Famously known as the ‘Tricky Triangle’, Pocono Raceway is the next stop for all three of NASCAR’s national touring series this upcoming weekend. The 2.5-mile Pennsylvania venue first became a host to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) in August 1974 and since then, has held 88 races for the series, including doubleheaders in 2020 and 2021. The weekend’s tripleheader will be the single appearance at Pocono by the series this season.
Chevrolet is the winningest brand at Pocono, recording a manufacturer-leading 33 victories at the track. The most recent of those triumphs came in part one of the 2021 NCS doubleheader by Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. The race looked to be Kyle Larson’s, but after blowing a tire in the final corner coming to the checkered flag, Bowman was able to pass his teammate to take the win, giving Hendrick Motorsports a series-leading 18th victory at the track.
TOP-TWO STREAK CONTINUES FOR ELLIOTT
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team continues to prove they are contenders for the championship title. The 26-year-old Georgia native brought home a runner-up finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, marking his fourth consecutive top-two finish. Within that streak includes two of his series-leading three wins, which were captured at Nashville Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Elliott continues to lead the series in a variety of the season’s statistical categories including: average running position (10.2); total laps led (658); fastest laps run (313); and tying fellow Chevrolet driver Ross Chastain for the most top-10 finishes (14).
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion not only remains in the top position of the driver points standings, but was able to increase his points lead to 67 points over Ross Chastain in the second-spot. Elliott has also accumulated a series-leading 20 playoff points thus far, a feat that plays a vital role in setting his team up for a strong run at the championship title.
CHEVROLET EXTENDS LEAD IN MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
Looking to defend its NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Manufacturer Championship titles this season, Chevrolet closed out the New Hampshire race weekend by expanding its points lead in both series’ standings.
The bowtie brand sits atop the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer points standings with a 65 point lead over second, with eight drivers from four different Chevrolet teams contributing to those points thus far. In 20 NCS races this season, Chevrolet has now amassed 11 wins, 49 top-fives, 91 top-10s, 18 stage wins.. all of which are series-leading numbers.
Coming off the 12th NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season, Chevrolet extended its lead in the NXS manufacturer standings to 78 points. Within a stout Chevrolet lineup in the series, nine Camaro SS drivers coming from five different Chevrolet teams have added points to the battle as the bowtie brand looks to capture its 24th NXS Manufacturer Championship title.
ALLGAIER TAKES CHEVROLET BACK TO VICTORY LANE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE
In a race that saw nine cautions and 14 lead changes among 10 drivers, Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team prevailed, taking the checkered flag for the first time in his career at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 36-year-old Illinois native has now made his way to victory lane three times in 2022.. all recorded in the span of the last eight races. The win also moved Allgaier up the NXS driver points standings to second, sitting just 16 points out of the top spot.
Chevrolet’s return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series victory lane at New Hampshire was celebrated by a stellar bowtie representation in the final running order. Chevrolet drivers took nine of the top-10 finishing positions, with those drivers coming from eight different Chevrolet teams:
JR Motorsports – Justin Allgaier (Race Winner)
Brandonbilt Motorsports – Brandon Brown (third; season-best finish)
Jeremy Clements Racing – Jeremy Clements (fourth; season-best finish)
Richard Childress Racing – Sheldon Creed (fifth) and Austin Hill (seventh)
DGM Racing – Mason Massey (ninth; second career top-10 finish)
JD Motorsports – Bayley Currey (10th; second career top-10 finish)
NASCAR Xfinity Series points leader AJ Allmendinger powered his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS to top-five finishes in both stages, but was caught up in an accident in the closing laps, forcing the team to pit for repairs. Salvaging a 20th-place finish, the Chevrolet driver was able to maintain the top position in the NXS driver points standings heading into the Pocono race weekend.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 on Saturday will mark just the seventh appearance for the series at Pocono Raceway. In the NXS debut at the “Tricky Triangle” in 2016, Kyle Larson powered Chevrolet to the victory behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
CLOSING OUT THE NCWTS REGULAR SEASON
Drivers and teams of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) head to Pocono Raceway with playoff implications on the mind. Saturday’s CRC Brakleen 150 marks the end of the regular season for the series, giving Chevrolet drivers one last shot to secure a playoff berth and become one of the 10 drivers that will compete for the NCWTS Driver Championship title.
