico City, but no one could compare to the #88 of SVG. Gibbs won the pole for the race last year, but a blown engine ended their day early. I think Gibbs can return to Pocono with a shot at winning his first Cup race.
How To Watch The Cup Series at Pocono:
Here is the weekend schedule for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway:
Saturday, June 21st:
- Practice
- 12:35 PM Eastern
- Coverage is on Amazon Prime Sports and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio by the Motor Racing Network
- Qualifying
- 1:45 PM Eastern
- Coverage continues on Prime Sports and NASCAR Radio
Sunday, June 22nd:
- The Great American Getaway 400:
- 2:00 PM Eastern
- For the final time, coverage will be on Amazon Prime and radio coverage on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel
Last Word on Motorsports will have all the coverage from Pocono Raceway and the NASCAR Cup Series
Main Photo: Jonathan Bachman, Getty Images
Recording Date: 7/14/2025