Following a third-place finish in the series’ last race at Mid-Ohio, Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar is the most recent driver to have locked himself into the playoff field. With just two spots left up for grabs, Chevrolet drivers have the chance to either point or win their way into the remaining coveted playoff spots. Heading into the ‘Tricky Triangle’ race weekend, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 Silverado team sit ninth in the standings. While on the outside looking in, Derek Kraus and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevrolet team is just 19 points below the cutline.. with an open playoff spot still in reach.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series made its debut at Pocono Raceway in 2010, where Elliott Sadler drove his Chevrolet-powered machine for team owner Kevin Harvick to victory lane. In the series’ 12 races at the track, the bowtie brand has recorded five wins, with the most recent coming from Ross Chastain and Niece Motorsports in July 2019.
AND THE ESPY GOES TO…
After a storybook season in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson was presented with the Best Driver Award at the 2022 ESPYS. Larson was among the great company of Max Verstappen, Steve Torrence and Alex Palou that were nominated for the prestigious award. This marks the 19th time that a NASCAR driver has been presented with the award. It’s also the ninth time that a Hendrick Motorsports driver has taken home the title, with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each winning it four times.
In Larson’s debut season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, the 29-year-old California native scored 10 points-paying race wins and his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship title. The title also marked Chevrolet’s 33rd Driver Championship title in NASCAR’s premier series.
BOWTIE BULLETS
·Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 33 wins and 34 pole wins at Pocono Raceway. In addition to its wins, Chevrolet has accrued 172 top-fives and 366 top-10s.
·Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Pocono Raceway with 18 among eight different drivers: Jeff Gordon (six), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Kasey Kahne (one), Geoff Bodine (one), Terry Labonte (one) and Alex Bowman (one).
·In his eight career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway, Chevrolet’s William Byron leads the series in average finishing position with a 9.125.
·Chevrolet heads into the Pocono Raceway race weekend with 11 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 20 points-paying races, giving the bowtie brand a winning percentage of 55 percent. The Chevrolet also continues to lead in NCS top-fives (49), top-10s (91), laps led (2,653) and stage wins (18).
·Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in race wins (3), average running position (10.2) and total laps led (658). Elliott’s 20 playoff points also continues to sit as a series-best.
·Chase Elliott’s runner-up finish at New Hampshire marked his fourth consecutive top-two finish, with two of his three wins being recorded within that time span (Nashville Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway).
·Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 18 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:
Tyler Reddick 2 – Fontana x2
Alex Bowman 1 – Las Vegas
Ross Chastain 3 – Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte
William Byron 3 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega
Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte
Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2
Kyle Larson 2 – Bristol, Sonoma
·Chevrolet leads the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott remains in the top position in the NCS standings for the 15th consecutive week with a 67-point lead over second; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 16 points. Chevrolet also remains atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.
·With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 825 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.
FOR THE FANS
·Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Pocono Raceway.
·Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2023 Corvette Stingray Convertible Red, 2020 Camaro LT1 Coupe Military Tribute, 2021 Trailblazer ACTIV, 2022 Equinox RS, 2022 Traverse RS, 2022 Blazer RS, 2022 Tahoe Z71.
TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Saturday, July 23
·Lawless Alan and Kris Wright: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
·Matt DiBenedetto and Tate Fogleman: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
·Stefan Parsons: 2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
·Jeb Burton: 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
·Rajah Caruth and Nick Sanchez: 3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Sunday, July 24
·Ty Dillon: 11:05 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
·Ross Chastain: 11:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, July 22: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 23: 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 24: 8 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
TUNE IN
USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 on Sunday, July 24, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 on Saturday, July 23, at 5 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
FOX will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series CRC Brakleen 150 on Saturday, July 23, at 12 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
WHAT WILL SHIFTING LOOK LIKE THIS WEEKEND AT POCONO?
“In the past we’ve only shifted in Turn 1 and maybe some guys were shifting in Turn 3, and now we will shift in all three corners. We’re shifting a lot of the weeks this year, so even more shifting at Pocono.”
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACING THE CAR VERSUS RACING THE TRUCK?
“The distance is one of the biggest things. A truck race is about half of the distance.
They used to be pretty similar to drive, but now with the current car they’re completely different. In the car we have a five speed sequential shifter, and in the trucks and the previous versions of the car, we had an H pattern. I really enjoy driving the cars now because they’re so challenging. In the moment when I’m in the car, I don’t think that, but when I get out I think about how cool it was to drive.”
IF YOU COULD PICK A DRIVER, PAST OR PRESENT, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO RACE AGAINST AND WHY?
“I would probably pick Mario Andretti because he traversed all walks of racing. I would like to know more about that. I would ask him who helped him – a team of people, or did you just plug yourself in whichever series it was. He was naturally gifted, but he still had to work at it.”
“I always enjoy going to Pocono (Raceway) – it’s a track that for some reason suits my driving style. I’ve had some good runs there and was close to winning there last year, so I’m excited to go back. It should be interesting in the Next Gen car. I don’t know how many times we’ll be downshifting. In the previous car, this was really the only oval we’d downshift at, so it may not be too different.”
“We were a corner away from what was going to be five in a row if you count the (non-points) All-Star win. The team worked hard to prepare the backup car for Sunday’s race, but we didn’t know how quick it really was because we bashed the nose in early in the race (after contact with another car), which put us behind on strategy. We had to play whatever cards we had, and that was to be a car that made it to the end and we ended up with a second-place finish. I’m pretty sure it was after that day I told the team that during the 2018 and 2019 NFL season, the Patriots beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game 37–31 – it was a totally offensive game. The Patriots then won the Super Bowl that year 13 to 3 – a totally defensive game. The No. 5 team had been on offense with three second places in a row followed by four wins – almost five. It looked like all offense. But that Sunday, all we could do was play defense and we did and finished second. That’s when I figured we were good on both sides of the coin.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
ELLIOTT ON RACING AT POCONO:
“I mentioned before about how New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) and Pocono (Raceway) were two places where I felt like we really needed to improve and try to have good runs at. I feel like we accomplished that last week at New Hampshire. The team gave me a great car, but I just wasn’t able to get the job done. Still a far improvement from where I feel like we’ve been prior to that. Now we need to go and do the same thing this weekend at Pocono.”
ELLIOTT ON NAPA’S CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
“None of this is possible without NAPA. I’m so thankful for their commitment to our team and their passion for what we do every weekend. I’ve been lucky to meet a lot of great folks from across the country who work for NAPA. All of us are really proud to represent a company that takes care of its employees and its customers and is driven to be successful in every aspect. I’m looking forward to what’s to come and celebrating more wins together.”
“I’m excited to get to Pocono (Raceway) this weekend. It’s a track that both myself and Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) have had success at in every level of our careers. We were close to getting the win there twice last year and we won there together in Trucks. I think there’s a little bit more of an unknown for Sunday’s race this time though. Even though Pocono has three different corners, they are all primarily flat and flat tracks have been an area we have struggled at this year with the Next Gen car. I think last weekend at New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) we showed some improvement on those style of tracks, but ride quality was still off throughout a run. It has been hard to get the balance right for all three corners (at Pocono), and I feel like that may be an issue still this weekend. I still think my biggest focus, though, will be my drive off of turn three because it really carries you down the straightaway and sets you up with good momentum through turn one and on to turn two.”
FUGLE ON THE CHALLENGES THEY WILL FACE RACING AT POCONO:
“Pocono (Raceway) is tough no matter what series you’re racing in. It has three different, distinct corners that are all flat, which has been really hard to navigate with the new car. The flatter the corners, the harder it is for the car to handle well with grip levels and bump contact. The whole track can be rough, but especially turn two. You’re going to see a lot of cars bouncing around and it’s going to be treacherous. We’re really working on getting those things ironed out better for our flat track program. Pocono, though, is a track that both myself and William (Byron) enjoy going to. If we get those things ironed out, I think we will definitely be competing for a win on Sunday, just like we were in last year’s race there.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1
“I’m looking forward to Pocono. It’s been a pretty good place for me in the past, really all the way up through ARCA, Truck, Xfinity and on to the Cup Series the last few years. Just enjoy it. It’s fun to go to. It’s a challenging place to get your car to drive well and challenging place as a driver as well with the size of the track and where you can make mistakes and where you can gain and loose speed. That’s kind of the fun part of Pocono for me. I’m excited to go there with our 43 group. I think the style of tracks we’ve really succeeded on this year are somewhat similar to what Pocono’s going to take out of your race car. I’m excited about that and hoping to go there with a chance to run up front and hopefully have a chance to win as well. Should be a good day.”
“Pocono is going to be interesting for us because we’ve found throughout the season that the ride quality is rougher and Turn 2 at Pocono is pretty rough in general. The sequential shifting will make it easier to drive, but we will have to what and see about the ride quality.
I’ll get more laps in this weekend running the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. It’s been a while and those cars look like a ton of fun to drive. An opportunity was presented for me to run a few races this year and I jumped on that. I’ll go have some fun on Saturday and be able to make more laps to see if I can learn anything for Sunday.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
BOWMAN ON GOING BACK TO POCONO AFTER WINNING LAST YEAR:
“Anytime you go back to a track that you have previously won at, you have a little more confidence and Pocono (Raceway) is one of those tracks for me. We had a great No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE last year and I know our team is doing everything they can to recreate that for me in this year’s car. I can’t say enough about my team and how hard they work, especially when we feel like we are not getting the results we are aiming for. Our team is so tight-knit and we all join together when we are facing a tough stretch. I feel like Pocono is going to be a place that we can go execute a solid race and get back on track with where we want to be.”
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLYCAMARO ZL1
IVES ON HIS MINDSET AFTER THE LAST FOUR RACES:
“Our team is really good at rallying together and continuing to fight when we are not where we want to be. We had good speed at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) and at Road America, just some unfortunate circumstances at each race that took us out of contention. Everyone at the shop and on the road is putting in the time this week to go back and try to repeat our success at Pocono (Raceway) from last year. Alex (Bowman) is working hard and keeping his focus high, our pit crew is focused on executing at a high level, and our team at the shop is going the extra mile to ensure our No. 48 Ally Chevy is where it needs to be for Sunday.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON POCONO?
“It was cool to get the pole there in 2018 and then we finished second in the race that weekend. At Pocono, it always helps to have a good starting spot. Pocono is a track where you can’t make mistakes on the track, and you can’t have mistakes on pit road. Everyone has to do their part to execute perfectly. “
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MOST IMPORTANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT POCONO?
“Track position is extremely important every weekend, but it’s especially important at Pocono. If you make a mistake, it takes so much longer and is so much harder to recover from. It’s a tough place for sure.”
ARE YOU MORE CONFIDENT NOW AFTER EARNING THAT FIRST CAREER VICTORY?
“I don’t think I am more confident, that’s really never wavered. I am relieved we got that victory and how it put us in the playoffs. We just have to keep improving.”
GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST
“I’m pretty excited to debut a new chassis with our Champion Power Equipment team this week at Pocono. Everyone on this No. 23 team and at GMS Fabrication have been putting in the extra work in preparation for these final eight races of the year, and I think we will have a piece ready to contend with. We have our goals set in place and know what we need to do to lock ourselves into the playoffs picture, so now it’s all up to us to execute. I’m confident in the direction this team is going.”
JACK WOOD, NO. 24 CHEVROLET MILITARY APPRECIATION SILVERADO RST
“Last year when we raced at Pocono, we had a very unfortunate incident that ended our race pretty early, so I’m looking forward to returning to the track and showing what we’re made of. The Poconos are a beautiful part of the country, and I think a unique track like this will give us an opportunity to finally turn our season around. The GMS team put together some good runs there with our teammates last year, so I know that we have a good chance at replicating that type of success. Also, I am very excited to debut this special Chevrolet Military Appreciation paint scheme this week. My family has some deep ties to the military, and I love what the people at GM are doing with this program in offering a discount to those that have served. It’s going to be a fun weekend for us in more ways than one!”
